Latest news from Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law and the Cambridge Private Law Centre was well represented at the Obligations XI at Harvard Law School , which took place from 8 to 11 July 2025 on the theme 'Private Law Inside and Out'. The Obligations Conference is a biennial event which brings together scholars and practitioners from across the common law world to discuss current issues in contract law, the law of torts, equity, unjust enrichment, and private law theory. Professor Jonathan Morgan presented a paper on 'Torts, Rights and Public Policy: Combining Instrumentalism and Corrective Justice' , while Nick McBride spoke on 'The Practice of Recognition' . Dr Ernesto Vargas Weil presented on 'The Numerus Clausus of Property Rights 'Inside Out'' , and Dr Poorna Mysoor's presentation sought to explore 'Why Copyright Infringement Is Confounding to a Tort Lawyer' , while Joshu Majima, our doctoral student, presented on 'Property and Positive Obligations: A Historical Approach' . Downing Professor Emeritus of the Laws of England and former Director of the CPLC, Professor Dame Sarah Worthington, gave her final reflections bringing together the conference theme and the diverse papers presented.

Former President of the Queen's Bench Division, Sir Brian Leveson, was appointed by the government to carry out an independent review into the criminal courts. Specifically, the review considered 2 key themes, which are outlined in the Terms of Reference: 1) Reform: how the criminal courts could be reformed to ensure cases...

The 'world court' and climate change A Cambridge professor and counsel team member for Vanuatu gives his initial views on the landmark ICJ Advisory Opinion. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the judicial arm of the United Nations – known as the ‘world court’ – has issued a historic Advisory Opinion on the legal...

Oxford University Press has published Copyright as Personal Property by Dr Poorna Mysoor . Copyright statutes in many jurisdictions clearly state that copyright is a property right. However, it's not always clear exactly how. Some see it as no more than a statutory right, while others think of it as a chose in action, like...

On 1st July the Faculty's Assistant Professor in International Law Dr Rumiana Yotova was was invited to deliver the 6th Annual Heilbron Lecture for the Next 100 Years Project in the Old Bailey in London on the topic 'Creation: The Human and Humanity in the Age of New Technologies'. The lecture delved into the legal and ethical dilemmas posed by genome editing and emerging biotechnologies. She explored how new technologies like CRISPR Cas9 allow us not just to create life, but to shape the very essence of humanity and considered that while gene editing offers hope for curing genetic diseases, it also raises concerns about unintended consequences, ethical boundaries, and unequal access. She went on to discuss how national laws in the field are inconsistent and frequently lag behind the science, whilst from an international law perspective, no global treaty exists and existing conventions and declarations are outdated and lack clear, enforceable standards. The lecture concluded with a call to action for action to achieve international consensus: Dr Yotova called for a new international agreement to set standards, protect future generations and ensure responsible governance, before technology outpaces regulation. Dr Yotova was introduced by Baroness Shami Chakrabarti and Dana Denis-Smith OBE. The lecture was hosted by Sheriff Gregory Jones KC, the City of London Corporation and KPMG. The Heilbron Lecture series, launched by The Next 100 Years, aims to champion female experts in the legal profession by giving them a platform to deliver thought-provoking lectures on topical legal issues, countering the often male-dominated lecture circuit. Named after Dame Rose Heilbron QC, a pioneering figure as the first female senior judge and joint first female Queen’s Counsel (QC), the series seeks to promote rising female legal experts and ensure their visibility and recognition for their legal expertise. More information about the lecture series on Next 100 year is available from their website .

The Faculty has distributed Volume 16 Number 3 of the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Legal Studies Research Paper Series on SSRN . This issue includes the following articles: David Erdos: Ireland and the Commonwealth, 1960s-1970s: The Ends of (Informal) External Association ( 9/2025 ) Ted Gleason, Markus Gehring, Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, Javiera Paz Cáceres, Jorge Cabrera & Matheus Garcia: Economic Rules Toward Net Zero in 2040: Legal Options for the Future of Trade in a Net Zero World ( 10/2025 ) Holli Sargeant: From Estimation to Discrimination: Algorithmic Bias, Predictive Uncertainty, and Anti-Discrimination Law ( 11/2025 ) Narine Lalafaryan: Chameleon Capital ( 12/2024 ) Sarah Nouwen & Wouter Werner: Embracing Discomfort: From Textbook to Scriptbook in Legal Education ( 13/2024 ) Interested readers can browse the Working Paper Series at SSRN , or sign up to subscribe to distributions of the the e-journal.

Dr Narine Lalafaryan (Assistant Professor of Corporate Law; Fellow, Pembroke College; CERF Fellow) gave evidence on 9 July 2025 to the House of Lords, Financial Services Regulation Committee . The Financial Services Regulation Committee invited Dr Lalafaryan to provide evidence on the growth of private markets in the UK...

Oxford University Press has published the eighth edition of The Substantive Law of the EU: The Four Freedoms by Professor Catherine Barnard . Widely acclaimed and respected, 'The Substantive Law of the EU: The Four Freedoms' offers unparalleled coverage of the subject area paired with expert author insight and presented in a concise and user-friendly format, accompanied by engaging case studies and diagrams. This book provides detailed coverage of the four freedoms and explains the central importance of these principles to the development of EU law and the future of the Union. It offers critical analysis and insightful commentary on some of the key debates which surround and shape EU law and sets key principles within their political and social context. Among many revisions the new edition features a revised and restructured chapter on citizenship, and a number of new case studies on e-commerce and consumer rights. For more information about this book, please refer to the Oxford University Press website . For information about other publications by Professor Barnard, please refer to her Faculty profile .

On Thursday 3rd July CPL co-hosted an event on National Security and Human Rights at the Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales in Madrid. The event 'In the Name of National Security: The Fragility of Human Rights' was co-hosted by the Centre for Public Law (Dr Kirsty Hughes and Dr Stephanie Palmer) at the University of Cambridge and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Professor Susana Sanchez-Ferro). Additional support for the event was generously provided by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Confinanciado por la Unión Europea . The committee received over 130 responses to the call for papers and a selection of the papers were presented at the event in Madrid. Panels included: National Security and the UK; National Security, Migration and Sanctions; National Security Institutions and Practices; the European Convention on Human Rights and National Security; National Security and Free Speech; and Comparatve Perspectives on National Security. A keynote was given by Professor Iain Cameron, Uppsala University. A selection of the papers will be published in the European Human Rights Law Review in 2026.

The Faculty is hugely proud of the wide ranging pro bono activities run by our students under the umbrella of the Cambridge University Law Society (CULS) , led to huge success this year by fourth year undergraduate student Hannah Zia. Hannah studied at Clare College, including a year abroad last year at the University of Auckland. In addition to her role as Head Pro Bono Coordinator for CULS, she is also a competitive rock climber! As part of CULS' pro bono activities, they have collected donated books from all over Cambridge for the International Law Book Facility (IBLF) for many years. The ILBF is a charity providing donated good quality second hard law textbooks to not-for-profit institutions across the world, supporting access to justice and the rule of law. This year Hannah was also the runner up in the highly competitive IBLF law undergraduate essay competition with her article 'What will be the challenges to the rule of law in the next 20 years?' which was highly praised by the judging panel and is available to read on the ILBF site . Responding to her award, Hannah said: "Leading the CULS Pro Bono team this year and working with Jonny, Joy, and Zachary was both demanding and rewarding. I'm particularly proud of the Asylum and Immigration Law Panel I chaired with Grace Brown, Anthony Metzer KC, and Tahlia Dwyer, as well as negotiating with external charities to try and expand pro bono opportunities for students. I’d encourage anyone interested to get involved with CULS and the opportunities on offer!"

On Monday 16 June the Faculty was delighted to welcome Justice of the Supreme Court, The Right Hon Lord Sales who delivered the LLM/MCL lecture to celebrate the end of the academic year. Lord Sales' gave an inspiring and interesting talk entitled 'Certainty and Flexibility in the Law: Insights from English Law' in which he argued that a central aim of any legal system is to maintain a healthy balance between certainty and flexibility. In his lecture, Lord Sales undertook a detailed examination of the essential tension between these two crucial legal principles, using the English legal framework as a prime illustration of how this balance is sought and achieved. Lord Sales concluded that statute law and common law represent two different strategies for achieving the vital balance between certainty and flexibility. While statute law relies on democratic authority to make clear rules and change them when needed, common law relies on a disciplined, principle-based, and culturally embedded judicial process to allow for gradual evolution. He suggested that this fundamental tension is not unique to the UK but is a core challenge faced by all legal systems. The talk has subsequently been published on the Supreme Court website . The lecture was followed by a lively question and answer session with the students covering a wide range of legal fields, and then a reception.

Oxford University Press has published Animals and the Constitution: Towards Sentience-Based Constitutionalism by Dr Rafael Fasel and Dr John Olusegun Adenitire (Queen Mary University of London), in the Oxford Constitutional Theory series. Constitutionalism—the idea that constitutions should limit and direct government...

Earlier this year Bloomsbury Professional published Judicial Individuality on the UK Supreme Court by Lewis Graham . This book presents an empirical analysis of the UK Supreme Court's output over its first ten years, with a specific focus on each individual judge's contribution to each case. It shows that judges, like all...

Professor Catherine Barnard (Trinity College) gave evidence this morning to the Parliamentary Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee . The Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee was appointed to consider matters related to the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and the Windsor Framework. Professor Barnard...

Bloomsbury Professional has recently published a festschrift in honour of Professor Emeritus of Jurisprudence and Public Law TRS Allan , entitled The Promise of Legality: Critical Reflections on the Work of TRS Allan edited by Geneviève Cartier and Mark D Walters. A book launch was held by the Centre for Public Law (CPL)...

Faculty and Cambridge Family Law (CFL) member Dr Brian Sloan has been serving on the advisory group for the Law Commission's project to modernise wills. On 16 May the Commission published its recommendations to reform the law of wills in its report 'Modernising Wills Law' . The reforms proposed will modernise the law governing wills to ensure it is fit for purpose in the modern age. The law governing wills largely dates from the Victorian era. It has not been comprehensively reviewed for nearly 200 years, and the Commission's report makes recommendations to clarify the law and to ensure it is fit for purpose in the modern age. The Commission's recommendations for reform are aimed primarily at supporting testamentary freedom, protecting testators (including from undue influence and fraud), and increasing clarity and certainty in the law where possible. The final report is accompanied by a draft Bill for a modern Wills Act, to replace the Wills Act 1837. Dr Sloan is cited extensively in the report, including his works: B Sloan, Borkowski’s Law of Succession (4th ed 2020), B Sloan, "Testing times for attestation: Payne v Payne" [2019] Conveyancer and Property Lawyer 182, S Hudson and B Sloan, 'Testamentary Freedom: Mutual Wills Might Let You Down' in Modern Studies in Property Law : Volume 8, ed W Barr (2015), B Sloan, "DMC of registered land? That’s the way it is" (2024) 83 Cambridge Law Journal 421, and B Sloan, "Forfeiture and the effect of the Wills Act 1837 s 33A" [2021] 1 Conveyancer and Property Lawyer 33. The report has been laid before Parliament along with a draft bill. It will now be for the Government to decide whether to implement the recommendations.

The 21st Joint Seminar of the International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (Geneva Association) and the European Association of Law and Economics (EALE) on the topic 'Legal and economic issues of emerging (liability) risks and insurance' will be hosted by Jesus College, Cambridge on 18–19 June 2026. Submissions are invited for papers dealing with the legal and/or economic implications of emerging liability and related risks for the re/insurance industry. Abstracts should be submitted by 25 January 2026 for review by a scientific board. Acceptance decisions will be announced by 1 March 2026 . Abstract submissions for the seminar should be sent to se505@cam.ac.uk . Full papers will be due for submission by 28 May 2026 . A selection of the papers from the seminar will thereafter be invited for peer-review publication in The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance—Issues and Practice . The seminar is sponsored by the Geneva Association and its local organiser is Dr Senara Eggleton (Jesus College, University of Cambridge).

Professor of International Law Lorand Bartels has been re-appointed as Chair of the Government Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) to which he was originally appointed in 2021. The Commission scrutinises new free trade agreements (FTAs) once they are signed to assess the impact on animal welfare, environmental and health and safety standards (other than food). They are independent of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and DBT ministers play no part in the TAC’s advice on FTAs. Recent reports have offered advice to the Government on the Accession Protocol of the UK to Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement and the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. For more information please see the Government website .

The Faculty has distributed Volume 16 Number 2 of the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Legal Studies Research Paper Series on SSRN . This issue includes the following articles: Markus Gehring & Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger: Climate Justice through International Courts and Tribunals: Advisory Opinions in the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ( 4/2025 ) Matthew H. Kramer: On the Non-Equivalence of Norms and Norm-Formulations: Hart Versus Kelsen, and Kelsen Versus Kelsen ( 5/2025 ) Brian R. Cheffins & Bobby V. Reddy: Deconstructing the "Anglo-American" Corporate Model ( 6/2025 ) Matilda Gillis: Call it Torture: Sexual Offences, Human Rights and the Metropolitan Police (Forthcoming in Public Law) ( 8/2024 ) Interested readers can browse the Working Paper Series at SSRN , or sign up to subscribe to distributions of the the e-journal.

Professor Lorand Bartels MBE was invited to give evidence to the Parliamentary International Agreements Committee , on Tuesday 6 May. The Committee scrutinises all treaties that are laid before Parliament under the terms of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and considers the Government's conduct of...