Personal statement

THE LAW SCHOOL

Professor Norrie started his academic career as a medical lawyer and his early publications are all in that field.  Since moving to Strathclyde in 1990 his interest in Family Law has predominated and his major specialisms within that field are child protection and same-sex relationships.  He remains involved in teaching and research projects in most Private Law areas, including property, delict and International Private Law.  He has written widely in these fields and in legal history.  He has been heavily involved in law reform, acting as Parliamentary Advisor for the Family Law (Scotland) Bill in 2005, the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill in 2006 and the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Bill in 2010.  In addition he has given evidence to the Scottish Parliament for every subsequent family law bill.  He has also acted as expert legal adviser to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, producing in 2018 a detailed report on the legislative provisions regulating the care of children away from their families from the late 19th century to the present day (this report being published on their website), and giving verbal evidence to the Inquiry on four occasions.

Professor Norrie is heavily involved in professional training events for solicitors, social workers, children's panel members and (via the Judicial Institute) sheriffs and judges.

Professor Norrie continues to see himself as a private law generalist and is proud to put teaching at the centre of all he does, including writing and research.  He believes that academic lawyers have an obligation to write for students, the legal profession, policy-makers, legislators, and the wider academic community - in that order.  His research work is almost exclusively doctrinal as opposed to empirical.