Established in 2021, Constitutions, Rights and Justice is an interdisciplinaryresearch group seeks to foster a collaborative approach regarding how to talk about and conduct research on the nature of constitutions, different categories of rights (i.e., social, political, legal and employment) and the importance of justice in its many forms.

Constitutions, Rights and Justice is an interdisciplinaryresearch group seeks to foster a collaborative approach regarding how to talk about and conduct research on the nature of constitutions, different categories of rights (i.e., social, political, legal and employment) and the importance of justice in its many forms. This innovative group is based within the Institute of Arts and Humanities at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester. It brings together academics at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ and other institutions, legal practitioners and active and retired judges to work together on a myriad of issues and seek scope for collaboration within the wider academy and legal practice.

A person looking at a case study

The group’s activity comprises publications, conferences, and research workshops, and public and community engagement. The group also hosts an annual public lecture, delivered by a prominent figure from the rights and justice community.

Below you will find information about the aims of the group, its members, and past and forthcoming research activity. 

The group’s director is Dr Chris Monaghan. If you have any questions, please contact Chris at c.monaghan@worc.ac.uk.

Aims

The aims of the group are to:

  1. Engage with the public, the academy and legal practice through the dissemination of research and scholarship, the hosting of Public Lectures, workshops and research seminars.
  2. Foster collaboration between ordinary members, associate members and the wider academy and legal practice.
  3. Produce innovative research and other scholarly work that advance the work of the group.

The group’s director is Dr Chris Monaghan. If you have any questions, please contact Chris at c.monaghan@worc.ac.uk.

Membership

The group consists of ordinary members who are staff at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester, and associate members from other institutions and the legal profession.

You can view a register of members (updated January 2025)

Legal Research Culture at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester

Since the creation of the School of Law in 2016 the development of a research culture has been a key priority. The first conference was held in January 2017 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Fraud Act 2006 becoming law and this led to an edited book, .
 
The School of Law’s Research Seminar series has seen speakers deliver talks at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester from around the globe and has brought together scholars based within the School of Law and external scholars. 
 
Colleagues at the School of Law spoke at the on the criticism of the judiciary that followed the Article 50 decision (Miller (No.1)).
 
Since 2016 we have had public lectures from leading legal figures such as Professor Fiona de Londras, Karon Monaghan KC, David Mason KC,  Mrs Justice Steyn and Sir Andrew MacFarlane
 
In November 2022 the School of Law convened in conjunction with the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Sheffield a five-day conference, Questions of Accountability. The conference was reported in . The conference was supported by the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom. Speakers include Dr Hannah White, Professor Bruce Ackerman, Professor Alison Young, Baroness Hale, Baroness Kennedy KC, Lord Neuberger, Lord Blunkett, Professor Frank Bowman, Karon Popp (former Associate White House Counsel), Joshua Matz (former prosecuting counsel in both Trump impeachment trials), Professor Richard Albert, Professor Robert Hazell, Professor Se-Sauna Wheatle, and Professor Conor Gearty. The conference led to the publication of two books including . In his foreword to the book, Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom between 2012 –17, wrote that, ‘It is an excellent and thought-provoking book for anyone who wants to understand the full implications of Accountability. I hope its message is recognised across and beyond academe and that it fulfils its potential in terms identifying new and critical questions, and indeed by identifying just one or two possible and actionable answers to those questions.’

 

Dr Chris Monaghan

 Dr Michael Lane

 

Research and Scholarly Activity

Publications

The group’s members are actively involved in publishing books, blogs, and in academic journals.

You can view our full list of ordinary members’ publications (updated January 2025)

Policy Submissions

The group is also involved in submitting evidence and other reports to influence policy in areas of rights and justice. Recent submissions include:

Media, Press and Outreach

Dr Josie Welsh was invited to attend an event at the House of Lords to debate whether the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ needed a written constitution.

Dr Chris Monaghan was interviewed on BBC Radio Five Live, Times Radio, Radio Student (Slovenia), and BBC Radio Scotland about the Chagos Islands (February and May 2025).

Short Courses

The Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group runs short courses for members of the public and university staff.

 Human Rights: An Introduction (a two-day course) – May 2025

 

Upcoming events

Book Launch of Leading Works in the History of the Constitution (Routledge 2025): 26 September 2025

The keynote speaker is: Baroness Hale of Richmond DBE

This collection brings together academic analysis of leading contemporary accounts of the British Constitution with key constitutional documents and sources, while also offering analysis of the leading histories of the Constitution.

The works in question represent examples of the constitutionally most significant legislation, judicial decisions, and commentaries by scholars and key actors. Its scope is the seven hundred years of English, and then British, history from the Magna Carta to Britain as an imperial power grappling with the question of how to govern India.

The contributors, presenting a balance of established academics and early career researchers, present an original and succinct account of the significance of each leading work. They draw upon the context in which it was written, contemporary literature and more modern academic analysis of the work and its author(s).

Presenting a complement to standard texts on the history of the constitution, the book will be of interest to researchers and academics working in the areas of Constitutional Law and Politics, Public Law and Legal History.

Visit to find out more. 

Past Events 

Rights and Justice Festival: 8 July, 2025

 The inaugural festival will be taking place in collaboration with the Hive. This is a public-facing, interactive event to engage the general public and local children and students with the research of the Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group.

The organisers are Dr Nkem Adeleye, Dr Mikahil Azad, Dr Isabel Gilbert, Dr Chris Monaghan and Nicola Monaghan. Contributors include colleagues from across the university, a retired circuit judge, and the keynote speakers are Professor Jon Yorke (from Birmingham City ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ) and Dr Beverley Gilbert (from the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester).

You can find out more on the Rights and Justice Festival webpage.

Conference: The Impeachment of Warren Hastings: 3-4 July 2025

A conference jointly hosted by the Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester and The History of Parliament Trust.

The trial of Warren Hastings was one of the seminal moments in late 18th-century politics. The former governor general of Bengal, Hastings, was accused of a variety of crimes relating to abuse of the local population and peculation. Attitudes to him varied widely, with him attracting high profile supporters, while the case against him was driven forward by stars of the Whig party, such as Edmund Burke and Charles James Fox. In raw political terms it helped precipitate the collapse of any sense of unity within the former governing Whigs and helped William Pitt the Younger cement his hold on power. Quite as importantly, the trial is vital in understanding how British society viewed the government of colonial India and how Indian society responded to the process of colonization.

The trial is crucial in understanding late Georgian society and attitudes to law and governance, to Empire and colonization. The impeachment was a key event in the changing governance of British India as well as casting a spotlight on the role of Parliament and its ability to hold to account senior officials accused of misdemeanours. The subject cuts across several disciplines: law, political history, history of print satire, literary history and imperial history. The conference will bring together scholars from a range of disciplines and at all levels of experience, with colleagues from across the world, with scholars based in Canada, the EU, India, New Zealand, the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ and US participating. A book involving many of those presenting at the conference has been commissioned to be published with Bloomsbury, adding to the impact of the event.

The conference is being supported financially by Parliamentary History. The keynote speaker is Professor Dame Linda Colley, Princeton ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ, USA.

You can view our Impeachment of Warren Hastings conference webpage.

Constitutions, Rights and Justice Annual Lecture by Professor Lawrence Sherman: 26 March 2025

‘How Policing and Artificial Intelligence Make Britain Safe for Democracy and the Rule of Law’ by Professor Lawrence Sherman

This lecture was convened by Michelle Clarke, Head of School of Law.

Lawrence W. Sherman is Chief Executive Officer of Benchmark Cambridge, a global police reform organization, and Wolfson Professor of Criminology Emeritus at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Cambridge. From 2022 to 2024 he served as Chief Scientific Officer of the Metropolitan Police Service (London), where he designed the VAWG100 project for stopping the most dangerous suspects predating on women and girls. From 2007 to 2022, he educated hundreds of police leaders on evidence-based policing in the Cambridge ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Police Executive Programme.

Since beginning his career as an analyst in the New York City Police Department, he has designed or led experiments in over 50 police agencies on four continents, discovering key facts for police strategies for geographic hot spots, high-harm repeat offenders, and restorative justice. A former President of the American Society of Criminology, he holds honorary degrees or medals from five universities. In 2010 he was elected Honorary President of the Society of Evidence-Based Policing. As the founding editor of the Cambridge Journal of Evidence-Based Policing, he promotes better use and production of research for better policing.

This lecture was of interest to practitioners, academics and students alike. All were welcome to this free event.

Symposium on 100th Anniversary of R v Sussex Justices, ex parte McCarty: Friday 6 December 2024

The Constitution, Rights and Justice Research Group co-convened a symposium with Alistair Mills from the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Cambridge to mark the 100th anniversary this year of the decision in R v Sussex Justices, ex parte McCarthy [1924] 1 KB 256 and Lord Hewart’s famous statement about the importance of justice being seen to be done, not merely done: it ‘is of fundamental importance that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.’ 

International Law in the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

The ‘International Law in the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ’ conference brought together speakers from academia, civil society and legal practice to consider the relationship between the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ and international law. The event was supported by the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Constitutional Law Association. You can view the programme. 

Dr Michael Lane, who organised the conference, said “the event served as a timely, important reflection on the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ’s relationship with international law. We were joined by a fantastic keynote speaker, Prof. Satvinder Juss, who spoke on the significance of ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Supreme Court’s decision in AAA v Secretary of State for the Home Department (aka the ‘Rwanda case’). It was a real pleasure to bring together and hear from experts in this area. Attendees spoke highly of the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester and the research taking place in the School of Law”

A book proposal has been submitted publish the proceedings of the conference as an edited collection.

The Conference speakers. Back row, from left to right: Dr Lewis Graham, Dr Chris Monaghan, Prof. Roger Masterman, Dr Matthew Nicholson, Dr Stuart Wallace, Sara Moran, Gabriel Tan, Dr Frederick Cowell, HH Daniel Pearce-Higgins, Dr Erin Ferguson, Dr Tristan Webb. Front row, from left to right: Dr Joanna Bell, Dane Luo, Dr Michael Lane, Nina Hart, Jobair Alam, Dr Christine Bicknell

Summer Research Workshop (Legal Education & Pedagogy): 9 October 2024

The CRJ’s Summer Research Workshop was held to explore opportunities and challenges in legal education and pedagogy. The Group was joined by guest speaker, . Four papers were delivered:

  • Bill Morcom, ‘Incorporating Student Presentations into the Learning Environment’
  • Dr Aisha Shah ‘Bringing law and legal skills to life in Law School: utilising role-play in the law classroom and broader curriculum’
  • Jenny Watkins ‘What is the Law School for? Stakeholder perspectives.’
  • Harriet Payter, ‘ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ law clinics: the potential to impact social justice and improve student experiences in the classroom and beyond.’

Spring Research Workshop: 17 April 2024

 For the research group’s 2024 spring workshop, colleagues were joined by . Brian delivered a keynote on using blogging for research and how it may be used as an assessment tool.

Four papers were delivered:

  • Dr Josie Welsh, ‘Looking beyond the traditional: a multi-dimensional account of the modern judicial role’
  • Phil Edwards, 'How do we interpret Police Legitimacy?'
  • Felicity Miles, ‘In the best interests of the child:’ Mapping the paramountcy principle in the context of surrogacy law’
  • Dr Michael Lane, ‘The Utility of International Human Rights Recommendations in Domestic Law’

Constitutions, Rights and Justice Annual Public Lecture with Sir John Henry Boulton Saunders

Organised by Michelle Clarke, the research group welcomed Sir John Henry Boulton Saunders. Sir John is a retired High Court Judge from the King’s Bench Division and was the Judge responsible for managing and conducted trials for a significant number of terrorism cases. He presided over a number of the high-profile trials regarding MP and peers expenses claims, as well as trials arising from the phone hacking scandals. Sir John was the Chairman of the Manchester Arena Bombing public inquiry and as Vice Chairman of the Parole Board for England and Wales, was also involved in the parole issues arising from the John Worboys case. Sir John will be discussing his views and experience with the Parole Board and sentencing issues along with insights into lessons from the Manchester Arena Bombing.

Rights and Justice: In Theory and Practice Conference: 5 September 2023

Constitutions, Rights and Justice, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester  

Tuesday 5 September 2023  

Format: In-person and Online  

Convenor: Dr Chris Monaghan 

Administrative Lead: Janey Robins

Schedule  

Times Event Room Speaker 

8.45-9.00 

Welcome 

JL Law Seminar Room 

Welcome  

Dr Chris Monaghan  

Professor Mike Bradshaw

9.00-10.30 

Session 1 

Panel A 

JL Law Seminar Room 

Citizens, the State and Justice 1 

Chair:  

The Interplay Between Rights and Judicial Power – The Human Rights Act 1998 and Declarations of Incompatibility    

Dr Josie Welsh, Senior Lecturer, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester  

The Aftermath of Successful Planning Claims  

Alistair Mills, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Cambridge, Landmark Chambers  

Constitutional rights - Unison and beyond 

Dr Chris Monaghan, Principal Lecturer, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester  

Parliaments and Independent National Human Rights Institutions: Joining Forces to Protect and Promote Human Rights  

Franklin De Vrieze, Westminster Foundation for Democracy and Luka Glušac, PhD, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Belgrade.    

The right to protest and what’s necessary in a democratic society   

Richard Glover, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Sussex   

Panel B 

JL Court Room 

Rights and Justice 1 

Chair:   

Surrogacy in the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ: are the rights of children born through gestational surrogacy adequately protected by the law?   

Felicity Miles (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester)   

Student Law Clinics – helping or hindering access to justice for vulnerable litigants in person  

Lucy Yeatman (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Liverpool)   

Law’s violence, human rights and women’s bodies: contemporary challenges to women’s reproductive rights in Poland  

Dr Olga Jurasz (The Open ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ)   

Education Laws as a Social Foundation for Defining and Normalizing Rights and Justice in Theory and Practice  

Professor John Dayton (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Georgia)  

10.30-11.45 

Coffee 

JL Law Seminar Room 

  

11.45-13.15 

Session 2 

Panel A 

JL Law Seminar Room 

Citizens, the State and Justice 2 

Chair:  

The Right to a Fair Trial: Inadequate Disclosure and an Inadequate Response  

Dr Ed Johnston, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Northampton  

Juror and witness intimidation in criminal proceedings  

Nicola Monaghan, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester     

Virtual Justice – is a technologically enhanced criminal justice system capable of delivering ‘true’ justice for the accused?  

Dan Jasinski, Kingston ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ London   

‘You need to be more professional?’ informality, access to justice and restorative relationships within the criminal justice process.   

Dr Darren McStravick, Kingston ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ London   

Innocence Organisations: What’s the Appeal?   

Dr Louise Hewitt, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Greenwich and Professor Claire McGourlay, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Manchester  

Panel B 

JL Court Room 

Rights and Justice 2 

Chair:  

The Law of Unfair Dismissal and its role in protecting non-religious philosophical belief in the workplace  

Stephen Hurley (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester)   

Balancing individual and collective rights in religious employment cases   

Professor Lucy Vickers (Oxford Brookes ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ)   

Resolving Human Rights Cases in Strasbourg and at Home: a contrived conflict  

Dr Steve Foster (Coventry ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ)   

Achieving Justice in Imprisonment  

Professor Susan Easton (Brunel ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ)   

The role of multilingualism in upholding the rule of law in the European Union  

Susan Wright (Court of Justice of the European Union)   

13.15-14.00 

Lunch 

  

JL Law Seminar Room 

  

14.00-15.30 

  

Panel A 

JL 200X 

Citizens, the State and Justice 3 

Chair:  

The Police and Justice: Behind the Blue Line    

Michelle Clarke and Angi Hart, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester    

Policing Disability Hate Crime in England   

Dr Louise Hewitt, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Greenwich    

Rethinking Territorial Jurisdiction in Canadian Extradition Law  

Jay De Santi, Osgoode Hall ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Toronto   

The right to protest and what’s necessary in a democratic society   

Richard Glover, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Sussex    

A citizen’s view on the state’s ability to manipulate perception in times of crisis – a case study on counterterrorism responses.   

Dr Noel McQuirk, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Lancaster   

 

  

Panel B 

JL Court Room 

Rights and Justice 3 

Chair:  

Nemo Dat and Theft  

Dr Sean Thomas (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of York)   

Justice in a Changing Constitutional Landscape    

Dr Chris Monaghan and Dr Josie Welsh (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester)    

Rights, Outcomes, and Institutions  

Professor TT Arvind (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of York) and Professor Aisling McMahon (Maynooth ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ)   

15.30-15.45 

Coffee 

JL Law Seminar Room 

  

15.45-17.15 

  

Panel A 

JL Law Seminar Room 

Rights and Justice 4 

Chair:   

Human Rights, Business and Supply Chains 

Professor Olga Martin-Ortega and Martina Trusgnach, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Greenwich   

Climate Justice 

Doug Wotherspoon and Bill Davies (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester)    

Collective Redress under the Competition Act 1998 – Achieving Justice for Parties?  

Rhonson Salim (Aston ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ)   

Civil Liability for Disruptive Cyber Events  

Chris Kirkbride (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester)    
 

 

Panel B 

JL Court Room 

Citizens, the State and Justice 4 

Chair:   

Parliaments and Independent National Human Rights Institutions: Joining Forces to Protect and Promote Human Rights  

Franklin De Vrieze, Westminster Foundation for Democracy and Luka Glušac, PhD, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Belgrade.   

The Courts and Justice: A Criminal Perspective  

HH Toby Hooper QC, Bencher of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple   

State responses to protest and public disorder in times of crisis: a case study on citizenry rights  

Dr Noel McQuirk, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Lancaster   

17.15-18.00 

Drinks Reception 

  

JL Law Seminar Room 

Debating Rights and Justice: Challenges and Opportunities for Research Led Teaching: 14 June 2023

9am, 14 June 2023

School of Law, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester

Conveners: Stephen Hurley (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester) and Dr Chris Monaghan (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester)

Challenges and Prospects for the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean: 26 May 2023

Friday 26 May 2023 

Convenors: Dr Chris Monaghan (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester) and Professor Laura Jeffery (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Edinburgh)   

Time Room Event Speaker 

8.30 

JL1005

Introduction and Coffee 

Professor Laura Jeffery and Dr Chris Monaghan 

9.00 

JL1005

Session One: Contesting Chagos 

Chair: Professor Stewart Motha 

The Chagos Saga: Over five decades of Contention (Dr Milan Meetarbhan)  

The “British” Courts and the Chagos Story: British Justice, Colonial Mindsets, and Finding a Voice (Dr Chris Monaghan and Professor Satvinder Juss)  

Return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and Chagossian Identity: Constitutional, Legal and Political Perspectives (Professor Charles M Fombad)  

Stakeholders or Bystanders? Chagossian Representation in Inter-State Legal Proceedings (Dr Jamie Trinidad, Dr Stephen Allen, Professor Thomas Burri)  

By 2036 BIOT at 70 will have outlived its uses: return of the Chagossians to their homeland and Chagos to Mauritius is long overdue (David Snoxell)  

Coconut crabs, courtroom clashes and fights over flagpoles (Owen Bowcott) 

10.45 

JL1003

Coffee 

  

11.00 

JL1005

Session Two: Righting Wrongs 

Chair: Professor Suzanne Schwartz  

Ongoing human rights violations (Michael Joson)  

Political and legal debates about Chagossian ethnicity and indigeneity (Professor Laura Jeffery)  

The Chagossians, a population in exile (Dr Priya Bahadoor)  

Intergenerational challenges, cultural identify, and future prospects for Chagossian communities in the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ (Jean Fabrice Thierry Mandarin)   

Human rights and the marine protected area around the Chagos Archipelago (Professor Sue Farran) 

12.30 

JL2002 

Lunch 

  

13.00 

JL1005

Session Three: Writing Wrongs 

Chair: Dr Ruth Stacy and Dr Jack McGowan  

“Not another book” A Chagossian woman's lament: Portrayals and betrayals in creative and critical discourses and the impact for Chagossian selfhood and self determination (Saradha Soobrayen)  

Whose story is it anyway? (Natasha Soobramanien & Luke Williams)  

Voicing the Trauma of the Lost Territory: Creative Writing, Therapy and the Chagos Refugees Group (Dr Esther Pujolràs-Noguer and Dr Felicity Hand)  

Paradise Enclosures: Chagos and Post-Imperial Desire (Christopher Hill)  

Title TBC 

(Stewart Motha) 

14.30 

JL1003

Coffee 

  

14.45 

JL1005

Keynote Address 

Prof Philippe Sands KC  

Introduced by Professor David Green

15.45 

JL1003

Coffee 

  

16.00 

JL1005

Session Four: International DisOrders 

Chair: Professor Satvinder Juss 

The Chagos Archipelago in Late Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Indian Ocean World History (Professor Richard B Allen)  

The Conundrum in the African Common Position on the Chagos Question (Professor Siphamaandla Zondi)  

The Colonial Master: How the US Government Has Hidden Its Leading Role in Exiling the Chagossians and Why It Must Finally Face Its Responsibility (Professor David Vine)  

The Indo-Pacific and the Chagos Archipelago: Two Logics, Two Futures (Dr Peter Harris)  

International law, the carceral archipelago, and the Chagos Archipelago (Dr Oumar Ba and Kelly-Jo Bluen)  

Militarized Environmental Science (Chen Chu) 

17.45 

JL1003

Coffee 

  

18.00 

JL1005 

Concluding Address 

A View from the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations (Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul)  

18.30 

JL1005 

Film Screening 

Absolutely Must Go (directed by Jean-Noël Pierre) 

The Keynote Speaker

Professor Philippe Sands KC, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ College London and 11 KBW 

Philippe is Professor of Public Understanding of Law at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ College London, and Samuel and Judith Pisar Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He is President of English PEN and on the board of the Hay Festival of Arts and Literature. Author of many books, including East West Street (2016) and The Ratline (2020), Philippe is an occasional contributor to many publications, including the Guardian, Financial Times and New York Times, and appears regularly on the BBC and CNN. His latest book, The Last Colony, was published in September 2022.

Concluding Address 

Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations  

Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul has had a long and distinguished career in diplomacy, and has served as Mauritius’ representative in New York, Brussels, Paris, Washington, New Delhi and as Secretary for Foreign Affairs. In November 2015, he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mauritius to the United Nations for the second time, after a successful tenure between 2001 and 2005, during which he was also the chief representative of Mauritius in the UN Security Council.  

The Presenters 

Professor Richard B Allen, formerly of the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Farmington  

Dr Stephen Allen, Senior Lecturer, Queen Mary ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of London  

Dr Oumar Ba, Assistant Professor, Cornell ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ   

Dr Priya Bahadoor, Lecturer, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Mauritius  

Kelly-Jo Bluen, PhD Candidate, London School of Economics and Political Science  

Owen Bowcott, former Legal Correspondent for The Guardian newspaper   

Professor Thomas Burri, St Gallen ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ  

Chen Chu, PhD candidate at MIT  

Professor Sue Farran, Professor of Comparative and Plural Laws, Newcastle ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ  

Professor Charles M Fombad, Professor of Comparative African Constitutional Law, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Pretoria  

Dr Felicity Hand, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalonia  

Dr Peter Harris, Colorado State ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ  

Christopher Hill, MA student in Postcolonial Studies, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Kent  

Professor Laura Jeffery, Professor of Anthropology of Migration, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Edinburgh  

Michael BC Joson, Lecturer in Political Science and Human Rights, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Mauritius   

Professor Satvinder Juss, King’s College London  

Thierry Mandarin, MSc student in School of Global Studies, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Sussex  

Dr Milan Meetarbhan, former Ambassador of Mauritius to the United Nations  

Dr Chris Monaghan, Principal Lecturer in Law, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester 

Professor Stewart Motha, Professor of Law at Birkbeck, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of London  

Dr Esther Pujolràs-Noguer, Universitat de Lleida, Catalonia  

David Snoxell, former ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ High Commissioner to Mauritius and the co-ordinator of the Chagos Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group 

Natasha Soobramanien is a British-Mauritian writer based in Brussels and teaches on the Lens-Based Masters Programme of the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam 

Saradha Soobrayen, Independent Researcher and Creative Activist working with Poetry, Visual Arts and Live Arts 

Dr Jamie Trinidad, Fellow of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Cambridge 

Professor David Vine, Professor of Political Anthropology at American ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ in Washington  

Luke Williams is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of London  

Professor Siphamaandla Zondi, Professor of Politics and International Relations at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Johannesburg   

How to Register 

The conference is free to attend and is open to everyone. The conference will be taking place in person at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester. It will however be possible to attend as either an in-person or online delegate. To book a place you will need to register by emailing schooloflaw@worc.ac.uk

Constitutions, Rights and Justice Group Annual Public Lecture with the Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland KC (the former Lord Chancellor): 15 March 2023

11am, 15 March 2023

School of Law, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester Conveners: Michelle Clarke and Angi Hart

Speaker: Rt Hons Sir Robert Buckland KC (the former Lord Chancellor) 

The Rt Hon Robert Buckland KC was Secretary of State for Wales from 7 July 2022 to 25 October 2022.

He was previously Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice from July 2019 to September 2021, Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice from May 2019 to July 2019 and Solicitor General. He was elected the Conservative MP for South Swindon in 2010.

Robert was born in Llanelli in 1968. He went to Hatfield College, Durham, graduating in Law in 1990. Robert attended the Inns of Court School of Law, where he was a prize winner for Advocacy and was Called to the Bar at Inner Temple in October 1991. He returned to practise in Wales, most recently being a member of Apex Chambers in Cardiff. Robert is a door tenant at 23 Essex Street Chambers, London. In 2009, Robert was appointed as a Recorder of the Crown Court, sitting on the Midland Circuit.

Spring Law Research Workshop: 8 February 2023

10am, 8 February 2023

School of Law, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester

Convener: Dr Chris Monaghan (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester)

Keynote Speaker: Dr Sarah Cooper (Birmingham City ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ) 

Speakers: Stephen Hurley (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester), Prof. Ning Han (Toin ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ), David Hallmark, Dr Chris Monaghan (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester)

Practical Research Workshop: 31 January 2023

4.30pm, 31 January 2023 in JL1005

School of Law, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester

Guest Speakers: HHJ James Burbidge KC; John Aldis, barrister at St. Philips Chambers, Birmingham and Victoria Caleb LLB (Hons) 

Convened by Doug Wotherspoon, Senior Lecturer at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester

You are warmly invited to attend a free Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group Seminar. The title of the session is 'Practical Research’, and our guest speakers will discuss the importance of legal research in dealing with practical problems and issues on a daily basis.

His Honour Judge Burbidge KC is the Honorary Recorder of Worcester, the Resident Judge of Worcester and Hereford Crown Courts and has recently taken over as Chair of the Law Forum of the School of Law at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester. In his capacity as Chair of the Law Forum His Honour Judge Burbidge readily understands how important transferable employability skills such as research are in assisting students as they move into employment on graduation. In his career as a barrister and now as a judge, His Honour Judge Burbidge appreciates the need for meticulous research and preparation on the part of advocates.

John Aldis is a barrister at St. Philips Chambers in Birmingham specialising in Property and Probate and is a very good friend to the Law School having participated in our first practical research seminar in February 2022. As such, John is well acquainted with using Westlaw and Lexis Nexis sources such as practitioners’ texts, case law and statutes to research complex questions of law and will underscore the importance of research to legal practitioners as a vital skill in their day-to-day work. 

Victoria Caleb, a recent ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester law graduate and ASET bursary prize-winner, will share her hints and tips on the practical research activities she conducted on placement and whilst a student at the Law School. Victoria will further explain how she is now utilising the experience she gained as a student researcher at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester in the workplace as a paralegal at a local firm. 

This session will follow a Q&A format and should be of interest and benefit to practitioners, academics and students alike. It is anticipated that the session will last approximately one hour. Light refreshments will be available and there will be an opportunity for networking afterwards. The Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group very much hope you will join us. There is no need to register, and everyone is very welcome to attend.   

The Jury Trial Conference: 7 December 2022

Wednesday 7 December 2022  

Convenor: Nicola Monaghan  

Time Event Speakers 

9.00 

Welcome: Professor Mike Bradshaw, Head of Humanities, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester  

  

9.10 

Session One: Chaired by Toby Hooper KC

  • Professor Peter Hungerford-Welch – Helping the jury do their job   
  • Nicola Monaghan - Reconsidering the position of jurors with specialist knowledge and expertise  
  • Dan Jasinski – Preparing for the big screen: considerations for advocates in remote jury trials 

15 mins per paper & 30 mins for Q&A 

 

 

10.25 

Break 

  

10.50 

Session Two: Chaired by Dan Jasinski   

  • Dr K Crosby – When the parties call for jury nullification: a comparative analysis  
  • Professor Pamela Ferguson – The Scottish Jury  
  • Professor Meryll Dean – Jury Trial in Japan: Third Time Lucky or Forever a Misfit?   

15 mins per paper & 30 mins for Q&A 

 

12.00 

Lunch 

  

13.00 

Keynote: Introduced by Professor David Green, Vice Chancellor, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester   

Professor Valerie Hans – The Surprising Endurance of Trial by Jury: A US Perspective  

  

13.30 

Session Three: Chaired by Dr K Crosby  

  • Rosie Cowan – (Un)reasonable beliefs: How rape myths impact (mock) juror decision-making in Northern Ireland and how potential bias might be prevented  
  • Dr Lee Curley – The strengths and limitations to the experimental study of juror and jury decision making  

15 mins per paper & 30 mins for Q&A 

 

14.30 

Close 

Autumn Research Workshop: 7 September 2022

Wednesday 7 September 2022

Convenor: Dr Chris Monaghan

Time  Room  Event  Speaker  

13.00  

Law Seminar Room JL1005  

Coffee and Refreshments  

All Attendees  

13.10  

Law Seminar Room JL1005  

Welcome  

 

Prof Michael Bradshaw,  
ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester  

  

13.15  

Law Seminar Room JL1005  

Research in the School of Law and the Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group  

 

Dr Chris Monaghan      
ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester

 

13.20

Law Seminar Room JL1005  

 

‘AI: Emerging Legal and Ethical Issues'    

Doug Wotherspoon, 
ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester  

‘Now for some audience participation: the role of clients and service users in deciding if you are allowed to manifest your protected philosophical belief in the workplace’    

Stephen Hurley,  
ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester    

 

Reappraising civil liability for cyber attacks

Chris Kirkbride,   
ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester   

 

‘Reconsidering Lawrance: when does deception vitiate consent in sexual offences?’    

Nicola Monaghan,  
ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester

14.20  

Law Seminar Room JL1005

Research Development Session

Richard Glover, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Sussex

 

Launch of Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group: 23 February 2022

On 23 February 2022 was the launch event for the Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group. Professor Lucy Vickers (Oxford Brookes ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ) delivered the lecture to mark the launch. Her lecture explored ‘Religious rights at work – finding the “best answer”’.

Questions of Accountability: Prerogatives, Power and Politics Conference: 5 November 2021

Hosted online by Professor Matthew Flinders (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Sheffield) and Dr Chris Monaghan (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester).

Several members of the research group presented papers:

  • Toby Hooper QC, ‘The accountability of the Office for Students (OfS) as the statutory regulator of Higher Education Institutions under the Higher Education Act 2017’
  • Dr Chris Monaghan and Josie Welsh, ‘Questions of Control: Accountability in the Shadow of Prorogation’.
  • Doug Wotherspoon, ‘Corporate Accountability Reappraised and Reinvigorated’.

You can discover more details of the conference.

The conference was kindly supported by the Political Studies Association, the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Constitutional Law Association and Routledge.

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