Newsroom University of Manchester

University’s Justice Hub Welcomes Attorney General Lord Hermer KC

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 14:12:42 +0100

The Justice Hub at The University of Manchester recently had the honour of hosting a visit from Attorney General Lord Hermer KC, who was able to hear about the work of our Legal Advice Centre, 91ֱ�� Innocence Project and connections to the broader legal profession in the North West region.

The visit came as part of a wider mission to engage with the legal community across England and Wales. On his day in the North West, the Attorney General hosted a roundtable with legal firms and barristers, visited the Government Legal Department in Salford, as well as engaging with our Justice Hub team.

“Being able to access legal services can provide crucial help for those facing some of the most serious and complex legal issues,” said Lord Hermer. “Throughout my career, I have been committed to ensuring access to justice and so it was an honour to be invited to visit the Justice Hub during my trip to the North West. I was extremely impressed by the work and range of services provided there.”

In the Legal Advice Centre our students - supervised by University staff and volunteer lawyers - offer free advice to the general public. Student Alicia Smith was able to meet the Attorney General as part of the visit. “It was a surreal experience, and I felt very fortunate to be able to discuss my views with the Attorney General,” she said.

“It was a real honour for the Attorney General to attend the Justice Hub and take an interest in the pro bono activities our students are involved with,” said Phil Drake, Director of the Justice Hub. “The Attorney General particularly engaged with our students to understand their perspective and experiences, which I know has galvanised and inspired them to continue with their passion for access to justice.”

“It was a pleasure to host the Attorney General at the Justice Hub,” said Claire McGourlay, Academic Director of the 91ֱ�� Innocence Project. “Two of our students Roan Goulden and Alicia Smith talked through the work that they do to help the most disadvantaged in our society. We invited the Attorney General to give a lecture in the future, so watch this space.”

Justice Hub Welcomes Attorney General Lord Hermer KC

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 12:53:12 +0100

The had the honour of hosting on Monday, 16 September. The visit highlighted the work of our Legal Advice Centre, 91ֱ�� Innocence Project and connection to the broader legal profession in the North West region.

The visit came as part of a wider mission to engage with the legal community across England and Wales with Monday’s focus being the North West. The Attorney General hosted a roundtable with legal firms and barristers, visited the Government Legal Department in Salford, and engaged with our Justice Hub team.

The Attorney General Richard Hermer KC said:

In the our students, supervised by University staff and volunteer lawyers, offer free advice to the general public. One of our students, Alicia Smith, was able to meet the Attorney General as part of the visit and share their thoughts:

Director of the Justice Hub, Phil Drake, and Academic Director, Claire McGourlay, also shared their insights:

91ֱ�� lecturer takes to saddle to raise money for autism charity

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 15:32:45 +0100

A keen cyclist from The University of Manchester has decided to take to the saddle to raise money for an autism charity.

Medical Law and Bioethics Lecturer Dr Jonathan Lewis, from the University’s Department of Law and Centre for Social Ethics and Policy, has taken part in amateur road cycling races for many years. However, as he approaches his 40th birthday later this year, he has now decided to replace these gruelling competitions with long-distance charity rides.

This summer, he will be taking part in four events. The first - which has already taken place - is the North Down Coastal Challenge. Then Jonathan will travel to France for a 48-hour fly-by trip to take on the Gran Fondo Col de la Loze - a 117km route with 4377m of elevation and two ascents of the infamous Col de la Loze, known as the country’s toughest climb.

In August he’ll take part in the Inishowen 100, Northern Ireland's premier sportive run covering a hilly 100-mile course along the scenic Wild Atlantic Way. A week later, he will round off the summer with the Lap the Lough sportive - a 150km route around the beautiful but environmentally threatened Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland.

To add to the challenge, he aims to complete the Inishowen 100 in under six hours – if he manages this, he will personally match the total amount of donations he receives from others.

The charity he is raising funds for is , which trains dogs and places them with children with autism. The animals enable the children to go outside safely and reduce their anxiety, providing a vital lifeline for children and their families. The charity also raises autism awareness among the general public by holding workshops, school talks and large events.

“As someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder and with family members who are severely autistic, I know only too well the huge challenges that children with autism and their families can face on a daily basis over many years”, said Jonathan.

He will record his experiences during all four events using a GoPro camera, and plans to compile a video towards the end of the summer.

To support Jonathan in his series of challenges, visit .

School of Law's Dr Ruth Lamont Appointed as Parliamentary Thematic Research Lead for Crime and Justice

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 14:35:00 +0100

We are thrilled to announce our colleague has been appointed as the new Parliamentary Thematic Research Lead (TRL) for Crime and Justice.

She will be joining a cohort of 8 top researchers, selected by (POST) and (UKRI), who will play a crucial role in bringing research and innovation to the forefront of Government decision-making.

This is part of an expansion of the successful TRL pilot program which ran between January 2023 and Summer 2024, now covering six additional research areas.

Ruth Lamont will be based in the Home Affairs, Human Rights, Equalities and Justice Hub in the House of Commons with links to the , and the relevant Select Committees, including Justice, Home Affairs and Women and Equalities. The role will see her work for three days each week in parliament while continuing her role within the University.

Other appointments include:

AI and Digital – Dr Varuna De Silva, Loughborough University (New position)
Arts and Humanities – Dr Helen McCabe, University of Nottingham (New position)
Business, Economics and Trade – Dr Jane Parry, University of Southampton (New position)
Climate and Environment – Dr Andrew Russell, Queen Mary University London
Health – David Strain, Dr University of Exeter (New position)
International Affairs and National Security – Dr Leslie-Anne Duvic-Paoli, King's College London
Transport – Dr Louise Reardon, University of Birmingham (New position)

For those interested in learning more about Ruth’s research, you can visit her , or alternatively read about her work with colleagues at Essex on the role of Commissioners for the Victims' Commissioner:

Let's congratulate her on this outstanding achievement and continue to support the impactful research that defines our .

Innocence Podcast launches new series with broadcaster Kylie Pentelow

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0100

The Innocence Podcast, hosted by renowned broadcaster Kylie Pentelow, has announced the release of its highly anticipated new series. This season delves deeper into the heart-wrenching stories of individuals who have faced devastating miscarriages of justice, shedding light on the flaws within the criminal justice system and the relentless pursuit of truth and justice.

The 91ֱ�� Innocence Project - the group behind the podcast - is one of the few university-led initiatives in the UK dedicated to overturning wrongful convictions. The project offers students invaluable insights into the legal system and the unique challenges faced by those wrongfully accused.

In the new podcast series, Kylie Pentelow further delves into the infamous Post Office Scandal which led to the wrongful convictions of hundreds of sub-postmasters across the UK. Through emotional and revealing interviews, she speaks with those affected by the scandal, uncovering the profound impact on their lives and the systemic failures that allowed such a miscarriage of justice to occur.

Listeners will hear from individuals like Lee Castleton and Seema Misra, who share their personal stories of battling against wrongful accusations and the toll it took on their families as well as their health. Legal experts Edward Henry and Flora Page, alongside journalist Nick Wallis, discuss their ongoing fight for justice for those wrongfully convicted in the post office scandal, exposing the widespread systemic failures and their relentless pursuit of justice.

The podcast shines a light on the human cost of wrongful convictions, featuring deeply personal accounts from individuals who have spent years behind bars for crimes they did not commit. Through their stories, the series highlights the emotional, psychological, and social challenges faced by the wrongfully convicted as they navigate life after exoneration. Episodes include narratives from international cases such as Anna Vasquez, Tom Hayes and Brian Banks, showcasing the global nature of this issue and the universal struggle for justice.

Kylie Pentelow, reflecting on the new series stated: “I feel an absolute privilege to work on The Innocence Podcast. The episodes coming up have had a real impact on me as a journalist. I have been amazed at how frank and open those whose lives have been destroyed by wrongful convictions have been.”

Professor Claire McGourlay, founder of the 91ֱ�� Innocence Project, added: “I’m really looking forward to the release of our next episodes, we have talked to so many inspiring people - listening to the conversations reminds me why I do this work. Have a listen - it will be the best thing you do today!”

Listen to the Innocence Podcast at .

Hague Conference Forum on Domestic Abuse

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 11:14:00 +0100

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980 normally require that the child is automatically returned to the state from which they were taken. For their mother, this means being separated from their child or returning with the child to situations of potential danger, visa issues, insecure housing and poverty.

In response to campaigns by and , the Forum enabled the voices of those with lived experience of using the Convention to be heard. Judges, lawyers and academics practising and researching in the field, provided the opportunity for the trauma of domestic abuse to be identified, and specific problems of lawful movement of children to be identified.

, concluded the Forum by considering the need for further research into these issues to which the University of Manchester has already made a significant contribution and will continue to do so, including helping to secure GlobalARRK’s contribution.

Rap music is being used as evidence to convict children of serious crimes

Wed, 01 May 2024 09:00:00 +0100

from The University of Manchester has found that children are being swept up in murder and attempted murder cases - and being tried in adult courts – partly due to rap music culture being used as evidence against them.

Rap lyrics and videos are regularly used as prosecution evidence in youth violence criminal cases in England and Wales. The material selected by the state typically has violent themes, often from the popular ‘drill’ rap music genre, and is composed by one or more of the defendants or by one of their friends. This use is deeply controversial because of concerns that rap is an unreliable form of evidence, and that its use is unfairly prejudicial.

Despite mounting criticism, there is very little regulation or monitoring of how rap is being used as criminal evidence, and it continues to be used to build ‘gang-related’ prosecutions under highly contentious Secondary Liability laws. In turn, ‘gang’ labels - which have even been discredited as imprecise and racist by some law enforcers - are ‘evidenced’ by rap music, often to build large ‘Joint Enterprise’ trials in which more than one person is prosecuted for a single crime.

Eithne Quinn, Erica Kane and Will Pritchard say that their research has uncovered very concerning processes of ‘compounding injustice’ which risk innocent people being convicted of the most serious crimes.

In exploratory research, the researchers found 68 cases involving 252 defendants between 2020-2023 in which rap music was used as evidence for serious charges of violence - including murders. The overwhelming majority of the defendants were Black or mixed race.

Joint Enterprise cases involving rap music evidence have a notably higher average number of defendants per case than those without a rap music soundtrack, which they say supports the suggestion that rap is encouraging overcharging and mischarging by prosecutors.

Those charged in cases involving rap evidence - including those charged with murder under secondary liability laws, which carries a life sentence - tend to be young and Black, suggesting that these groups are being targeted disproportionately. This lends weight to those who see the rising use of rap in cases as systematically racist, and who are raising the alarm about the overcriminalisation of young people - including children.

“Our findings are deeply troubling, and support the view that the marshalling of rap evidence in criminal cases encourages police and prosecutors to further increase the number of people charged as secondaries under already-egregious secondary liability laws,” said Eithne Quinn, Professor of Cultural and Socio-Legal Studies, The University of Manchester.

“Once again, three of the best researchers on the subject are doing what the state refuses to do,” said Liz Fekete, Director of the Institute of Race Relations. “They have scrutinised the data on rap prosecutions, exposed the racism that lies within the law - particularly the joint enterprise doctrine - and suggested targeted reforms to end the wide-ranging criminalisation of Black expressive culture.”

“Rap music is one of the most popular genres of music in the UK – it’s time to end the marginalisation and punishment of its creators through its use as prosecution evidence. JUSTICE welcomes this important and timely report and its recommendations, which will undoubtedly help tackle the corrosive practice of portraying a genre of music as innately illegal and dangerous”, said Tyrone Steele, Deputy Legal Director, JUSTICE.

The report can be read in full at

Fintech has a gender problem – here’s why you should care

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 16:10:47 +0100

, and ,

Fintech (financial technology) is everywhere. It’s the catch-all term for technology-enabled financial services innovation.

Even if you haven’t heard of fintech, you’re probably using it for payments, banking or investments. Klarna? ClearPay? Revolut? Monzo? They’re all part of an industry that attracted a staggering (£40.5 billion) of investment globally in 2023.

However, while fintech is flooded with money, it is marked by an absence of women, particularly in leadership roles. , which was published on March 5, reveals the striking underrepresentation of women guiding this booming industry.

Women account for just 4% of CEOs, only 18% of executive committee members, and a mere 7.7% of entrepreneurs within fintech. There is not a single woman on the of the well-known fintech company Revolut.

Fintech sits at the intersection of three sectors: finance, technology and entrepreneurship. Gender inequalities in each of these combine to form what we call a “triple glass ceiling” in the fintech industry. The longstanding male dominance, continued privileging of masculinity, and rigid gender stereotypes in each of these sectors hinder meaningful progress and change in fintech.

So, where are all the women?

The sexist culture still apparent within financial services has been brought into fintech. Our research, which involved interviewing female and male fintech professionals, uncovers stories of recruiters being reluctant to hire women because of assumptions they would get married, have children, and be less committed to the business.

Several interviewees noted that women typically work harder and push more to gain the same result as their male peers. However, ideas that get dismissed when suggested by a woman commonly gain credence when offered by a man. We found that the performance of masculinity, not the quality of the work or idea, is what tends to get valued.

The masculine language in fintech job descriptions – requiring applicants to be a “hunter” and “execute” on strategies – reduces the pool of female candidates. And men are more likely to be hired since they tend to fit the sought after.

Networking can be a powerful way of climbing the career ladder in fintech. It’s not what you know but who. But networking itself is a . Women are often excluded from networking since it typically occurs in informal spaces outside of core working hours. And who is more likely to have caring responsibilities? Women.

Deep-rooted stereotypes mean that girls and women are still not supported or encouraged to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects at school. Thus, technology careers remain .

Only 1.5% of chief technology officers or chief information officers are women – a reflection of the technology glass ceiling. In comparison, 37% of chief marketing officers are women.

Startups also comprise the bulk of fintech, and this is where an entrepreneurial glass ceiling prevails. Few women attempt to access funding, and those who do are less successful than their male counterparts. For example, of venture capital funding went to female-founded companies in Europe in 2023.

Research finds that the venture capital industry is . Since people are more likely to relate to and fund entrepreneurs similar to themselves, male-led ventures are more successful.

Socially constructed gender differences, such as confidence, risk aversion and pitching style, also lead to and expectations of masculine behaviour. Successful entrepreneurs have traditionally been male, leading to a male stereotype of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial success.

What does this mean for you?

Fintech makes of disruption, inclusion and progression. And yet, on a very basic level, how can an industry innovate through sameness? If people build and develop products based on their own frustrations and day-to-day living, innovation can only truly be driven by diverse people with different backgrounds and experiences.

Despite all the hype, fintech is falling short. To recognise the needs of a diverse population, fintech needs more diversity of its producers. Otherwise, it contributes to inequality and wastes potential economic and social benefits.

Our findings should serve as an alarm call to those inside and outside of the industry. Most adults in the UK – even without knowing. If made aware of the gender inequalities in the industry, fintech users can be a voice for change.

Everyone is responsible. Creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace will only occur if the industry receives pressure from all sides. Shattering the triple glass ceiling represents an immense challenge, but we cannot be allowed to fail.

, PhD Researcher, and , Professor of Financial Geography,

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

Innovative ‘Uncertain Futures’ project highlighted in recent WHO report

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 14:12:00 +0000

Life expectancy has increased globally - however, in employment, healthcare and communities, older people face significant challenges which can prevent them from living healthy, dignified lives. The UN’s  was established to help address these challenges.

A  from the World Health Organisation (WHO) assessed the progress made in the first phase of this Decade. In the report, the authors provide case studies of key stakeholder groups who have contributed to this work, with the aim of inspiring further activity around healthy aging.

One case study in the report is the innovative  art and research project. Led by (The University of Manchester), (91ֱ�� Met),  (91ֱ�� Art Gallery) and artist , the project highlights the inequalities faced by women over 50 years of age in relation to work, both paid and unpaid.

As part of the research, one hundred women from diverse backgrounds in 91ֱ�� were interviewed about their experiences of work.  Co-production was key throughout the project, and the WHO report references the Uncertain Futures Project Advisory Group, consisting of 15 older women in 91ֱ�� who contributed to all stages of the project.

“We are delighted that our project has been recognised in this important report, which highlights a variety of activities in support of healthy ageing in over 50 countries,” said Dr Dewhurst. “It demonstrates the importance of working with diverse groups of older women to create real workable solutions to the difficulties they face.”

Last month, the Uncertain Futures team also launched their own research report, ‘,’ to over sixty invited delegates at a highly successful event in 91ֱ�� Art Gallery. Key findings and policy recommendations were discussed by an expert panel of (University of Kent), (Work Foundation), (91ֱ�� Met), and (Centre for British Muslim Studies, University of Cardiff). The launch also featured presentations from the Project Advisory Group and the screening of the project documentary.

The Uncertain Futures team are now planning follow up activity to ensure their recommendations are implemented, contributing to better futures for older women. To find out more, please contact via email.

Assisted dying ethical review published by Jersey’s government

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 12:08:59 +0000

Jersey’s government has published a report into assisted dying after an ethical review was undertaken by three experts, including one from The University of Manchester’s Centre for Social Ethics and Policy.

Following the publishing of a consultation report in April this year, Jersey’s Minister for Health and Social Services announced her intentions for an ethical review to further inform detailed proposals for assisted dying in the self-governing British Crown Dependency.

The ethical review builds on the States Assembly’s ‘in principle’ decision that assisted dying should be permitted in Jersey. It summarises ethical arguments on key aspects of assisted dying, and maps these ethical considerations across the Jersey-specific proposals.

The review was undertaken externally by Dr Alex Mullock from The University of Manchester, Professor Richard Huxtable from the University of Bristol and Professor Trudo Lemmens from the University of Toronto. All three individuals have published work on the subject and have contributed as specialist witnesses in the development of legislation around the world. They were selected because they hold a range of views on assisted dying:

Dr Mullock is broadly in favour of assisted dying as a compassionate response within a carefully regulated scheme that safeguards individuals who may be regarded as vulnerable if assisted dying is permitted
Professor Huxtable is in favour of adopting a “middle ground” (or compromise) position on assisted dying, which seeks to accommodate arguments for and against allowing assisted dying
Professor Lemmens has supported a first Canadian law which allowed euthanasia and assisted suicide in a broad end-of-life context. He has become increasingly concerned about how assisted dying regimes develop over time, particularly when they allow direct administering of lethal medication by healthcare providers and have no specific terminal illness and prognosis of survival as safeguards. He is opposed to legalising the practice outside a clearly delineated end-of-life context and is concerned about the overall ability to monitor the practice

Jersey’s Council of Ministers is preparing to lodge proposals for debate by the end of March 2024, with the intention to debate before the end of summer 2024.

“I would like to thank the authors of the review for their work,” said Deputy Karen Wilson, Jersey’s Minister for Health and Social Services. “This review will ensure that States Members are sighted on the range of complex ethical and moral considerations associated with these proposals. Over the coming months the Government will be working to progress the States Assembly’s ‘in principle’ decision, and lodge detailed proposals in the new year.”

“I was pleased to be involved in the ethical review of the proposal for lawful assisted dying in Jersey,” said Dr Alex Mullock.

Racial Bias and the Bench - one year on, has progress been made in the legal system?

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 16:39:34 +0000

An event is set to take place that will assess whether progress has been made in meeting the challenges outlined by a into racial bias in our legal system, one year after its publication.

The event, which will take place on Tuesday 7 November in London and via livestream, will see The University of Manchester’s Professor Gary Younge chair a panel discussion with guests including Abimbola Johnson from Doughty Street Chambers, Graham Ritchie from the Crown Prosecution Service; Katrina Ffrench from UNJUST, Haroon Siddique from the Guardian, and the authors of the report Professor Eithne Quinn from The University of Manchester and Keir Monteith KC from Garden Court Chambers. This will be followed by a discussion with the audience and a drinks reception.

Last Autumn, the Racial Bias and the Bench report was published in response to the Judicial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (2020-2025) and raised urgent questions about racial attitudes and practices in the justice system of England and Wales.

The report drew on a survey of 373 legal professionals, in which 95% of those who responded said that racial bias plays some role in the processes or outcomes of the legal system, and 29% said it played a ‘fundamental role’. A majority of respondents had witnessed one or more judges acting in a racially biased way towards a defendant and in their decision-making.

While the report found evidence that some judges are already acting in ‘antiracist’ ways by being knowledgeable about racism - and seeking to mitigate it - only a minority of respondents had ever seen a judge act in this way.

One year on, leading experts, practitioners and policymakers are coming together with report authors to assess what, if any, progress has been made in meeting the challenges outlined in the report, and to urge the profession to demand and drive forward change.

“Having met with academics and co-authors from The University of Manchester, I welcome their latest report which adds further evidence and provides feedback directly from members of the legal profession and judiciary,” said Shadow Foreign Secretary and author of the Lammy Review David Lammy MP at the time of the report’s publication. “Action to embed compulsory antiracist and racial bias training for all judicial office holders, which is a key recommendation of the report, would encourage a culture shift towards antiracist practice.”

“Racial Bias and the Bench set out 10 clear recommendations to achieve meaningful change - although the content of our report is shocking, it has been universally well received,” said Keir Monteith KC. “Those at the top need to start by publicly and sincerely acknowledging that Institutional Racism in the legal system exists. This toxic problem has to be addressed head on to ensure we have a fairer, more resilient and more democratically-accountable judiciary.”

The event, organised by The University of Manchester in partnership with Garden Court Chambers and the Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity, will take place from 6-8pm on Tuesday 7 November at . It is free to attend or to watch online, but attendees must register beforehand at .

Post Office scandal among miscarriages of justice explored by podcast series

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:08:09 +0100

Broadcaster Kylie Pentelow has teamed up with the University's to host their second series of true crime podcasts which aim to raise awareness about miscarriages of justice in the UK, including the recent Post Office scandal.

In the new series, Kylie will hear from people whose lives fell apart after being convicted of crimes they did not commit, and who had to fight to prove their innocence. She will find out what life is like after prison for people cleared of wrongdoing, and speak to individuals who are involved in the innocence movement.

The first episode features Tom Hedges, who was caught up in what has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history - he was one of the Post Office managers who were given criminal convictions when faulty accounting software made it look as though money was going missing from their branches. Kylie speaks to Tom about how his once quiet life turned into a nightmare, and how he and hundreds of other post officer workers fought to clear their names.

The second episode features Kristine Bunch, who was wrongly sent to prison for 17 years for arson and the murder of her three-year-old son. Pregnant when she was convicted, she describes how horrendous it was saying goodbye to her baby just hours after he was born, making the most of life in prison, and her relentless fight for innocence.

The third episode features Luis Vargas, who was in prison for 16 years for crimes he didn’t commit including rape and kidnap. His life fell apart, his wife divorced him, and he thought he had no hope of freedom – but with the help of the California Innocence Project, he eventually proved his innocence. He hid the fact that he was in prison for rape from the other inmates because he knew he’d be beaten or killed if they found out.

The 91ֱ�� Innocence Project, which was founded in 2020, is one of only a few university-led organisations in the UK that fights for people who say they have been wrongfully convicted. It is a pro bono initiative, launched by Professor Claire McGourlay at The University of Manchester, and led solely by staff and students.

The project gives students the opportunity to gain a practical insight into the legal system, as well as the unique issues affecting those who suffer a miscarriage of justice.

"This series continues to highlight the global plight and inequalities in criminal justice systems, and it has been an honour to work with everyone involved,” said Professor Claire McGourlay. “Our students and staff at 91ֱ�� work so hard to fight for the innocent."

To listen to the Innocence Podcast, visit .

Professor Javier García Oliva Appointed Head of Law from April 2023

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 11:02:10 +0000

Professor will succeed Professoras Head of Law effective from 1st April 2023.

Professor Aristea Koukiadaki is stepping down from the role to take a Senior Role in the International Labour Organization and has recently secured an €2m ERC Consolidator Grant.

Professor García Oliva joined the University of Manchester in 2011. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2013 and to Professor in 2021. During his time at the University of Manchester he has held various leadership roles at the departmental, school, and faculty levels. He was director of Student Experience and LLB Programme Director in the former School of Law, Business Engagement Lead in the School of Social Sciences, and he will be stepping away from his current position as Associate Dean for Business Engagement at the Faculty of Humanities in order to take up the Head of Law role.

Speaking on his appointment, Professor García Oliva stated ‘I am immensely privileged to become the new Head of Law and I look forward to leading this dynamic department and serving my brilliant colleagues and our students in the years to come. We shall continue strengthening our collaboration with other departments within our School (the School of Social Sciences) and the wider University. I would like to show my appreciation to my predecessor Professor Aristea Koukiadaki for her remarkable contribution to our department and to express our department’s pride in her recent achievements which have required her to step away from this role’.

Dr Amber Darr recognised in UPSIGN’s list of 75 notable British-Pakistani academics, trainers, and teachers

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 10:59:44 +0000

from the University of Manchester has been recognised in UPSIGN’s list of 75 notable British Pakistani academics, trainers and teachers as part of the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence.

UPSIGN (UK-Pakistan Science and Innovation Global Network) is a charity bringing together over 250 educated professionals globally who are dedicated to raising awareness and developing solutions to tackle various social and economic challenges faced by people of Pakistani origin in Pakistan and in the UK.

Dr Darr teaches competition law at the University of Manchester and is a Senior Research Fellow at the UCL Centre for Law, Economics and Society. Competition Law is the field of law related to promoting or maintaining market competition by regulating anti-competitive behaviours by companies. She is also a Barrister of Lincoln’s Inn and an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and has practised commercial, corporate, and regulatory law in Pakistan.

Amber will soon publish ‘’ with Cambridge University Press. In this research, Dr Darr starts from the premise in the last twenty years South Asian countries have increasingly engaged with modern competition laws but only India and Pakistan have been successful in enforcing these laws. The book tells the story of competition law in South Asia and analyses the legal, economic, and political determinants of the successes and failures of competition laws in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Maldives Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. ‘Competition Law in South Asia’ draws lessons not only for other countries in South Asia but also for developing countries anywhere in the world.

Following her nomination, Dr Darr said:

“I am delighted to have been recognised in UPSIGN's inaugural list of 75 NOTABLE BRITISH PAKISTANI ACADEMICS, TRAINERS, AND TEACHERS. This recognition is not only a wonderful endorsement for my ongoing research in competition laws in South Asia and my broader contribution to knowledge exchange on legal issues affecting the South Asian region but is also likely to provide an excellent basis for future collaborations among Pakistani academics in the UK and beyond.”

Professor Aristea Koukiadaki awarded €2m by the ERC for research on remedies in comparative labour law

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Professor has been awarded a €2 million for a 5-year, inter-disciplinary research project on remedies in comparative labour law.

Whether a worker is entitled to an effective remedy, including bring able to get access to justice and secure appropriate redress (e.g. re-engagement if unfairly dismissed), is a crucial legal issue in an employment relation. Outside the courtroom, the question of which remedies may be available, if at all, to a wronged individual, e.g. a gig worker or a migrant woman, is intrinsically related to the status of such claims and ultimately claimants in the wider political and socio-economic framework.

CURE (Conceptualising and Understanding Remedies) will put forward a radical rethinking of how we should regulate the employment relationship that reflects the need to consider how remedial rules and institutions play a central, constitutive role in capitalist societies.

The project could not be more timely. Recent cases, such as the decision by P&O Ferries in the UK to abruptly make the crew redundant without notice, have drawn attention to the question of how best to ensure effective compliance with labour rights.

CURE is also conceptually and methodologically innovative. It seeks to provide a radical re-reading of labour law that moves away from an assessment solely based on formal legal rights to examine instead how legal systems intersect with political and economic systems to respond to labour wrongs and injustices.

The central thesis of the project is that the legal underpinning of remedial rules (on access to justice, nature of redress etc.) and institutions (e.g. courts) is inextricably related with the political and economic processes, which are relevant to the employment relationship, influencing ultimately our social imaginaries of redress.

To explore this question, CURE will build on advances in computational legal analysis and combine these with legal analysis and empirical qualitative methods to provide an evaluation of the remedial framework across a range of countries in Europe (France, Greece, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom) and at supranational (EU and ILO) levels. It is expected that the findings will lead to a foundation of a new classificatory system of labour law systems capturing the diversity of the ways through which redress is understood and operates not only in law but also in the political and economic systems.

Professor Koukiadaki commented: “The funding from the ERC will provide a unique opportunity to provide an alternative reading of labour law, one that highlights how remedial rules and institutions may help constitute the content and meaning of labour rights but may also affect their effective enforcement. Apart from the contribution of the findings to the research community, the findings have the potential to inform policy debates on the direction of labour law and regulation today. This is because they will provide a much-needed corrective to the most visible debate in the recent years around regulation/de-regulation of formal legal rights to illuminate the crucial role of the remedial framework in calibrating ultimately the effectiveness of labour regulation.”

Leading Labour MP welcomes report into racial bias in justice system

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 11:44:20 +0000

Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP has welcomed a report by experts from The University of Manchester which highlighted the issue of racial bias in the justice system, after a meeting to discuss the findings with the academics and co-authors who compiled it.

, which was published late last year, raised urgent questions about racial attitudes and practices in the justice system - particularly in the judiciary - in England and Wales.

Drawing on a survey of 373 legal professionals, it found that 95% of respondents said that racial bias plays some role in the processes or outcomes of the justice system, and 29% said it played a ‘fundamental role’. A majority of respondents had witnessed one or more judges acting in a racially biased way towards a defendant and in their decision-making.

Racial discrimination by judges is most frequently directed towards Asian and Black people according to the survey, with people from Black communities - lawyers, witnesses and defendants alike - by far the most common targets of judicial discrimination. Young Black male defendants were the subgroup most frequently mentioned as targets of judicial bias.

Although the judiciary wields enormous power over individuals, its operations are alarmingly underscrutinised, and judicial racial bias has previously remained largely beyond examination. The evidence in the report rang alarm bells about access to fair trials, hearings and tribunals as well as to equal professional development.

David Lammy, who is Labour MP for Tottenham and a former Shadow Justice Secretary, has previously written a highly critical report about the subject after being commissioned to do so by the then Prime Minister David Cameron in 2016. It found that racial disparities in the criminal justice system in England and Wales were even worse than in the US in some cases.

His report made a series of recommendations including the sealing of criminal records to help former offenders find employment, and the adoption of the German system which allows juvenile law to be applied to young adults if their ‘moral and psychological development’ suggests they are not mature enough to be tried as adults.

"Action to embed compulsory antiracist and racial bias training for all judicial office holders, which is a key recommendation of the report, would encourage a culture shift towards antiracist practice," he added.

“We welcome David’s support for our report, given his long-standing record of campaigning and policy development on these issues,” said Professor Eithne Quinn, lead academic author of the report. “His comments add weight to our central finding: racism in the justice system is corroding principles of fairness and ruining lives. Yet, our survey found that many judges and lawyers have had no recent training about racism and bias.”

“Our report calls for training that is premised on the realities that institutional racism exists in the justice system and that judges, like the rest of us, harbour biases. Without this starting point, any new training won’t work.”

Uncertain Futures team Win 91ֱ�� Culture Award

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 23:55:20 +0000

The Uncertain Futures team has won the 91ֱ�� Culture Award 2022 in the category of Protection of Equality and Social Justice. The – which were launched in 2018 and are organised by 91ֱ�� City Council – provide an annual opportunity to recognise and showcase the talent, creativity and culture that makes 91ֱ�� so unique.

The projected was initially conceived by artist Suzanne Lucy and is supported by an Advisory Group formed of women over 50 from 91ֱ��’s diverse communities in association with 91ֱ�� Art Gallery and 91ֱ�� City Council’s Work and Skills Team. It is also supported by a research team from the University of Manchester () and from 91ֱ�� Metropolitan University ().

In June 2021, the exhibition opened with live interviews taking place with 100 women over 50 from all walks of life, alongside workshops, talks and media presentations that explored equality and survival. The interviews were also displayed on the wall of the Gallery until September 2022 when they were replaced by a newly designed exhibit in Gallery 8 to reflect the ever-changing nature of the project. The exhibition now contains a timeline of significant moments of the project as well as identifying important research themes.

The research analysis also began in the summer of 2022 and involves co-analysis of the interviews by the research team which includes members of the Advisory Group and will culminate in a report to be launched in the first half of 2023, alongside a series of events designed to impact social policy and create change.

The below outlines the project.

International Commercial and Technology Law LLM champions a new kind of professional for a new world of commerce

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 15:45:52 +0100

As a digital transformation storms the world of commerce, the legal framework must evolve to keep up. New and emerging technologies such as big data, cloud technology, blockchain, AI, FinTech and cryptocurrency present unparalleled opportunities, but also unprecedented challenges. The legal implications associated with evolving technologies are not widely understood, yet as they become increasingly ubiquitous, their effects will be widely felt.

In the digital era, we need proactive professionals with a sophisticated understanding of new technologies and an astute appreciation of the law. They need to have the creativity, ambition and foresight to think differently and adapt their specialised skillset to reimagine a legal framework for the future.

The new LLM in International Commercial and Technology Law from The University of Manchester gives ambitious professionals across the globe the opportunity to build an indispensable professional toolkit for a trailblazing career navigating the law in a digital world.

Course Director and Reader in Corporate and Commercial Law, , says:

“The International Commercial and Technology Law LLM is finely-tuned to fit the needs of busy professionals who want to reinvigorate their career for the future and make themselves indispensable in the changing world of commerce. It marries ultimate flexibility with unwavering standards and enables ambitious individuals to undertake high-level study while keeping up with existing commitments.

The world needs a new kind of professional, with the commercial, tech and legal know-how to navigate tomorrow’s challenges. With this course, we hope to fill the emerging skills gap and nurture a new generation ready to lead in the digital era.”

This research-driven course curates a uniquely relevant blend of law and technology and a finely-tuned balance of theoretical knowledge and applied skills to enable students to examine the pressing issues of today and tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

Students will explore company law, blockchain technology and AI, analyse new developments in FinTech, and get to grips with the nuances of censorship, data protection and intellectual property in the digital realm. They will benefit from working as part of an international cohort, in collaboration with professionals and academics from all over the world, broadening their world-view and strengthening their global network.

Designed specifically for busy working professionals, this part-time postgraduate course is delivered entirely online and provides the flexibility to combine career progression with work, family and social commitments.

Using a personalised virtual learning environment (VLE), students can access interactive content including podcasts, video recordings, lectures and text documents wherever they are, whenever they want. Independent learning is combined with live online discussions, as well as real-time lectures and presentations from renowned guest speakers.

In a fast-moving and ever-evolving commercial landscape, the flexibility of this course enables busy professionals to gain specialist expertise in an emerging area of the law, and stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive jobs market. It gives companies an accessible route to upskilling their workforce, and bolsters the industry as it enters unchartered territory.

Learn more about this new pioneering course on our website or download the course brochure.

Uncertain Futures team nominated for a 91ֱ�� Culture Award

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:26:08 +0100

The Uncertain Futures team has been nominated for a 91ֱ�� Culture Award 2022 in the category of Protection of Equality and Social Justice. The – which were launched in 2018 and are organised by 91ֱ�� City Council – provide an annual opportunity to recognise and showcase the talent, creativity and culture that makes 91ֱ�� so unique. The winners will be announced on November 24^th at an awards ceremony in 91ֱ��.

The project is a unique art and research collaborative work which aims to highlight and analyse the intersectional inequalities facing women over 50 around work (whether paid or unpaid). This includes inequalities relating to gender, age, race, disability, migration and other statuses. The project combines art, research and activism through which it aims to achieve social change. The projected was initially conceived by artist Suzanne Lucy and is supported by an Advisory Group formed of women over 50 from 91ֱ��’s diverse communities in association with 91ֱ�� Art Gallery and 91ֱ�� City Council’s Work and Skills Team. It is also supported by a research team from the University of Manchester () and from 91ֱ�� Metropolitan University ().

New report uncovers ‘institutional racism’ in the justice system

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 18:00:00 +0100

A new report by experts from The University of Manchester and barrister Keir Monteith KC has raised urgent questions about racial attitudes and practices in the justice system in England and Wales.

Although the judiciary wields enormous power over individuals, its operations are alarmingly underscrutinised, and one area that has remained largely beyond examination is judicial racial bias. draws on a survey of 373 legal professionals.

95% of respondents said that racial bias plays some role in the processes or outcomes of the justice system, and 29% said it played a ‘fundamental role’. A majority of respondents had witnessed one or more judges acting in a racially biased way towards a defendant and in their decision-making.

Racial discrimination by judges is most frequently directed towards Asian and Black people according to the survey, with people from Black communities - lawyers, witnesses, defendants, etc. - by far the most common targets of judicial discrimination. Young Black male defendants were the subgroup most frequently mentioned as targets of judicial bias.

The survey did find that some judges are already acting in ‘antiracist’ ways by being conscious of and knowledgeable about racism, and seeking to mitigate it - however, only a minority of respondents had ever seen a judge act in this way.

Race training is neither compulsory nor provided on a regular basis – only 49% of the respondents who have worked as judicial office holders had received race training in the preceding three years.

The report emerges as serious questions are already being asked about the treatment of ethnic minority people in the justice system. Black barristers are and report experiencing . On top of this, and the found that sentencing outcomes are often harsher for ethnic minority defendants.

Overall, the report suggests that the combination of quantitative and qualitative data presented, substantiated by the kind of reports listed above, amounts to evidence of ‘institutional racism’ in the justice system presided over by judges.

The report is a response to the five-year strategy launched by Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett of Maldon to enhance equality and diversity in the judiciary, and finds that it does not consider the issue of racism or even mention ‘racial bias’. Researchers found a profound disparity between the conclusions of the strategy - that the justice system is basically fair and that progress has been made - when compared to the widespread views and experiences of the legal professionals surveyed.

In addition, the report is critical of the Equal Treatment Bench Book, the textbook given to all judges on appointment, in terms of its framing of bias and racism, especially its lack of acknowledgement of anti-Black racism in the justice system.

The evidence in the report rings alarm bells about access to fair trials, hearings and tribunals as well as to equal professional development.

“Racism in the justice system has to be acknowledged and fought by those at the highest level, but at the moment there is complete and utter silence - and as a consequence, there is no action to combat racial bias,” said Keir Monteith KC. “It is impossible to have diversity and inclusion if the system itself unfairly discriminates. There has to be a hard reboot to protect and revitalize the rule of law and civil rights for all citizens - a good start would be to follow the recommendations in our report.”

“Judges need to sit up and listen, because it is a myth that Lady Justice is blind to colour,” said Professor Leslie Thomas KC, who wrote the report’s Foreword. “Our judiciary as an institution is just as racist as our police forces, our education system and our health service - this is something that cannot be ignored for any longer.”

“This important report demonstrates that the very low number of Black and minority ethnic judges poses an acute challenge to the credibility and legitimacy of the judiciary,” said Stephanie Needleman from . “It is only by creating a critical mass of diverse judges that we can ensure that our judiciary is reflective of society and begin to combat the racism witnessed by survey respondents.”

“We welcome, and are grateful to have been consulted on, this hard-hitting report,” said former Judge Claire Gilham from the “My whistleblowing about racism was dismissed as me not understanding judicial culture, having come from the wrong background. There is no internal data keeping for equality complaints, which makes it very difficult for the judiciary to provide any evidence to deny the findings of this report. A severe shake-up of the system is needed.”

“Even after 25 years as a Trade Union Official, I am shocked at the practices employed in the appointment and promotion of judges,” said Stuart Fegan from GMB. “The Judiciary is funded with public money, and the practices identified would simply not be tolerated anywhere else in the public sector. I am delighted that Labour have committed to review appointment and promotion procedures if they win the next election in order to ensure that judges are reflective of the public they serve.”

Jeremy Corbyn speaks at launch of clothing poverty campaign

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 13:31:05 +0100

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn MP has spoken at the launch of a new campaign to expose clothing poverty during the current cost of living crisis, and ensure adequate clothing for all.

The Right to Clothing Campaign is a new initiative by Sharewear UK, Jeremy Corbyn's Peace and Justice Project and Dr Luke D. Graham at The University of Manchester.

It hopes to raise awareness of clothing deprivation, provide clothing directly to people on the ground through Community Sharewear franchises, bring about a change in the law which better protects the right to clothing, and thus ensure that charity is not required for any individual to access adequate clothing.

Sharewear UK, a clothing charity based in Nottingham, has been providing clothing to those who are unable to afford them, including vulnerable families and individuals, refugees and those with no recourse to public funds and from its centre in the city since 2014.

Over the last year, they have partnered with the Peace and Justice Project to set up Community Sharewares - hubs in other cities run by volunteers where people can access clothing free of charge, starting later this year including in 91ֱ��.

91ֱ�� is an apt location for the launch as the city was a centre for the textile industry, and Lincoln thanked the stance that workers in the city took maintaining an anti-slavery cotton embargo during the American Civil War, which Mr. Corbyn will make reference to at the event.

A truckload of clothes is burned or dumped in the UK every second, and the campaign’s first action will be to urge activists to write to clothing brands and retailers asking what they currently do with their returns and end of line stock, before actions further in the year around lobbying MPs to support the Right to Clothing.

The campaign is also building a Right to Clothing Network comprising of foodbanks, charities, trade union branches, campaigns and organisations working in the field of clothing depravation The campaign will also look at two important strands related to the right to clothing: sustainability in fashion and garment-workers rights and is inviting groups working in this field to join their network.

Louise Cooke, Founder and CEO of Sharewear UK said: “Being unable to afford basic clothing prevents millions of people across the UK from being able to simply function, yet alone flourish, in life. Meanwhile, over 300,000 tonnes of clothing goes to landfill in the UK each year and countless tonnes of clothing are incinerated by fashion retailers. This is a ridiculous situation and, after more than eight years of alleviating clothing poverty, we hope that the Right to Clothing campaign will help to put right this imbalance.”

Dr Luke Graham, an academic specialising in Human Rights law and destitution said “Whilst other deprivations, notably food deprivations, are highly publicised and visible in the UK public consciousness the same is not true of clothing deprivation. Yet clothing deprivation is a large and still growing issue. To address this issue, it is crucial that we make it visible. Reasserting the ‘forgotten’ right to adequate clothing through the work of this campaign will be a crucial step towards achieving this.”

For more information about the campaign, visit

Revised undergraduate LLB Law programmes

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 15:02:55 +0100

The University of Manchester Law School are delighted to launch revised versions of their four undergraduate LLB Law programmes

LLB Law
LLB Law with International 91ֱ��
LLB Law with Criminology
LLB Law with Politics

These new programmes offer a distinctive approach to legal education from a globally recognised institution that brings together research-informed study and practice-led approaches to law.

All students will study our Introduction to Law and Legal Skills (ILALS) course, exploring law's role in the world and using contemporary issues to inspire their learning and develop their skills. Joanne Urmston, the LLB Law Programme Director and Course Director for this new course, says "I am really excited to bring my experience in both legal practice and academia to the new ILALS course to help students to develop useful and practical skills, whilst learning about the context of the law in society."

Students on our joint honours programmes will also have a bespoke introduction to the relationship between their two disciplines through specialised courses in their first year, and their Programme Directors are delighted to introduce these opportunities which will support the deep links between the different disciplines and enhance the sense of community for our joint honours students.

All our undergraduate students will also study the foundations of law in England and Wales, as well as specialised course units, in which they will be challenged to analyse and critique the law, and understand the social, economic, ethical and political contexts in which it operates.

Our teaching is driven by active and innovative approaches to learning, aimed at inspiring and supporting students as they develop throughout their degree. Learning through reflection and collaboration, and applying their studies in practice, our student body will also help contribute towards access to justice for some of the most vulnerable, marginalised and disadvantaged in society.

Our programmes have been designed to enable students to develop the skills, knowledge and experience to be highly employable, and to have the confidence to forge their own professional development beyond undergraduate study, whether practising law or in a different field of work. At the end of the programmes, students can also take advantage of our collaboration with BARBRI and pursue one of their SQE 1 courses at a discounted rate.

Our curriculum review leads, Eleanor Aspey and Gillian Ulph, Senior Lecturers in the Law School, comment “These exciting new programmes have been designed in collaboration with the Faculty of Humanities Learning Design team, ensuring that we are drawing on the latest pedagogy and best practice from across the university, and we are looking forward to introducing our new students to these innovative programmes and seeing their various successes during and after their studies with us.”

For more information about these programmes see

Law School Academic Awarded Sir Anthony Hart Prize

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 16:08:07 +0100

A 91ֱ�� academic has been awarded a prestigious, early career prize by the Irish Legal History Society on the occasion of the 25th British Legal History Conference at Queen’s University Belfast.

Ashley Hannay, Lecturer in Property Law, was awarded the Sir Anthony Hart Doctoral Paper Prize, which was awarded for the best paper presented at the conference by a current or recent doctoral researcher, for his paper ‘The Origins of the Statute of Uses, 1536’. Mr Hannay joined 91ֱ�� in September 2021, and recently successfully defended his PhD thesis at the University of Cambridge.

In announcing the award, Dr Niamh Howlin, Associate Professor, Head of School and Dean of the Sutherland Law School at University College Dublin commended the paper’s exceptional originality and contribution to the field of legal history. The prize was presented to Mr Hannay by Sir Anthony’s widow, Lady Mary Hart, at the conference dinner in the Great Hall at Queen’s University Belfast on Friday 8 July.

Law researcher secures Hallsworth Conference Funding

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 13:33:00 +0100

A cross faculty application has been successful in securing . This funding aims to fund landmark events that draw together a wide network of international researchers tackling major issues that are likely to have a lasting and significant research impact.

Principle Investigator (Lecturer in Public Law and Human Rights) and Co-investigator (Lecturer in Fashion Marketing & Management) will work on a conference project titled ‘A New Right to Adequate Clothing’.

Our systems of producing, distributing, using, and disposing of clothing are vast and impactful. The vastness of these issues means that clothing is a topic which speaks to, and cuts across, many disciplines. The conference will bring together experts and stakeholders from across disciplines and fields to focus on the challenges posed by clothing and the potential for both 1) these challenges to inform the meaning of the forgotten right to adequate clothing and 2) the right to adequate clothing to respond to these challenges.

Further details about the conference and a call for papers will be distributed in due course.

The University of Manchester to co-host the UK's first-ever public legal education conference

Fri, 06 May 2022 11:27:14 +0100

Legal charity and education project The Law in 60 Seconds are coming together to host the UK’s first-ever public legal education conference from 10am – 4pm on Saturday, 14 May 2022 at The University of Manchester. This event is also available online.

In the face of controversial reforms to human rights legislation, drastic cuts to legal aid and high-profile police misconduct scandals, it has never been more important for the public to know their rights. The Law in 60 seconds: Public Legal Education Conference is the UK’s first event teaching the general public how to interact with the law in an accessible and empowering way. From employment rights to protesting and stop and search laws, the conference will provide valuable tools and knowledge from experts including leading criminal barrister Mark George QC and human rights lawyer and The Law in 60 Seconds founder Christian Weaver, as well as personal accounts of miscarriages of justice from The Defendant’s co-founder Liam Allan.

Liam Allan said: ‘At The Defendant, we are fighting for all people to have access to their legal rights and a fair trial irrespective of their background. The Law in 60 seconds Public Legal Education Conference will include talks and workshops covering 13 different topics from a variety of organisations so that every member of the public can walk away with a knowledge of their basic rights, an ability to recognise abuses of power, and the skills to navigate legal encounters in their lives with confidence.’

Christian Weaver added: ‘As a barrister I regularly see the impact of people not knowing their rights. When I created the YouTube series ‘The Law in 60 Seconds’, my primary goal was to give people the knowledge and confidence to stand up to authority. Embarking on this path made me realise the grave extent to which our law is currently inaccessible and led me to write the book ‘The Law in 60 Seconds: A Pocket Guide to Your Rights’. This public legal education conference is the next step in making the law more accessible. It will leave attendees feeling empowered, confident, and poised to take greater control of their lives.’

The day will also involve workshops by the involving careers advice, information and an opportunity for Pupillage and Training Contract applications will be reviewed and feedback given. There will also be an opportunity for networking with barristers and solicitors at the end of the day

The Defendant is a legal charity that provides practical and emotional support to defendants struggling to navigate the Criminal Justice System via a helpline. The charity was set up following the experience of co-founders, Liam Allan and Hannah Arkwright, who were falsely accused of crimes they did not commit. Liam and Hannah recognise that all defendants need information about procedure and timelines as well as needing access to mental health support.

The conference is free for the public to attend with a suggested donation to The Defendant upon purchase.

New podcast examines rapidly growing movement to overturn false convictions

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 14:16:26 +0100

Broadcaster Kylie Pentelow and producer Lucy McDaid have partnered with the University's to launch a new true crime podcast that explores wrongful convictions.

In the six-part series, Kylie will hear from those who fought for decades to prove their innocence and interview the lawyers who took on their cases. She will find out what life is like after prison for the small number of people cleared of their convictions and speak to individuals from across the world who are involved in the innocence movement.

The 91ֱ�� Innocence Project is one of only a few university-led organisations in the UK that fights for people who say they have been wrongfully convicted. It is a pro bono initiative, launched by Professor Claire McGourlay at The University of Manchester, and led solely by staff and students.

As part of The Innocence Network, an international coalition of independent innocence organisations that are dedicated to reforming the criminal justice system, The 91ֱ�� Innocence Project is a last resort for those who have been wrongfully convicted. Its archives include hundreds of letters from prisoners, and their loved ones, seeking help.

In episode one, The Last Resort, Kylie speaks to students involved in the project to understand their motivations for getting involved and asks how they juggle day-to-day studies with fighting people’s prison sentences.

She also speaks to Claire to understand her motivations for setting up the project, which leads to an emotive interview with Michael O’Brien. Michael was just 19 when he was wrongfully convicted of murdering a shop keeper in 1987 and he spent 11 years in prison before he was released. His case, often referred to as The Cardiff Newsagent Three, inspired Claire to get involved with the innocence movement when she was a student.

Commenting on the launch, Claire said: “I’m a huge advocate of supporting those who need it most and the whole purpose of The 91ֱ�� Innocence Project is to support those who have been wrongfully convicted and have nowhere else to turn. We want to promote positive change within the justice system and with a team of dedicated volunteers, that’s what we’ve set out to do.

Whilst episode one introduces innocence projects and outlines what they can achieve when they are successful, the rest of the series delves deeper into some of the world’s most remarkable and well-known innocence cases and asks why false convictions happen in the first place.

In episode two, The World’s Most Famous Exoneree, Kylie interviews Amanda Knox about life in prison, media attention, rebuilding her life on the outside and how being a new mum has totally changed her perspective.

The Innocence Podcast will release a new episode every Monday and is available to listen to on Apple Podcasts, and .

For more information about The 91ֱ�� Innocence Project and to understand how you can donate to the pro bono project, please click .

Bursary scheme in memory of local businessman to help disadvantaged students

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:47:39 +0000

The University of Manchester is delighted to announce an exciting new scholarship scheme aimed at widening access for students applying to its and courses.

The Graham McKenna-Mayes Memorial Fund, launched by the family of the former local businessman, seeks to support access, success and progression for underrepresented groups in Higher Education, particularly in the Greater 91ֱ�� area.

The bursaries specifically aim to address obstacles faced by students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and to offer the first stepping-stone to a successful career after graduation in Law or EES. They will offer eligible applicants an annual grant of £2,000, funded by the Graham McKenna-Mayes Memorial Fund.

"I am immensely proud to initiate this bursary scheme, which pays tribute to my lifelong friend and colleague Graham," says John Scanlon, Chief Executive Officer of SUEZ R&R UK. "Graham and I both grew up in Bury, where we went to school and college together before he went to study Law at The University of Leeds and York Law School.

"Graham had a huge intellect coupled with tremendous drive, which he used to help shape our company to become one of the leading recycling and waste management companies in the UK. Graham was never happier than when he was mentoring or coaching people within the business to be the best that they could possibly be, both professionally and personally.

"It is a fitting tribute where we remember him by creating a bursary to help people from the 91ֱ�� area. Those who share his passion in the areas of law and the environment."

Bursaries are available to eligible students who are underrepresented in Higher Education and who require additional support to help them flourish and fulfil their academic potential at 91ֱ��, regardless of their background.

Nick Wallis delivers talk on the Horizon Post Office scandal at the launch of the 91ֱ�� Innocence Project

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 09:29:56 +0000

Journalist and author of , Nick Wallis, joined us for the official launch of the 91ֱ�� Innocence Project with a talk detailing over ten years of his experiences following the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, which saw hundreds of post office managers wrongly convicted for false accounting.

On Thursday, 17 February 2022 the School of Social Sciences celebrated the official launch of the 91ֱ�� Innocence Project, a pro-bono organisation aimed at helping the wrongfully convicted and promoting positive change in the justice system.

The 91ֱ�� Innocence Project was established when the ‘Miscarriage of Justice Review Centre’ at The University of Manchester was accepted into the US-based Innocence Network. The Project is one of only 13 non-US based members of the Network, and one of only two projects in England and Wales.

Under the supervision of academic and legal professional staff, students volunteering with the 91ֱ�� Innocence Project have the opportunity to investigate live criminal appeals, where there is evidence of a miscarriage of justice.

spoke at length on the Great Post Office Scandal, one of the UK’s most significant miscarriages of justice which saw more than 700 people prosecuted by the Post Office between 2000 and 2014, due to faulty information from a computer system called Horizon.

Although sub-postmasters complained about bugs in the system showing shortfalls in accounting, 736 branch managers received criminal convictions, with many serving jail time.

A total of 72 former sub-postmasters have had their convictions overturned, with many more expected to go through the courts. A public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT dispute is expected to continue for the rest of the year.

Nick has been investigating the Post Office scandal since 2010 and has been instrumental in bringing the scandal into the public eye. He has authored a book, fronted a ten-part series for Radio 4 and hosted a BBC Panorama, based on his investigative work.

Former sub-postmasters, Tom Hedges and Pete Murray, also spoke to the audience about their experiences with the Post Office, Horizon, and the ongoing fight for justice.

We were honoured that Chancellor Lemn Sissay opened the event, to show his support for the 91ֱ�� Innocence Project.

Nick said “It was a delight to meet Lemn Sissay OBE and be invited by 91ֱ�� University to speak about the Post Office Horizon scandal. Hundreds of people were wrongfully prosecuted over IT evidence and found themselves unable to fight against a system which was loaded against them. I hope the 91ֱ�� Innocence Project will use the Post Office scandal as a case study going forward. The justice system has much to learn from it.”

Find out more about the .

Making a Difference Event – Clothing Poverty: Exposed

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 03:06:26 +0000

On Friday 11^th February, in collaboration with the School of Social Sciences, the Law School hosted a event which saw the public screening of the film ‘Clothing Poverty: Exposed’ and welcomed to the University of Manchester.

Sharewear is the UK’s largest and leading provider of free clothing to the clothing deprived and the film screening sought to give visibility to this hidden issue. Following this, (Lecturer in Public Law and Human Rights) presented briefly on the relationship between clothing deprivation and the right to adequate clothing. Dr Louise Cooke, the founder and CEO of Sharewear, and Dr Graham then fielded questions.

Both clothing deprivation and the right to adequate clothing are underexplored, however through partnership Sharewear and Dr Graham aim to illuminate both of these issues. Towards this end, this event was the first of an ongoing partnership between Sharewear and the University of Manchester and Friday saw many student attendees volunteer to become involved in this important work.

There is a donation bin for clothing outside the Roscoe Building until Wednesday 16^th February 2022. Donations of clean, undamaged, but unwanted clothing are welcomed.

The University of Manchester Legal Research Paper Series

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 14:39:38 +0000

The University of Manchester Law school is pleased to announce the University of Manchester Legal Research Paper Series.

The series features a wide-ranging collection of legal scholarship in core research areas such as:

bioethics, health and law;
law and business;
law, money and technology;
international law;
regulation and social justice.

Research in these areas of law is led by our four specialised research centres: the Centre for Social Ethics and Policy, the 91ֱ�� Centre for Law and Business, the 91ֱ�� International Law Centre and the 91ֱ�� Centre for Regulation, Governance and Public Law.

Our specialised research centres allow us to address global issues in-depth and produce innovative solutions with a real-world impact.

Our research centres are producers of consistently world-class legal scholarship that aim to enrich the academic discourse and actively shape the future of policy-making and practice in diverse areas of law.

View papers in the series:

New Monographs from Law School Professors

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:12:32 +0000

Professor ’s monograph titled ‘’ is published by Elgar Studies in Legal theory. After Meaning provides a radical challenge to the way in which international law is thought and practised. Chapter 1 is available to view via open access:

has co-authored with (of UCL Laws). Their monograph, published by UCL press, is titled ‘’. The monograph explores the use and understanding of law and legal expertise by environmental groups. The entire publication is available to view via open access:

and co-author (of the University of York) have published their monograph titled ‘’ in the Palgrave Socio-Legal Studies book series. This book analyses how the system of immigration judicial reviews works in practice, as an area which has, for decades, constituted the majority of judicial review cases and is politically controversial.

Law researchers secure British Council funding

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 14:29:53 +0000

A joint application by several academics in The University of Manchester Law School has been successful in securing ‘ Global Partnership’ funding to work with in Beijing and in Beijing.

Principle Investigator (Reader in Corporate and Financial Law), and Co-Investigators (Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law), (Lecturer in Commercial Law), (Lecturer in Public Law and Human Rights), and Dr Abubakri Yekini (Lecturer in Conflict of Law) will work on a project titled ‘Digital economy and resilient society’.

This project will establish an international research network between the three institutions to examine the infrastructure of digital platforms and their use in the economy and society through a comparative lens. In addition, the project will host several research seminars split between both the UK and China.

The Law School is pleased to see new senior, new early career, and established colleagues collaborating to produce research, secure external funding, and build strong international collaborations.

Justice Hub commended for virtual vacation scheme

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 09:55:00 +0100

Supported by the Attorney General, the celebrate the best pro bono activities undertaken by law students and law schools and the positive impact on those assisted.

Whilst law schools and students across the country have continued to provide access to justice under the restrictions of COVID-19, special consideration was given to nominations that have been responsive to the issues and legal needs presented by the pandemic.

The Justice Hub was Highly Commended in the category ‘Best New Pro Bono Activity’ for their virtual vacation scheme, which saw 40 law students dedicate their free time to volunteer to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic in summer 2020.

Students who took part in the scheme produced short , aimed at advising the public in key legal areas that were impacted by the pandemic, such as housing, employment law and child arrangement.

The programme was so successful that the students involved also presented a further , which was attended by over 100 people and is available online.

Justice Hub Director, Dr Phil Drake, said: “This is fantastic news and testament to the innovation, hard work and collaboration of our students, volunteer lawyers, video producer, academics and professional services staff.”

The winners were announced in an online awards ceremony, taking place on the 12 May 2021.

Justice Hub awarded for services to the community

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 14:12:03 +0100

Students in the School of Social Sciences have the opportunity to work with qualified legal practitioners and academic staff to provide pro bono legal advice to members of the public, who are not able to access free legal aid elsewhere.

In summer 2020, the Justice Hub ran the virtual vacation scheme, which saw 40 law students dedicate their free time to volunteer to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Students who took part in the scheme produced short , aimed at advising the public in key legal areas that were impacted by the pandemic, such as housing, employment law and child arrangement.

The programme was so successful that the students involved also presented a further , which was attended by over 100 people and is available online.

91ֱ�� Law Society is made up of approximately 3600 members and supports legal associations and educational networks across 91ֱ��. The Society hosts the annual 91ֱ�� Legal Awards, this year celebrating the 12th annual awards ceremony. The Awards are an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the legal talent within the region of Manchester.

The Justice Hub was named a winner in the category ‘Best Pro Bono/Community Initiative of the Year’ after moving their services online to continue providing access to justice, despite COVID-19 restrictions.

Following the success of the scheme, the Justice Hub are now organising the next vacation scheme to take place this summer.

Justice Hub Director, Dr Phil Drake, said, “Giving back to the local community and creating lawyers and professionals of the future with a passion for assisting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged are two of the Justice Hub’s primary goals. It is therefore fantastic to be recognised by such a prestigious organisation as the 91ֱ�� Law Society for the work that our staff, students and volunteer lawyers have undertaken over the last year.”

Law students win at society awards ceremony!

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 16:14:19 +0100

Congratulations to the 91ֱ�� University Law Society (MULS) and the 91ֱ�� University Pro Bono Society for taking home three awards, out of five nominations, at the prestigious LawCareers.Net Student Law Society Awards!

The Student Law Society Awards highlight and celebrate the great work carried by societies across UK campuses, and the fantastic events and opportunities they create for their members. This year, LawCareers.Net received submissions from 38 student law societies alongside 2,700 votes from their members.

The 91ֱ�� University Law Society won in the categories “Best Society for Commercial Awareness” and “Best Law Society Overall” (sponsored by DWF Group plc), they received an additional nomination for, “Most Committed to Increasing Diversity” (sponsored by Baker McKenzie).

Hafsah Nawaz, Treasurer for MULS, says “MULS are exceptionally pleased to have won 2 of our 3 nominations at the LCN Student Society Awards, including for Best Society Overall in the UK, facing competition from over 30 other universities.

"The growth of our Society over the last 3 years has been incredible and for it to be recognised externally is a huge testament to the efforts of our Committee and the engagement of our Members.

"Our goal for the last 2 years has been to place MULS on the same par as long-established and successful societies across the country and these awards signify a great achievement towards this goal.

"Our award for Best Society for Commercial Awareness also signposts the lengths the Society has gone to in ensuring that our Members have the best opportunities to enhance their employability in professional fields.

"We are incredibly humbled by our awards, and we cannot wait to see MULS’ continued growth in the years to come for the benefit of our Members and students across the University of Manchester.”

The Pro Bono Society won in the category “Best Social Media” (sponsored by Shoosmiths), they received an additional nomination for “Best Pro Bono Activities”.

President of the Pro Bono Society, Adelina Maghet, says, “Winning the ‘Best Social Media’ award has been incredible to our committee, especially since this has been the first year for our society to get nominated for these awards!

"During the last seven months, social media has become our most valued tool to stay in touch with our members and support them, not only academically, but socially and mentally as well, and to give everyone a look behind the scenes from time to time.

It is wonderful to know our students have noticed our efforts to keep our society close to them in this unusual year and we thank them for their continuous support!”

Congratulations to both societies on their recognition at these prestigious student awards.

The University of Manchester and BARBRI announce plans for new SQE preparation programme

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 09:54:55 +0100

The University of Manchester Law School, one of the UK’s top-ranked law schools, has partnered with , the global legal education provider, to offer the University’s students and alumni a comprehensive preparation programme for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).

The partnership, announced today, creates a pathway to qualification as a solicitor for the University’s students that will benefit from BARBRI’s industry-leading legal education to prepare graduates and alumni to pass the SQE.

courses will commence at the University of Manchester from Summer 2021. The two-staged course will prepare candidates for the inaugural SQE in November 2021 and will be offered at least twice a year leading into the scheduled examinations going forward.

“We are pleased to be working closely alongside BARBRI to offer a clear route to qualifying as a solicitor in England & Wales,” comments , Professor of Legal Education at the University of Manchester. “BARBRI’s well-established reputation for expertly blending technology with innovative teaching strategies ensures that those studying for the SQE will be placed on a promising pathway to success.”

Ruby Hammer, Deputy Head of Law adds: “This collaboration allows us to further maintain our research-informed curriculum, whilst catering for the new era of professional qualifications.”

Current students and alumni of The University of Manchester will receive a discount on their SQE1 prep fees as part of the collaboration, and BARBRI will also offer workshops on the University’s campus from next Summer. The new partnership complements our Law School’s existing approach to learning, with our institution well regarded for actively encouraging students to hone their practical skills through pro-bono activities as part of The Justice Hub.

“The introduction of the SQE ensures that all qualified solicitors will meet the same high standards consistently; integral to SQE success for students and prospective students will be robust and rounded preparation. BARBRI brings together years of proven experience with world-class learning technology to deliver the best opportunity for SQE success to participating students,” says Sarah Hutchinson, UK managing director, BARBRI.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with such a prestigious University, based in the heart of the vibrant legal centre in 91ֱ��, to help nurture the next generation of solicitors.”

The new BARBRI SQE Prep course harnesses the company’s experience and prowess in mixed subject multiple-choice testing, garnered over more than 50 years of the helping trainees pass the US Bar.

Students will benefit from access to one-to-one support with expert guidance on the SQE, learning from leading professors and practitioners. Lectures, practice questions, workshops and simulations will complement study tips and an online Personal 91ֱ�� Plan (PSP) to guide every assignment and activity throughout the courses.

SQE prep courses will be available to both law graduates and those with a non-legal background and will be offered on a full-time as well as a part-time basis to support those working alongside their studies.

More information can be found on the .

Winner of Law School's McCollum Consultants Prize Announced

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 09:55:00 +0100

The University of Manchester Law School is pleased to announce the winner of the McCollum Consultants Prize for the academic year 2019 - 2020. This year the student winner was Amelia Davis.

The course, Principles of Law, Medicine and Ethics, analyses the main legal principles that govern the regulation of healthcare in England and Wales, developing students’ understanding of the key ethical principles that underpin these regulations. Students on the course develop the ability to appreciate and assess medico-legal problems from an ethical perspective as well as from a legal perspective.

Student winner, Amelia Davis, said “I am deeply honoured to have received this prize. Following a crazy second semester, receiving this award was an amazing way to finish my second year at university. This award will help me to achieve my academic and personal goals, and has been very meaningful not only financially but emotionally as well, as it has strengthened my belief in myself.”

The annually awarded prize is sponsored by leading chambers of medical expert witnesses, McCollum Consultants. Based in 91ֱ�� and founded by University of Manchester Professor, Charles McCollum, alongside 91ֱ�� alumnus and Chief Executive, Richard Williams-Lees, the network brings together medical expertise and a deep understanding of the law to give reliable medico-legal advice.

“Giving back to the University is incredibly important to me; but for the University, I would not be where I am now, I am therefore forever indebted to UoM!” Commented Law School alumnus and co-founder of McCollum Consultants, Richard Williams-Lees.

‘Significant increase’ in child-to-parent violence during lockdown

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 09:15:11 +0100

Seventy per cent of parents who have experienced child and adolescent-to-parent violence saw an increase in violent episodes during lockdown, according to a new from researchers at the Universities of Manchester and Oxford.

According to 104 parents and nearly 50 social work practitioners, the ‘hidden problem’ of child and adolescent to parent violence (C/APV) has seen a significant increase in the lockdown: with more than two thirds of professionals saying they are aware of more episodes, as the support network around families disintegrated.

Dr , a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at The University of Manchester and Oxford Professor of Criminology launched a study of lockdown among families experiencing violence from their children. Their report makes a series of recommendations aimed at tackling the issue. The criminologists say, ‘When the UK went into lockdown, we became concerned about families experiencing APV and designed a ‘fast’ piece of research.’

What they found was a situation in crisis. The number of child-on-parent violence episodes during the pandemic increased by:

70% in families;
69% of practitioners said they had seen an increase in referrals for families experiencing C/APV
64% of practitioners said the severity or incidence of violence had increased

Parents said lockdown pressures had made the problem worse: being confined at home with the young person one parent described a ‘cabin fever effect’ and another a ‘pressure cooker’ environment in an already volatile household.

In addition, there were changes in structure and routine, with the closure of schools and colleges and other services, and increased expectations about engaging remotely and home schooling along with fear and anxiety about the virus.

Meanwhile, there were few routes of escape with no informal support from families and friends and the retraction of services. One parent told the pair, ‘Everything is amplified, there’s no escape, and it’s not just the person being hurt who’s affected, it’s everyone that sees and hears it. The other children are traumatised by seeing us hurt.’

And, when many families needed more help than ever, services delivered support remotely, which takes longer and is much harder to do effectively. But, because of the pandemic, parents were reluctant to call for help.

One said, ‘I wouldn't want to call the police as the danger is far greater from the virus...he would be vulnerable in police cell…Before it was hard enough to call the police thinking of the usual consequences, but you could be potentially sentencing your child to death by reporting violence.’

Professor Condry adds, ‘Parents are often reluctant to report their child, fearing the consequences of criminalisation….and when they do seek help, it is often not forthcoming.’

But she says, ’Violence can be serious and sustained. Parents describe living in fear of their own child, often for years. It can range from criminal damage in the home and verbal abuse to some of the most serious forms. One mother told us her son ‘beat me so badly that if the police did not come when they did, I would not be alive’.’

Around one third of parents identified a decline in C/APV during the lockdown period. According to Professor Condry, this could be because of a reduction in the stresses and triggers for violence. But, both practitioners and parents who took part in the survey were very concerned that this group of families might experience more severe problems as the pressures of everyday life return.

The academics sent Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to all 43 police forces across England and Wales, asking for their total numbers of reported C/APV incidents. Nineteen forces who responded showed that, in some forces, there had been no marked change or even a slight decline in reported incidents of C/APV, reflecting parents’ reluctance to contact the police during lockdown. But, in at least five forces, there was a marked increase in reported incidents.

Dr Miles highlights, ‘Reported incidents only reflect reporting tendencies rather than changes in behaviour and, as many parents explained, they were even more fearful of contacting the police during lockdown due to a fear of coronavirus, or not wanting to waste police resources. However, it is essential that parents feel confident in asking police when at crisis point, and that the criminal justice response is sensitive to the complex needs of families experiencing C/APV.’

Professor Condry says, ‘C/APV has tended to be a ‘hidden’ form of family violence, both by families who experience stigma and shame for the actions of their child, and because of a lack of recognition in government policy and service planning. It is often the ‘poor relation’ in family violence. However, a child using violence in the family presents an opportunity – an opportunity to intervene, and an opportunity to prevent the child from becoming an adult perpetrator.

‘Lockdown is that opportunity writ large with an increase in levels of violence and an increase in intensity and severity and families crying out for help. If that opportunity is missed the consequences for the future for that individual child, and all those the child interacts with across his or her life, will be all the more severe.’

In a series of recommendations, the report calls for increased planning and support from central government and local authorities, to prevent young people being criminalised and families being left to cope alone, if there is ever a return to lockdown.

New book by 91ֱ�� researchers provides analysis of male-male murder

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:46:32 +0100

Researchers from The University of Manchester have published a new book which examines the characteristics and dynamics of the most common type of murder - an adult male killing another adult male.

A recent UN report concluded that 95% of all murders are committed by men, and other evidence suggests that at least 80% of victims are males. There is a great deal of public interest in murder, as illustrated by numerous ‘true crime’ books and films, but many of these focus on rare serial killers - while these are obviously significant, they often fail to inform us about more common types of murder.

Furthermore, research publications about murder often rely on official reports and government statistics that provide general information about the number and location of murders, but contain few details about the situations and circumstances in which murders occur and the dynamics of these events - nor is much consideration given to the lives of the men who commit this crime.

In Male-Male Murder, Emeritus Professors Russell P. Dobash and R. Emerson Dobash - experienced researchers, award-winning authors and long-time collaborators - use evidence from their three-year Murder 91ֱ�� to provide an in-depth analysis of murder events, and the lives of the men who commit them.

To research the book, the authors gathered evidence from casefiles of 866 convicted murderers, and interviews with 180 men serving a life sentence for murder in Great Britain. In the book, they focus on 424 men convicted of murdering another man, looking in detail about the various circumstances associated with the crimes, and the lives of the men who committed them.

As well as considering the progress of men in prison for life, the authors speculate about the possibility of reformation and adjustment if and when they are released. They consider what forms of reformation are needed in order to reduce the possibility of the men committing further crimes, and how to change their thinking and behaviour.

“It also breaks new ground in the examination of the lives of the men who commit murder, from their childhoods to their lives as adults, followed by life in prison and working toward reform,” added Rebecca Dobash. “To our knowledge, this is unique in the study of the life course of offenders.”

by Russell P. Dobash and R. Emerson Dobash is released on July 23.

New research calls for relaxation of abortion care laws in Britain and the USA

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 11:46:39 +0100

Experts from The University of Manchester and The University of Bristol are calling for permanent laws allowing so-called ‘pills by post’ abortion services to be enacted in Great Britain and the USA, in order to address barriers to care highlighted by the coronavirus crisis.

Measures taken in response to the pandemic have had an unprecedented impact on people’s daily lives, and their access to healthcare – the lockdown has caused clinics to close due to a lack of staff, childcare and public transport to be less available, and has made people more reluctant to visit healthcare settings.

Prior to coronavirus, the law in England, Wales and Scotland required people to attend a clinic in order to receive abortion care - they had to take the first abortion pill there, and were given the second to take later at home. This has been temporarily relaxed to allow people to be consulted about care over the phone, and receive abortion pills in the post. However, several states in the US have labelled abortion ‘non-essential care’, and forced clinics to close.

The researchers say that unwanted pregnancy has serious physical and mental effects on individuals - and if care is delayed because people struggle to access clinics, this means that the care they receive involves more risks than it should, and also involves significant additional stress and anxiety for the individual.

They argue that restricting the availability of abortion in the US is unconstitutional, and violates the right to privacy of people needing access to care during the pandemic. They also argue that it was necessary for abortion regulations to be relaxed in Great Britain, in order for it to meet its obligations to ‘respect the right to private life’ and to ‘freedom from inhumane and degrading treatment’ under the European Convention on Human Rights.

"The different responses to the question of abortion provision during the pandemic show how far we still are from abortion being rightly recognised as essential healthcare," said Jordan Parsons from the University of Bristol. "It can only be hoped that the actions of Great Britain are viewed more favourably as we emerge from these unprecedented times."

Law students volunteer to help people affected by coronavirus pandemic

Fri, 29 May 2020 09:42:00 +0100

A group of 40 law students from The University of Manchester are set to volunteer their services during their holidays to help people affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

From Monday, 15 June, the students will be providing written and video advice online in five areas of law particularly impacted by the virus - carers, family, employment, consumer and housing.

The University’s Justice Hub and Legal Advice Centre has long provided vacation schemes but this year’s has been moved online because of the pandemic. Demand was high from students, with the number of placements in the scheme doubled.

“The scheme is giving 40 School of Social Science students the opportunity to have a virtual vacation scheme placement with the aim of producing short information videos to help the public in key areas that have been impacted by Covid-19,” said Claire McGourlay, Professor of Legal Education.

“Solicitors, barristers and a video editing company Video Cake are also all giving up their time for free to help the students to produce the videos.”

The scheme also has the support of Marcus Pilgersorfer QC with 20 years’ experience and who also sits as a part-time judge. Staff in the school are also supporting the scheme as specialist academic leads, staff buddies to the groups and technical support.

83 students applied for the scheme and the students who missed out on the vacation scheme will be able to take part in the virtual 91ֱ�� Free Legal Help scheme with volunteer lawyers, offering on-the-spot advice to clients in a wide range of areas of law. This virtual scheme is due to start on Monday, 29 June and students will have the opportunity to virtually triage clients and take a record of the solicitor’s advice.

Traditionally, students taking part in the vacation scheme spent a week working in the Legal Advice Centre and another undertaking employability sessions such as updating resumes and carrying out mock interviews with prospective future employers at the University of Law.

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The University of Manchester has a growing list of scientists and academics who are either working on aspects of the COVID-19 outbreak or can make a valuable contribution to the national discourse. Please check out our .

Our people are also and with partners from across society to understand coronavirus (COVID-19) and its wide-ranging impacts on our lives. to support the University’s response to coronavirus or visit the University’s to lend a helping hand.

Artificial womb technology research calls for pregnancy law reform

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 08:57:18 +0000

An academic from The University of Manchester has called for reform to English pregnancy law, as part of her research into ‘artificial womb technology’ - which would partially facilitate the process of gestation outside the body - and the implications of such alternatives to pregnancy.

Technology is currently being developed which would emulate the later stages of pregnancy, as a much more reliable alternative to neonatal intensive care - therefore, it could offer a life-saving option for both woman and child, particularly in cases where complications develop in pregnancy and premature delivery.

Elizabeth Chloe Romanis - a lawyer and Bioethicist at The University of Manchester - undertook the research, which has been published in the BMJ’s Journal of Medical Ethics and Oxford University Press’s Medical Law Review, because scientists have estimated that such technology may be ready for human testing in the next 5-10 years, and it is vital to consider its implications in advance of its development.

She found that English law is incredibly limited when it comes to alternatives to pregnancy. There is no right to end a pregnancy after 24 weeks outside of serious medical emergencies - including with the intention of continuing gestation ‘outside the body’ - as the law does not explicitly specify that the foetus must be killed for the activity to be criminal, just that a pregnancy is ended prematurely.

She also found that, even if it were legalised, gestation outside the body may not be made readily available due to social narratives surrounding choices about pregnancy. Women frequently report feeling ‘shamed’ by medical staff for wanting a surgical childbirth, and women who use formula milk rather than breastfeed can be criticised - even though they make these choices because they believe it is best for the wellbeing of themselves and their baby.

“If reliable artificial womb technology does become available, it is important that we ensure equal access to it for all, it will result in much better outcomes than neonatal intensive care. It will be expensive, and there will inevitably be a limited number of devices available - we would therefore need to ensure that decisions about who had access to them do not exacerbate social inequality.”

The BMJ Journal of Medical Ethics paper is available at , and the Medical Law Review paper is available at .

School of Social Sciences celebrate official opening of the Justice Hub

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 16:55:28 +0000

This month, is celebrating the launch of the in its new home, 188 Waterloo Place.

The Justice Hub network began life over 20 years ago as the (LAC), based within the Law School. The past 20 years have seen the arrival of new initiatives and centres, including our Dementia Law Clinic, The Miscarriage of Justice Review Centre and cutting edge teaching and research within our Legal Technology Initiative. Bringing these projects together through the Justice Hub network has given our students a space to lay their foundations with holistic, autonomous and reflective experiences, whilst making real change happen in the community. The official launch event was a chance to celebrate the hard work of students and colleagues throughout the years, whilst focusing on the bright future that lies ahead for our Justice Hub.

The event kicked off with speeches and presentations from staff, students and our guest speaker, Human Rights Barrister Anna Morris. Neil Allen, Law Academic and Barrister, began proceedings with a short history of the Justice Hub, beginning with the founding of the LAC in 1999 to provide free legal advice to those in need. Over the past 20 years, the LAC has grown to include a number of exciting new projects, all aimed at improving access to justice for the vulnerable, marginalised and disadvantaged. Professor Claire McGourlay discussed the difficulties faced by pro bono services following legal aid cuts over the last seven years; Claire praised the students for their commitment against these challenges as our Justice Hub continues to expand to meet increasing demands.

Anna Morris shared stories from her own journey into human rights law, citing the importance of voluntary experience for students seeking a future career in the legal sector. The presentations were wrapped up by three of our student volunteers who spoke about the knowledge and understanding they have gained from working in the Justice Hub alongside clients facing complex, and often sensitive, legal problems.

Outside the Justice Hubs new home at 188 Waterloo Place, Professor April McMahon, Vice President for Teaching and Learning, cut the ribbon across the door as all attendees were invited in to celebrate the evening with a drinks reception and a chance to look around the Hub.

University of Manchester scoops 'Alliance of the Year' award

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 16:25:03 +0000

Our has won the award for 'Alliance of the Year' at the .

Launched in September 2018, LaTI serves as a dynamic platform between industry stakeholders, regulatory communities and academics within the Alliance 91ֱ�� Business School (AMBS), Department of Computer Science, and the in Social Sciences. The initiative was founded with input from both Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and DWF LLP, though now includes a number of industry partners.

The Initiative brings together practice and research to identify dangers and facilitate opportunities in future policy directions at the interface of law and technology, and to develop the next-generation workforce through innovative curriculum and skills training. Since its conception in 2018, LaTI has also developed a new student module, based around legal technology and access to Justice. Students on the course have the opportunity to work with not-for-profit clients to build apps that will improve their client’s services whilst giving our students a wider knowledge of how legal technology can be used to improve access to justice for all.

Hosted by Netlaw Media, the British Legal Technology Awards acknowledge and reward excellence in Legal Technology and IT Security with the UK and Europe. The awards recognise leadership, innovation and technology as well as the individuals, teams and suppliers transforming the future of legal services.

This award recognises legal service providers and suppliers who have delivered excellence in collaboration between all parties, highlighting the importance of sharing and complimenting best practice and looking outwards rather than inwards. Winning this award is a testament to what academics and industry stakeholders can achieve through working in collaboration, whilst recognising the hard work of all the members involved with the Initiative over the past year.

English Football League announces groundbreaking policing project

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 09:00:00 +0100

The English Football League (EFL) has announced a new research-led crowd management project, which could help transform the way in which future matches are policed and stewarded.

Project Enable brings together the EFL, leading academics, police forces and football clubs to develop research-led and innovative approaches to crowd safety and security.

The project will look in detail at matchday policing and stewarding used by several police forces and clubs including those in Lancashire, Staffordshire, South Wales, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, as well as working with British Transport Police in other parts of the UK.

“Safety and security is at the forefront of the matchday experience for all EFL supporters, and this project is important because it will assist in developing cutting-edge crowd management techniques that will improve safety and the positive experiences of fans,” said EFL Head of Policy John Nagle.

“The benefits of this research-led approach will be twofold. Firstly, it will enable police forces and EFL Clubs to use the latest knowledge and good practice to make the matchday experience as safe as possible.

“Secondly, innovations arising from the project could not only enhance safety for supporters, they could also help reduce the cost to the taxpayer of policing football matches by ensuring resources are only targeted precisely where and when they are needed.

“Club contributions to policing and stewarding costs can have a knock-on effect on ticket prices which are potentially damaging to football and unfair on fans. As a result, the views and experiences of fans are integral to this project. I therefore welcome the fact the Football Supporters Association (FSA) is supportive and will play a key role in ensuring this project is a success.”

The University of Manchester’s Dr Geoff Pearson - an internationally-recognised expert on football crowd regulation and management – is advising the project on the law and human rights. “We have known for some time that some tactics for managing crowds are more effective than others, and that some have the potential to escalate rather than reduce football-related violence and disorder,” he said.

Former Law School lecturer hands down judgement in landmark Supreme Court Case

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 15:17:00 +0100

Lady Hale, first female President of the UK Supreme Court and lecturer at The University of Manchester Law School between 1966 and 1984, yesterday handed down the judgement in a landmark case brought against the Prime Minister for his decision to prorogue parliament during Brexit talks.

In the case R v The Prime Minister, all 11 judges came to a unanimous conclusion that the decision to advise Her Majesty the Queen to prorogue parliament was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification.

The Supreme court ruled that as the Prime Minister’s advice to the Queen was unlawful, void and of no effect, meaning that the prorogation was also void and of no effect.

This judgement means that immediate steps can be taken to recall parliament. Boris Johnson said he ‘profoundly disagreed’ with the ruling but would respect it.

Opposition parties and critics called the original decision to prorogue parliament unconstitutional, claiming that Johnson was trying to stop MPs from scrutinising his controversial Brexit plans and that the suspension was far longer than necessary.

Lady Hale graduated top of her class from Cambridge University, after which she was appointed as an assistant law lecturer at the then Victoria University of Manchester whilst studying for her bar finals.

Achieving top results in her bar exams, she was called to the bar in 1969.

Lady Hale ended up staying at The University of Manchester as a Professor of Law for 18 years between 1966 and 1984.

She has been outspoken about sexism and a lack of diversity in the legal sector throughout her career, becoming the second woman to be appointed to the Court of Appeal and the first female Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 2004.

Lady Hale has retained close ties with the Law School, returning in 2018 to give our prestigious , which celebrates our notable alumna Christabel Pankhurst.

She also met with a group of law students for afternoon tea during her 2018 visit, keen to hear about their experiences of studying law today.

Find out more

91ֱ�� graduate brothers target 2020 Olympic selection

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 15:18:12 +0100

Two brothers, who have both graduated from The University of Manchester, are aiming to build on their world-leading rankings in basketball by being selected for the Irish 2020/2024 Olympic team.

Twins Cian and Tadhg Hickey, 23, from County Donegal in Ireland, are both LLB students graduating from The University of Manchester this summer. The brothers are also Sport Scholarship students who have been described as ‘the heart and soul’ of the carrying out a range of officer roles as well as voluntary coaching in the community.

In the 5 vs 5 traditional format of basketball they have represented Ireland at under 18 and the UK Select under 23 squads at International level, whilst attending one of the best academies in England - Myerscough College. They have both played top flight Men’s Basketball in England, securing the prestigious BUCS Division 1 title earlier this month. Now the siblings have set their sights on the Olympics.

Tadhg said of their Olympic selection target: “As we continue to achieve international success and recognition throughout the 3x3 community, we compete against the best in the world and our sights are now set on the FIBA 3x3 professional tour and Olympic selection. As the only team in the world made up of three brothers, Séamus Hickey being our final teammate, we are excited to show what we can do.”

The past 12 months have seen the Hickey twins travel across the globe whilst balancing their studies competing against NBA and professional standard players, winning titles and gaining increasing profile-currently ranked the number one team in Ireland. After success in Holland and Germany they are targeting 2020 and 2024 Olympic selection.

Speaking about his time at the University Cian said: “91ֱ�� has been amazing and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time at the University representing PURPLE&PROUD. We have balanced our academic studies, work and sporting goals while self-funding our 3x3 ventures thus far. As we push forward as international athletes and aspire for Olympic selection, we are seeking sponsorship that will allow us the opportunity to play in higher profile tournaments more consistently throughout the world.”

Cian and Tadhg were speakers at the Future Champions Breakfast Event held earlier this year, and were jointly awarded the prestigious Sports Man of the year accolades at the annual Sports Awards.

91ֱ�� hosts inaugural conference on ethics and disparities within modern healthcare

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 15:58:50 +0100

The rise and rise of medical technology is breaking down barriers in healthcare, but with a new wave of innovation comes a tide of ethical and legal questions that need to be answered.

Responding to this brave new world, The University of Manchester’s School of Law hosted a first-of-its-kind conference, bringing together some of the leading minds of bioethics and medical law to discuss ‘Healthcare disparities: Disruptive healthcare technologies and the patient’.

Disparities in healthcare refer to often-negative differences in healthcare provision between different population groups, such as race, age, socio-economic group and gender. Disruptive technologies such as virtual reality, 3D printing and digital communications offer the potential to level the playing field, but their usage introduces new legal and ethical questions for consideration.

‘Healthcare disparities’, which took place from 13-14 June 2019, squared delegates up to increasingly important issues facing medicine as the MedTech industry continues to grow, with regulation struggling to keep up with innovation in many cases.

Complementing the event, PGR students were invited to a special PGR workshop the day before the main event. Funding from the (SLS) gave the School of Law the opportunity to put together an expenses-covered day for PhD students, giving them the chance to present their research among peers. The PGR day was attended by Dr Mark Flear, University of Belfast, and Professor Margot Brazier, Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester. The PGR delegates then joined their colleagues from all over the world for the conference proper.

Professor Nicolas Terry, from University of Indiana, gave the first keynote session with his paper 'How disruptive healthcare technologies should reduce health inequalities but probably will not: A transatlantic perspective on the regulation of healthcare AI', while the impact of Brexit was tackled by Tamara Hervey, Jean Monnet Professor of Law at the University of Sheffield.

On Friday 14 June, Professor Ian Freckelton QC, University of Melbourne, started off the day with his keynote paper ‘Changing dynamics in health practitioner-patient relationships and litigation’, exploring the changing relationships between doctor and patient as the law plays an increasingly influential role within healthcare.

Professor Mette Hartlev, University of Copenhagen, gave the second keynote presentation on Friday, discussing ‘Precision medicine, big data and health disparities - a patient's rights perspective’, exploring how big data is being used to improve our knowledge of treatment outcomes for different patient groups.

Concluding the event at a dinner on Friday evening, Professor Richard Ashcroft, Queen Mary University London, wrapped up with his speech 'Does disruptive have to mean unfair? Reflections on innovation, regulation and justice in healthcare technologies'.

This conference delegates the opportunity to consider the key legal and ethical questions posed by new medical technologies, and how new technologies can best be used for the benefit of all, reducing disparities between who has access to the best healthcare.

Law students perform at 100 Years of Women in the Law Celebration

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 12:01:00 +0100

Four School of Law students, Zheng See (erhu or chinese violin), Ka Foo (piano), Joanne Daniels (piano) and Sorcha Whyte (grade 8 singer) were invited to perform at the event by Lincoln House Chamber - an award-winning barrister's chambers - in 91ֱ��.

The event was an exclusive drinks reception by some of Manchester's most senior judges, barristers and solicitors, and the Law School was honoured that our students were invited to perform exclusively.

The event was held on 13 June 2019 at 91ֱ�� Hall and attended by senior figures from the 91ֱ�� legal community. Speaking after the students’ performance, Lincoln House Chambers noted that there had been much praise from the audience of how brilliant the students all were.

Well Done!

91ֱ�� Law lecturer brings hooliganism research to Mexico

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 12:42:08 +0100

A lecturer at the University of Manchester’s School of Law has presented his research into at the Department of Civil Defence in Queretaro, Mexico.

Dr Geoff Pearson, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law, spoke to an audience of 300 stakeholders, including police officers, stadium safety managers and representatives of fan groups, to tell the story of British football hooliganism and how a combined effort of working on the legal framework, stadium infrastructure and proactive policing has helped to significantly reduce incidences of football hooliganism in the UK.

After initially using methods such as segregation, banning the consumption of alcoholic beverages and entry bans when hooliganism was rife in the 1970s and 1980s, modifications were then made to policing.

Dr Pearson noted that while some methods were effective, others were not or were counterproductive, but that ultimately by working together, incidences of football hooliganism in the UK today are greatly reduced both within stadia and their surroundings.