PUBLICATIONS
In this section we feature the latest socio-legal publications, including books, journals and reports, blogs, newsletters and other online resources.
If you would like your publication added to this page, please contact Marie Selwood.
SOCIO-LEGAL BOOKS
The Palimpsest Constitution: The Social Life of Constitutions in Myanmar
Since the mid-20th century, many postcolonial states have engaged in multiple constitution-making exercises, with the turnover in written constitutions often due to coups or internal conflict. Conversely, people have resisted authoritarian rule through alternative constitution-making. The reality…
Law and Justice in the 1950s: Case Studies From a Neglected Decade
edited by Fiona Cownie and Rosemary Auchmuty
Written for historians and legal specialists alike, this book reveals the stories behind the laws of 1950s England and Wales. Drawing on a range of fascinating case studies, it examines the social, political and economic contexts surrounding…
Law and Humanities: paperback edition
edited by Russell Sandberg and Daniel Newman
In the last thirty to forty years, interdisciplinary scholarship on law has significantly increased. Law has a number of different potential disciplinary bedfellows. It can be seen as a social science but also as part of the…
Great Debates on the European Convention on Human Rights
by Fiona de Londras and Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou
The 2nd edition of Great Debates on the European Convention on Human Rights encourages deep and critical engagement with the Convention, the Court, and the European system for human rights protection.
Use code GLR BD8 for 20%…
Medical Negligence and the Duty to Advise: Beyond Autonomy
Kumaralingam Amirthalingam
The emphasis on autonomy has distorted orthodox negligence principles, contributing to uncertainty amongst healthcare professionals while eroding trust in the doctor-patient relationship. This work takes the current discourse beyond autonomy – which focuses on the rights of…
Technology, Health, and Law in Life and Death : Before the Cradle to Beyond the Grave
edited by Neera Bhatia
This book brings together leading global scholars to examine the legal, ethical, and social implications of biotechnological innovations in healthcare throughout the lifecycle — from the potential of life being formed outside the womb to the possibility…
JOURNALS AND REPORTS
The Impact of ‘Safe Country’ Concepts on Women Seeking Asylum in the UK
This report draws together insights from a roundtable, hosted by Women in Refugee Law (WiRL) Network and Asylos, including discussion of:
The use of ‘safe country’ concepts in the UK
The role of country of origin information in ‘safe country’ assessments
Concerns about the…
UK Poverty 2026: The Essential Guide to Understanding Poverty in the UK
Published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, read the annual state of the nation report, UK Poverty 2026. The report, which accounts for the time just before the current government took power and clearly shows the depth of the problem and the scale of the…
Special Issue of the International Sports Law Journal: 'Empowering Athletes’ Human Rights' – just published
What is the current landscape of athletes' human rights? How should athletes' rights be understood in their various roles as workers, politicised citizens or as private individuals? How can human rights framework and sport body policies address future challenges to athlete rights? These are…
Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly: new 'Reflections on Writing' by Maksymilian Del Mar
Maksymilian Del Mar, Queen Mary University of London, has written the sixteenth article in this series (and the first in NILQ volume 77). In his wide-ranging contribution, he offers the thought that the three key ingredients for a writer are 'time, community and experiment'.…
Special issue of PRACTICE: Contemporary Issues in Practitioner Education: call for abstracts
This special issue of PRACTICE: Contemporary Issues in Practitioner Education explores how belonging (or exclusion) is lived, enacted or reimagined within the development of legal education and associated professional learning across contemporary undergraduate, postgraduate and professional education. The deadline for abstracts is 17 May…
Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly: Special issue on 'Reform of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement' – just published
The special issue, edited by Katie A Johnston, University of Liverpool, came out of a workshop held at the University of Liverpool in April 2024 which brought together academics and practitioners from the UK, Ireland and beyond, to discuss ‘Legal Aspects of Reform…
Amicus Curiae: call for papers
Amicus Curiae, the official Journal of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies, published by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, is open for submissions. The journal serves as a lively and informative publication for raising and exploring important legal issues. Contributors over recent years…
Stripped: The Citizenship Divide: Runnymede Trust report
New research exposes racist reality of UK citizenship stripping laws that place 3 in 5 people of colour are at risk. See website for details and to read the full report.
System Overload: A Report on Family Legal Aid
This Bar Council report has examined the changing conditions of publicly funded work for family legal aid barristers. It reveals that many would leave family legal aid ‘in a heartbeat’.
UKRI publishes corporate plan 2025 to 2026
This corporate plan update sets the UKRI's ambitions, new objectives and key results for 2025 to 2026, and explains how they will be delivered through its allocation from the 2024 spending review. See website for details.
Amicus Curiae 7.1 published including special sections from the Queer Judgments Project and IALS LHub
The latest issue of the open access journal Amicus Curiae has been edited by Dr Maria Federica Moscati. Among its wide-ranging content it features a special section on the Queer Judgments Project, edited by Katie Jukes and Alex Powell, and another on Law’s Spaces and…
Progressing Inclusivity in the Social Sciences: Showcasing the Positive Impact of the Academy’s Joint EDI Project
The Academy of Social Sciences has published a short report highlighting the outputs from its joint EDI Project in partnership with its member societies and the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council.
Visit the website for further details.
Publishing Futures: new report from Cambridge University Press
Earlier this year Cambridge University Press conducted a radical, community-led review of the open research publishing ecosystem. The aim was to identify bold, workable solutions that support innovation and meet the evolving needs of all stakeholders. The findings of the review have now been…
Life in the Law 2025: report published
From January to March 2025, LawCare surveyed individuals and organisations across the sector about how working in law is affecting mental health and wellbeing.
Life in the Law 2025 sets out practical steps towards a healthier future and shows how, with strong leadership and…
Nuffield Family Justice Observatory: report and briefing paper
The Nuffield FJO has published a report and supporting briefing paper exploring lessons that the family justice system could learn from the way data is used in the youth justice system. It also published a briefing paper examining the patterns around the increasing number…
BLOGS, NEWSLETTERS AND OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES
Latest from Frontiers of Socio-legal Studies: Legal Ethics Across Borders
In this week's Frontiers of Socio-Legal Studies, Dr Trevor Clark reviews Christopher Whelan’s book, Lawyers on Trial: Hired Guns or Heroes? (Hart 2024). Read the full article here, which is published as part of the blog's A Good Read section.
AcSS Policy Monitor: UK open consultations
Read the latest Policy Monitor to see and respond to the summary of latest consultations across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Catch up on all seasons of the We Society podcast from the AcSS
The aim of the We Society podcast is to highlight the thousands of ways the social sciences can help us understand and enhance this complicated and fascinating human network.
All nine seasons are available on the website. Series 10 starts in March.
British Academy: Response to the resuming of REF2029
On 10 December, the Academy responded to the announcements surrounding the resuming of REF2029, following a three-month pause on the final guidance and criteria-setting of the exercise.
See website for the full response.
British Academy: Response to the Office for Students' consultation on quality regulation
In early December, the Academy responded to the Office for Students' latest consultation on quality regulation, including proposed changes to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
Centre for Climate Law & Governance series: Regulation in the Climate Era – invitation for contributions
Contributions are invited that address the challenges and questions arising at the intersection of climate change and governance. This initiative welcomes contributors from academia, government, consultancy, NGOs, think tanks, businesses, and international organisations. The series is hosted by the Centre for Climate Law and Governance at the School of Law, King’s College London.
Support Through Court: 25th Anniversary Newsletter
Support Through Court is a charity training volunteers to offer essential emotional and practical assistance to those navigating court without lawyer.
See the 25th anniversary pages for details.
Four Bars: Joint Statement on Jury Trials in England and Wales
The Four Bars – Bar Council of England & Wales, The Bar of Ireland, The Bar of Northern Ireland – have issued a joint statement on the Government's proposals to restrict the right to a jury trial.
See press release for details.
Support Through Court Blog: 'New Rights for Renters: Including an End to No-Fault Evictions'
The new Renters’ Rights Bill became law on 25 October 2025 and will come into force on 1 May 2026. This law aims to comprehensively improve conditions and protections for the 11 million people living in private rented accommodation in England. Read the full blog for details.
Nuffield Foundation: latest newsletter
Find out about the Nuffield Foundation's latest news, research and funding opportunities. See webpage for details.
Institute for Law and AI: latest news
The Institute for Law and AI is an independent thinktank based in Boston MA. See webpage for the latest newsletter.
Judicial Appointments Commission – latest newsletter
Read the latest update from the JAC in its December newsletter: Judging Your Future.
Bar Council response to regulatory proposals in December 2025
The Bar Council has responded to HM Treasury's proposals relating to anti-money laundering and the Legal Ombudsman's business plan and budget.
See press release for details.
National Centre for Research Methods: Methods News January 2026
In this edition, you'll find details of an AI spring school, announcements about free learning resources on a huge range of topics and a full listing of the NCRM's 2026 training courses.