Socio-legal news
Welcome to the news section of the SLSA website. This area is divided into the following categories:
- Events
- Publications
- Research and funding
- Vacancies
- Consultations, inquiries and surveys
- Other announcements
If you would like an item added to the news section, please contact the
News
SLSA events
Reforming Legal and Policy Responses to Investigating and Prosecuting Sexual Violence, QUB
Disability and Rights: The possibilities and limits of rights discourse under neoliberalism, online: call for abstracts
Law, Drugs, and the Moving Body, Manchester
Other events
Book Discussion of Constructing Modern Slavery by Judy Fudge, King's College London
Summer School: A Terra Usque ad Astra – Heritage, human rights and space law, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow: call for participants
1885 and its Long Shadow: Sexual offences in historical context, online from the Open University: call for papers
A New Direction in Intellectual Property Treaty-making? Winning against the odds for human rights, equity, and indigenous peoples, University of Leeds
Asser-CSHR Online Summer Programme 2025: ‘International Sport and Human Rights', online from the Hague
PLP Public Law and Technology Conference, London
Publications
NILQ Reflections on Writing: Professor Niamh Nic Shuibhne, University of Edinburgh
Oxford Centre for Socio-Legal Studies Report 2023–2024 published
Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly: call for papers
Research and funding
DARE UK next-generation trusted research environment capabilities: call for applications
British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants: open for applications
Other
Legal Humanities Association: open for membership
Vacancies
Scientific Director, International Institute for the Sociology of Law, Oñati, Spain
The International Institute for the Sociology of Law (IISL) located in Oñati, Spain, is issuing a call through the Research Committee for the Sociology of Law (RCSL) of the International Sociological Association for expressions of interest for the position of Scientific Director. Outstanding scholars around the world working in the field of law and society are invited to submit an expression of interest. Closing date: 30 April 2025. See website for details.
UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships: open for applications
Applications are invited from early career researchers or innovators for funding to support ambitious research and innovation across UKRI’s remit. See website for details. Closing date: 18 June 2025.
REF 2029 Main and Sub-panel Recruitment: call for applications
The REF main and sub-panels are at the heart of the REF assessment process, and they bring together specialist expertise in each Unit of Assessment (UoA). Within the REF there are four main panels and 34 sub-panels. Applications are invited from individuals wishing to apply for these roles. Applicants must have the support of their employing organisation for their appointment, and applications welcomed from diverse groups. See website for details. Closing date: 28 April 2025
Barbara Huber Scholarship Program: Max Planck Institute – call for applications
The program is open to outstanding academics from foreign research institutions for particularly innovative research projects that contribute significantly to scientific progress through new perspective, questions, or findings in the subject areas of Criminology, Public Law, or Criminal Law. Each department may award one Barbara Huber Scholarship per calendar year. See website for details. Closing date: 30 May2025.
Consultations and surveys
Women, Peace and Security: Inquiry – call for evidence
The International Development Committee of the UK Parliament is launching a new inquiry into how the UK Government is involving the needs and voices of women in its development efforts. See website for details. Closing date: 22 April 2025.
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation: consultation
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation – commonly referred to as SLAPPs – have been widely recognised as a growing threat to freedom of expression and particularly, but not only, to civil society actors such as journalists, academics, environmental defenders, and authors. This Scottish Government consultation is open for submissions. See website for details. Closing date: 23 May 2025.
Legal Aid Inquiry: call for submissions
The Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament is looking at civil legal assistance (Civil Legal Aid and Advice and Assistance for civil justice issues) and grant funding for advice organisations. Submissions are currently open. See website for details. Closing date: 17 April 2025.
Use of Reasonable Force and Other Restrictive Interventions Guidance: Proposed amendments
The UK Department of Education is seeking views on the revised ‘Use of reasonable force and other restrictive interventions in schools’ guidance. See website for details. Closing date: 29 April 2025.
Other announcements
Legal Humanities Association launched
A new UK-based learned society, the Legal Humanities Association (LHA), has been set up and is open for membership.
The LHA is a new UK-based learned society, fostering a community dedicated to cultural understandings of law. The LHA is open for inaugural members to join and get involved and help shape the future of the legal humanities academic community. See flyer for details.
There will be an online inaugural event online in July 2025, which will include the first General Meeting at which members will vote in the LHA’s first Governance Committee. Any member can put themselves forward to join the Governance Committee or take up any of the officer roles, including Chair.
See website for full details. The Interim Committee invites you to share this call widely.
Two SLSA scholars elected as AcSS Fellows
The SLSA Board nominated two scholars to the AcSS for election as fellows in the latest round of appointments. We are delighted to announce that Helen Carr, Professor of Social Justice and Property Law, Southampton University, and Professor Emilie Cloatre, Professor of Medical Law, King’s College London, have both been elected as AcSS Fellows. See website for full details.
Academic Mentoring: Professor Didi Herman
Professor Didi Herman has retired from Kent Law School and is now offering confidential help to individuals and universities looking to improve scholarship for publication, mentoring, and the REF. See her website for details.
Professor Herman is now also offering expert consultancy to law schools for advance preparation for REF 2028.