Professor Eloise Scotford appointed as Dean of UCL Faculty of Laws

UCL Laws is delighted to welcome Professor Eloise Scotford  to her new post as Dean of UCL Faculty of Laws.  

Professor Scotford commented: 

“I am delighted to be taking on the role of Dean of Laws. This appointment is a huge privilege and I am very much looking forward to leading the brilliant staff and students who make Laws such a vibrant, accomplished, compassionate intellectual community. Looking ahead, we have lots of important work to do together, consolidating and growing the excellence of our academic endeavour, and fostering rigorous and diverse understandings of the role of law in society. 

“I also want to acknowledge the work of our outgoing Dean, Professor Piet Eeckhout, who has led the Faculty with a steady hand for the last five years, during which time the Faculty’s vitality and strength has continued to grow, including through the challenges of the pandemic. We are fortunate to be retaining his deep expertise in EU and international economic law in the Faculty going forward.” 

Professor Scotford is Professor of Environmental Law at UCL Laws. In 2019-21, she was Vice-Dean (Research); and in 2018-2021, she was the Faculty’s REF Lead, with the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) submission resulting in UCL Laws being ranked first in the UK for research quality. 

Professor Scotford joined UCL in 2017 from The Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London. She joined King’s as Lecturer in September 2010, following three years as Career Development Fellow in Environmental Law, Faculty of Law and Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford. Prior to this, she was awarded a BCL, MPhil and DPhil from the University of Oxford, obtained the University Medal in Law from the University of Sydney, and was Associate to the Chief Justice of Australia. 

Professor Scotford is a leading scholar on the legal treatment of environmental principles, air quality law, climate change governance, waste law, and legislative and adjudicative processes as they relate to the environment. In addition to her wide-ranging scholarly publications, Professor Scotford regularly provides evidence and advice to the UK Parliament and Government on environmental law matters, consults for the UN Environment Programme and other international environmental bodies, and is Associate Member of Landmark Chambers. 

Dr Michael Spence, UCL President and Provost, commented: 

“I would like to congratulate Eloise on her appointment to Dean of Laws. Eloise is a tremendous appointment who has championed an environment for excellence in both academia and research in her capacities as a Professor in Environmental Law and in her roles as Vice Dean for Research and the Faculty’s REF lead.

“I know Eloise has a fantastic vision for the Faculty and I look forward to working with her to help further grow and develop UCL Laws.”

Professor Piet Eeckhout will continue in his role as Academic Director of the Centre for the UCL European Institute, which enables and supports UCL research and teaching activities on Europe, and creates an environment where work on Europe can flourish.  

Professor Eeckhout commented: 

“I am delighted to hand over the office of Dean of UCL’s Faculty of Laws to Professor Eloise Scotford.  I have known and worked with Eloise for many years, and admire her vigour, enthusiasm, academic excellence, and not least humanity. Under Eloise’s stewardship this thriving Faculty will continue to prosper and develop as a genuinely world-leading academic institution.  I will be returning to my love for research, focused on the EU, EU law, and international economic law.  I also want to emphasise that I am immensely grateful for all the support I have had throughout my Deanship.  It is impossible to mention everyone.  A very special word of thanks nonetheless for the Vice-Deans who have been on my Dean’s Team, and for the Faculty’s professional services staff who have supported me so well.”