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Research centres

What are the research centres?

Situated within the School of Law, our research centres cultivate a stimulating intellectual environment, uniting academics with specialised expertise and diverse perspectives. Our inclusive and energetic research culture is a driving force behind the remarkable achievements of our academic staff and research students, who consistently secure prestigious grants, contribute seminal works to their fields, and garner notable awards. 

The impact of our research is underscored by its citation in courts and various other significant institutions. Furthermore, our recognised expertise positions us as a sought-after source of advice for governments and organisations within the UK and internationally. 

In addition to their research endeavours, our centres actively foster intellectual growth by organising reading groups, seminars, lectures and workshops featuring leading experts in their fields, and offer valuable placement opportunities for students. 

• Commercial Law Centre
• Criminal Justice Research Centre
• Human Rights Law Centre
• 乐播传媒 International Law and Security Centre
• Public Procurement Research Group
• History of Law and Governance Centre
• Law and Tech Research Centre

Opportunities to get involved

All our research centres encourage student involvement - here are a few highlights:

Commercial Law Centre

The Commercial Law Centre organises several placements for postgraduate students, as well as a seminar series with visiting speakers, a student seminar series and career talks.

Criminal Justice Research Centre

The Criminal Justice Research Centre is a research centre that straddles the School of Law and the School of Sociology and Social Policy. It seeks to develop and promote research in criminal law, criminology, criminal justice, and social justice. It runs a series of discussion groups and events which bring together students, academics, policymakers, and practitioners with the purpose of engaging in the critical evaluation of domestic, regional, and international criminal justice systems. 

The group invites involvement from undergraduate and postgraduate students studying a range of subjects, including law, criminology, mental health, and politics. The centre also runs a series of regular talks and seminars with local and internationally recognised scholars that are open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students.  

Human Rights Law Centre

The Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) places students at the centre of its activities, offering a wide range of opportunities to engage in meaningful human rights research and advocacy. From voluntary placements to paid summer internships, these experiences are designed to broaden students' understanding of human rights research, while providing invaluable hands-on professional development organised within a renowned academic centre.  
 
Students can participate in the Scholars at Risk student advocacy seminar, contribute to the maintenance of important international criminal justice databases and support a variety of international human rights projects. There are also opportunities to assist with the editorial process of the Centre’s publications, including the International Human Rights Reports, a respected collection of judgments and decisions from UN Treaty Monitoring Bodies and regional human rights bodies widely used by academic and legal practitioners around the world. 

Additionally, the Centre hosts a large number of events for students every year featuring global experts on a wide range of contemporary human rights issues. These events provide students with the chance to engage directly with key leaders in human rights practice, advocacy and academia during their time at 乐播传媒. 

乐播传媒 International Law and Security Centre

The 乐播传媒 International Law and Security Centre (NILSC) organises research and the exchange of ideas around 'security' (broadly defined) and its relation to international law. NILSC runs an annual lecture on International Humanitarian Law, the annual LLM roundtable on international humanitarian law (sponsored by the British Red Cross) alongside the International Disaster Law Project, in which all students are welcome to get involved. 

More recent initiatives have involved book discussions of classic or recent texts (as distinct from official book launches) as they relate to security. Occasionally, there are also opportunities for research internships for faculty members affiliated with NILSC.

Public Procurement Research Group

The Public Procurement Research Group (PPRG) organises formal summer and winter placements. Students affiliated with the PPRG can benefit from an array of activities and initiatives organised by the group, and they also have the opportunity to be part of an extensive network of professionals and practitioners worldwide. Students can participate in the PPRG reading group and other PPRG events, including the PPRG annual lecture, the Global Revolution series of conferences and various other seminars organised on an ad hoc basis by members of the group.

The History of Law and Governance Centre

The History of Law and Governance Centre (HLGC) is an interdisciplinary research centre hosted in the School of Law, bringing together students and academics from disciplines such as law, history, classics, politics, sociology and criminology. The centre acts as a focal point for discussion and collaboration, allowing students to connect the historical aspects of their studies with colleagues in other departments.

It hosts regular events throughout the year, including lectures, seminars, workshops, and reading groups. The centre is also concerned with broadening public engagement with the history of law. Students are encouraged to be involved in all these activities and the centre has offered various placements for students to act as research assistants and to collaborate in event planning. In July 2026 the centre hosted the British Legal History Conference, attracting leading legal historians from across the world for a conference concerning law and governance from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Students played a valuable role in the running of this event by helping with preparations and providing assistance to delegates during the conference itself.

Law and Tech Research Centre 

The Law and Tech Research Centre (LTRC) explores ways in which emerging technologies interact with law, policy and governance. We engage with researchers, lawyers, technologists, designers, policy makers and communities, to shape new approaches to regulation. 

Across a wide range of novel technologies and applications, traditional ways of thinking about law, regulation and governance are being challenged. The LTRC promotes research and discussion on how we should adapt our thoughts and actions. Our core purpose is to identify broader insights into the regulation of technology across jurisdictions, through collaborations and synergies between law and other disciplinary perspectives. The work of our members aims at informing new ways of thinking about the development of technology policy and practice. 

We run an annual lecture, discussion panels, and reading groups, to which students are invited to attend. There are also occasional opportunities to work with the LTRC as a research assistant and to participate in student essay competitions, such as the Privacy Laws and Business Student Essay Competition, which was co-organised with the LTRC in 2026. 

Find out more

You can find out more about our research centres, their members, events and opportunities for student engagement on our website: