Our Research
Internationally renowned for legal research
Our academic research is respected internationally for its rigour and significance. We are committed to contributing, through the excellence of our research and policy work, to critical exploration of the role of law in promoting (or inhibiting) social justice. We take as the inspiration for our legal investigations core values such as equality and citizenship, participation and exclusion, vulnerability and social responsibility – whilst also reflecting upon how such values are themselves constructed and critiqued.
Our Department hosts eleven Research Clusters, which are crucial in supporting the building of external partnerships, providing a platform for knowledge exchange, and coordinating timely responses to current legal and policy developments:
- Charity Law and Policy Unit (CLPU)
- Critical Approaches to International Criminal Law (CAICL)
- EU Law at Liverpool
- European Children’s Rights Unit (ECRU)
- European Criminal Law Academic Network (ECLAN)
- Feminist Legal Research and Action Network (FRAN)
- Health Law and Regulation Unit (HLRU)
- International Law and Human Rights Unit (ILHRU)
- Law & Non-Communicable Diseases Unit (Law & NCD Unit)
- Liverpool Economic Governance Unit (LEGU)
- Liverpool UK Public Law Unit (LPLU)
Coronavirus research
Read about Coronavirus Research Projects - A number of new projects are being ESRC-funded within the School of Law and Social Justice, exploring areas such as the dangers of domestic abuse during lockdown, and how children's rights might be affected.
Research with impact
We strive to promote the social relevance and impact of our work – influencing public debate and policy at the local, national, European and international levels. Our research has engaged directly with a broad range of audiences beyond the purely academic: from legal practitioners and third sector organisations, to policymakers and legislators. The types of impact achieved are equally far-reaching and varied, directly informing legislative and policy developments at regional, national and international level, shaping procedural and institutional reforms, and informing judicial proceedings.
As well as fostering impact at the national and international levels, the Department has engaged with local stakeholders with a view to understanding and responding better to the needs of Liverpool. In 2012 and 2013, the Department secured full funding from a local charitable trust to create our Hodgson Doctoral Scholarships, supporting research projects that combine scholarly importance with local impact.