Impact stories | Edinburgh Law School

AI's moment of truth

AI is creating increasingly convincing, but fake, versions of reality. What does this mean for professions that pursue veracity, such as the law and journalism?

Saving our seas through law

The Saving our Seas through Law project, led by Prof James Harrison and the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), has created a legal framework to enhance safeguards for Scotland’s endangered sea life and vulnerable coastal habitats.

Raising the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland

Findings from the acclaimed Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime (ESYTC), directed by Professors Lesley McAra and Susan McVie, were key to encouraging the Scottish Parliament to increase the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland from 8-years to 12-years.

Limiting executive discretion after Brexit

Research by Professor Stephen Tierney enabled UK lawmakers to limit executive discretion in planning for Brexit and built vital safeguards for Parliament into the Brexit process.

Public interest in the regulation of human health research

Research on the public benefits of health research regulation by the Mason Institute has resulted in multiple changes to practice in regulatory environments, both nationally and internationally.

Navigating inclusion in peace processes

Research, data, and analysis on political settlements by the Political Settlements Research Programme (PSRP) has been applied in a variety of ways across multiple contexts.

Reducing stop-and-search in Scotland

Work by Professor Susan McVie and Dr Kath Murray transformed the law, policy, and practice of stop-and-search in Scotland. As a result, police now conduct fewer, fairer and more effective searches – with recorded searches between 2014/15 and 2018/19 dropping from 426,000 to 32,300 per year.

Financial stability and bank bail-in regimes

Research by Professor Emilios Avgouleas and Professor Charles Goodhart (LSE) on the financial stability impact of the application of the new bail-in regimes for bank resolution has resulted in a rethink of the scope of these new regimes and their recalibration to avoid a full-blown bank creditor run and panic.

Modernising Contract Law in Scotland

As a Scottish Law Commissioner, Professor Hector MacQueen helped to modernise contract law in regards to execution in counterpart and third party rights in Scotland.

National Taskforce for Human Rights Leadership Report

The National Taskforce for Human Rights Leadership's recommendations represent the successful conclusion to work directed toward entrenching human rights and reinforcing the dignity of every person in Scotland.

Young leaders from the Rohingya Youth for Legal Action organization

Field Note from the Rohingya Camps in Cox’s Bazar

Dr Rebecca Sutton undertook knowledge exchange on law, peace and empathy in the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.

Award: ESRC Impact Prize 2019

Professors Lesley McAra and Susan McVie were the winners of an ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize in the Outstanding Public Policy Impact category.

Windows of the Scottish Parliament building

Scottish Parliament Academic Fellowship: Competition policy and Brexit

Dr Arianna Andreangeli undertook an academic fellowship at the Scottish Parliament to research the impact of Brexit on competition policy and consumer protection.

Healing Hands: From Vitruvian Man to Machine Man

An exhibition of the art from the Implantable Smart Technologies Project.

Good governance for the Scottish Health Informatics Programme

SHIP helped deliver faster, more transparent, and consistent access to health researchers, within and beyond the NHS.

Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime

This study has led directly to reform in youth justice policy and practice in Scotland and has international influence.

Scottish land registration reform

This work led to the introduction of a new law of land registration, above all achieved by the Land Registration etc. (Scotland)) Act 2012.

Moral and legal aspects of stem cell research in Argentina

This project helped to overcome state non-intervention in the regulation of regenerative medicine in Argentina.

Reforming police practice in Scotland

This research led to fundamental reform in Scottish policing practice.

Good governance of Guthrie cards in Scotland

This project undertook a review of the Scottish Guthrie card collection and made recommendations about its effective governance and future uses.

Courtroom of the European Court of Human Rights

Rape narratives and credibility assessment

This project explored rape narratives and credibility assessment at the UK Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.