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Access to Justice

Inquiry on Empirical Research in Law

Mon, 1 December 2003

On Monday 1 December the Launch took place at the Nuffield Foundation of a major Inquiry on Empirical Research in Law. The Inquiry has been established in response to growing concern within the academic and user community about a perceived dwindling of capacity to undertake rigorous empirical research in law. It seems that, while law is an increasingly important feature of modern life, we have a decreasing capacity to keep it under empirical examination.

On Monday 1 December the Launch took place at the Nuffield Foundation of a major Inquiry on Empirical Research in Law. The Inquiry has been established in response to growing concern within the academic and user community about a perceived dwindling of capacity to undertake rigorous empirical research in law. It seems that, while law is an increasingly important feature of modern life, we have a decreasing capacity to keep it under empirical examination.

The year-long Inquiry, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, will include the publication and wide dissemination of a consultation document; regional meetings to discuss the issues raised in the consultation document; and original research on academic careers, training opportunities and comparative capacity issues. A series of seminars on emerging issues will precede the Final Report and Recommendations, due to be published at the end of 2004.

The Inquiry is being guided by a distinguished Steering Committee from a wide range of backgrounds. The Committee will be chaired by Professor Martin Partington CBE while the day to day work of the Inquiry will be led by Professor Hazel Genn, Faculty of Laws, University College London, and Professor Sally Wheeler, School of Law, Birkbeck College.

Last Updated Wed, 7 April 2004