The Centre provides a focal-point for research in public law and constitutional theory, addressing current constitutional developments in the United Kingdom and beyond. The Centre has a broad membership including colleagues working in public law, EU law, international law and legal theory.
Our areas of expertise include the study of
nationalism and divided societies. Stephen Tierney has worked in this area for a number of years and the Centre has been greatly boosted by the appointment of the School's new Professor of Constitutional Law Christine Bell and Lecturer in Public Law Elisenda Casañas Adam in 2011, both of whom also engage with these and related issues. Christine joined the School from the University of Ulster where she established an outstanding reputation for her groundbreaking work on transitional justice. Elisenda arrived from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and she will continue her important work on multilevel human rights protection, looking in particular at ongoing developments in the UK.
Another area of focus is on
constitutional theory and global constitutionalism. Neil Walker's ground-breaking work is internationally recognised, and again Christine Bell, Stephen Tierney and Cormac Mac Amlaigh work in this area.
Multi-level government, federalism and devolution are a third strand of focus for Centre members with Stephen Tierney and Elisenda Casañas Adam working on this issue. Elisenda is organising a one day workshop: 'Have Human Rights Been Devolved Seriously? Bills of Rights, Devolution and the Supreme Court Debate in Scotland' which will take place on 13 April. Please see Forthcoming Events for details.
A fourth strand is
Electoral law and practice, including referendums. Navraj Ghaleigh has worked in this area for a number of years and has a growing reputation for work on the law regulating the funding and expenditure of political parties. Stephen Tierney's monograph '
Constitutional Referendums: The Theory and Practice of Republican Deliberation'
will be published in April 2012
http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199592791.do See also in Forthcoming Events the 20 April seminar on 'Deliberative Democracy, Constitutional Referendums and E-Democracy'.
