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At a national level, the efficacy of EU directives relating to sex equality is being undermined by a lack of clarity in the delineation of their personal scope, and in particular of the rights and entitlements applicable to ‘self-employed workers’, according to a European Commission report co-authored by UCL Reader in Law, Dr Nicola Countouris, and UCL Honorary Professor Mark Freedland FBA.
Despite the merits of the Ministry of Justice guidance on cautions,published in April of this year, there are significant questions surrounding its implementation in the case of Charles Saatchi, according to UCL Laws Senior Lecturer, Dr Jonathan Rogers.
Increased religious diversity, partly driven by migration, is ultimately leading to a greater separation between church and state, according to UCL Laws Lecturer Dr Ronan McCrea.
The reputation of UCL Laws as one the world’s top institutions has been further confirmed following the publication of the Guardian University Guide 2014, which ranked the faculty as the top provider in the United Kingdom.
Preliminary research, carried out by UCL Laws Professor of Judicial Studies, Cheryl Thomas, has revealed that almost a quarter of jurors are unclear about the rules surrounding internet use during trial. It is hoped that the findings will provide an empirical basis for any Law Commission reform proposals in this area.
UCL Laws last week hosted the Inaugural Bentham House Conference on the theme of the philosophical foundations of contract law. The conference was a major event in contract law and legal theory, bringing together the leading professionals in debates about the nature of the subject.
UCL Laws Lecturer, Dr Virginia Mantouvalou spoke at a House of Commons Panel Discussion on the new visa for overseas domestic workers, arguing that the visa regime, which ties overseas domestic workers to a particular employer, may be in breach of article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights that prohibits slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour.
UCL Laws is recognised as one of the top legal research departments in the world. We aspire to produce research that is world-leading in originality, significance and rigour. In the UK government 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), Laws placed joint 1st in the UK for the proportion of its research activity in the top two star categories (75% 4*/3*). Our exceptional research not only enhances the quality of our teaching and the supervision we give our research students, but contributes to the solution of global challenges while shaping policy and the practice of law.
UCL Laws continues to be a world-leader in terms of teaching and research. In the recent Research Assessment Exercise, UCL was rated first in the UK alongside LSE and ahead of Oxford and Cambridge. We continue to attract the best and brightest students from the UK and around the world. Our faculty continue to provide important input on public policy across a wide range of issues such as human rights, the environment, security and commerce.