Each academic year the School of Law organises and hosts a series of research seminars presented by prominent external researchers. The Research Seminar Series aims to foster and sustain the School’s excellent research environment. It provides an opportunity for the guest speakers to share, engage with, and build upon a research piece whether at an embryonic or advanced stage of development. The research focus of the seminars ensures that they are always innovative and up-to-date within the ever-changing legal sphere. This is particularly important to help our students advance because it provides an opportunity for them not only to learn outside of the standard curriculum but also to start important conversations and form valuable networks for their future careers.
During the 2019/2020 academic year the School hosted a number of prominent speakers, each contributing to create a diverse and fascinating series of Research Seminars. Highlights include a talk given by Professor Frankie McCarthy, who was recently appointed to the Scottish Law Commission on a full-time basis until October 2024. The title of the seminar was ‘Enforcement of heritable securities in Scotland: reforming the law’. Professor McCarthy talked about the Scottish Law Commission’s project on reform of the law of heritable securities. The seminar provided an update on the current status of the project, drawing out some of the difficulties arising from the consultation responses to the first Discussion Paper on pre-default issues, and looked ahead to the second Discussion Paper on enforcement.
Professor Randall S. Abate, a professor at Monmouth University (USA), discussed the effects climate change has on future generations, wildlife, and natural resources – arguably the most vulnerable and least equipped to protect themselves against its impact. The talk proposed how the law can evolve to protect their interests more effectively through a stewardship-focused and rights-based system derived from the mandate inherent in the concept of sustainable development. The seminar ‘Climate Change and the Voiceless: Protecting Future Generations, Wildlife, and Natural Resources’ was drawn from Professor Abate's book by the same title, which was published by Cambridge University Press in October 2019.
Dr. Janan Al-Asady’s presentation was based on her book ‘Iraq’s Oil and Gas Industry’, providing a brief outline and overview of comparative contracts against the backdrop of those historically used in Iraq’s oil sector. Dr. Al-Asady is a dual-qualified barrister with over 10 years of experience in providing practical, commercial solutions for a range of contractual and regulatory issues. In addition to her professional practice, Dr. Al-Asady has doctoral expertise in upstream oil contracts, governance, legislation, and policy with a Ph.D. attained in 2017 at SOAS, London.
Professor Claus Kreß is a Professor of International Law and Criminal Law. He holds the Chair for German and International Criminal Law and he is the Director of the Institute of International Peace and Security Law at the University of Cologne. His prior practice was in the German Federal Ministry of Justice on matters of criminal law and international law. Professor Kreß’s seminar, ‘The Fine Line between Collective Self-Defence and Intervention by Invitation’ showed that the use of force against ‘IS’ in Syria has refined the line between the right of collective self-defence in reaction to a non-State armed attack and the legal title to military intervention by invitation of the territorial State.
For a full list of the Seminars Presented at the School of Law in the academic year 2019/2020 please visit our dedicated Research Seminar webpage.
The School of Law would like to thank all of our guest speakers for participating in the Research Seminar Series and presenting their work which contributed to the excellent research environment cultivated at the School.
We are looking forward to continuing the Seminar Series in the upcoming academic year. Keep an eye on the Events section of the Law School website for details.
