Graduate School

Law research overview

At the School of Law, based at the Portsmouth Business School, we are committed to a research strategy that underpins our teaching and builds on the research interests of our law staff. This in turn ensures that we can give high quality support to our undergraduate and postgraduate students when they engage in their legal research.

Our researchers sit on the editorial boards of several journals and have published in well regarded journals such as European Journal of International Law, International and Comparative Law Quarterly, Journal of World Energy and Business Law. They regularly present papers at major conferences including the Society of Legal Scholars and the Association of Law Teachers.

For more information about how to apply please contact the Portsmouth Business School using the Contact us page.

If you have any questions about studying for a research degree at the University of Portsmouth, please complete our enquiry form.

Key Facts

RAE rating:  At the Research Assessement Exercise (RAE) 2008, our Law researchers submitted their work with the Business and Management unit of assessment (UoA 36)..  Among the 90 British universities submitting work in this UoA, the Portsmouth Business School submitted the 15th largest number of research active staff and was 27th on a weighted quality-basis, placing it as the highest south coast university in the UK and the highest modern university in this category.

Academic staff: 21, please see link to staff list webpage.

Postgraduate research students: 12

Internal links: The School of Law has close research links with the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies (ICJS) and the security cluster at the Centre for European Studies and International Research (CEISR). Several members of staff collaborate regularly at the University of Portsmouth's Forensics forum.

External links: The School of Law has strong affiliations with business and the community, with roots in practice and policy.  Our law students have been working in partnership with community-based organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Trading Standards Agency and Portsmouth Mediation.

The School houses the University of Portsmouth's Innocence Project, which is part of a network of student-led projects investigating miscarriages of justice (INUK).  We have established a live law clinic and we are also developing a consumer law clinic in partnership with the local Trading Standards Agency.

Some members of our staff are involved as expert/specialist members in various international professional organisations such as International Chamber of Commerce Institute of World Business Law; International Committee on International Commercial Arbitration of International Law Association; European Court of Arbitration, Strasbourg; Swiss Arbitration Association; the Institute of Transnational Arbitration, USA; the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London. Some members have served on international editorial boards of many prestigious legal periodicals.

Research-led Knowledge Transfer: The Commonwealth Secretariat, London, the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, USA and governments of several countries seek legal advice and draw on specialist research expertise in the field of international law, international energy & natural resources law and dispute resolution from some members of our School of Law.

Resources

The School of Law has a mock court room with adjoining jury retiring room and interview rooms with state of the art IT facilities to provide staff and students with the opportunity to undertake realistic court based activities and gain experience of advocacy, civil and criminal procedure. Please visit our court room hire webpage for a detailed description of available facilities together with photographs of the court room.

Research Areas

International and Business Law Research Group

The International and Business Law Research group engages in national and European business law and also in the broad field of international law with special focus on world business. The researchers in the group have published in highly reputable international legal periodicals research articles on various aspects including: international commercial arbitration; international contract law; international economic development; agreements and applicable law; international alternative dispute resolution; protection of foreign investment in international law; international energy and natural resources contracts; international energy law; global economic governance and law; international sustainable development law; corporate governance; company law; human rights; employment law; industrial relation and tort.

Clinical Legal Education Research Group

Our researchers are  undertaking innovative work in this area, especially the pedagogy of learning through experience as well as the theory of teaching students to reflect. The School has recently established five research clusters to enhance its research strength in the following areas:

• Access to justice and clinical legal education
• Data protection
• Employment and discrimination law
• Human rights
• International European and comparative law