Constitutional and administrative law are the areas of law which establish and regulate the institutions of government within states. They also encompass the internal governance of supranational legal orders such as the European Union. They are increasingly concerned with the relationship between internal and external legal norms and the interaction between multiple layers of government within and beyond states.
This is an exciting and fast-moving part of the law. It deals with issues which are often of high political controversy, as well as raising fundamental theoretical questions about the relationship between law and politics, and the legitimate foundations and scope of legal and political authority.
Staff and PhD students in the School of Law undertake wide-ranging research in Scottish, UK and comparative constitutional and administrative law. Staff are able to offer supervision in most areas of domestic public law and some areas of comparative public law, including, but not limited to the specific topics listed below. The School also holds regular events on constitutional and administrative law topics, including under the auspices of the Scottish Constitutional Futures Forum.
Our key staff
Genevieve’s research examines the adherence of counter-terrorism law to constitutional norms, in particular the rule of law, human rights and accountability.
Chris's research interests cover three strands:
- constitutional law, theory and history as it applies to Scotland and the United Kingdom
- the theory and practice of administrative law in Scotland and across the UK
- the intersection between legal and political theory, with a particular interest in the work of Hannah Arendt
PhD students
- Dr Natasha Buontempo - Thesis title: ‘The Principle of Proportionality in European and Comparative Perspective’
- Ms Erin Ferguson - Thesis title: ‘The Impact of Privatisation on Freedom of Information in the United States and Scotland’
- Mr Colin Hamilton - Thesis title: ‘Human Rights and Devolution in Scotland and their Impact on Scots Criminal Law’
