Public Lectures from the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

The Sixth Annual Wolfson Sir David Williams Law Society Event was held on 7 March 2026.
This Wolfson College Cambridge event featured two insightful panel discussions with distinguished law professionals; an afternoon tea and a formal dinner to conclude the day.
The event was primarily aimed at Wolfson Law and Criminology alumni, current students, and individuals working in the legal field.
Panel One: Environmental Regulation in the Era of Climate Change
Chair: Tugba Basaran (Wolfson College)
Speakers: Prof Surabhi Ranganathan (Lauterpacht Centre for International Law), Prof Avidan Kent (University of East Anglia), Róisín Finnegan (Barrister, Six Pump Court)

Panel Two: Is the Architecture of International Justice under threat?
Chair: Thomas Grant (Wolfson College)
Speakers: Prof Nicola Padfield (Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Penal Justice; Former Director, Cambridge Centre for Criminal Justice), Isuru Devendra (Barrister, 36 Stone), Marie-Anne Coninsx (first EU Ambassador to the Arctic 2017-2019)

For more information see: https://www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/about/events/sixth-annual-wolfson-sir-david-williams-law-society-event

The Sixth Annual Wolfson Sir David Williams Law Society Event was held on 7 March 2026.
This Wolfson College Cambridge event featured two insightful panel discussions with distinguished law professionals; an afternoon tea and a formal dinner to conclude the day.
The event was primarily aimed at Wolfson Law and Criminology alumni, current students, and individuals working in the legal field.
Panel One: Environmental Regulation in the Era of Climate Change
Chair: Tugba Basaran (Wolfson College)
Speakers: Prof Surabhi Ranganathan (Lauterpacht Centre for International Law), Prof Avidan Kent (University of East Anglia), Róisín Finnegan (Barrister, Six Pump Court)

Panel Two: Is the Architecture of International Justice under threat?
Chair: Thomas Grant (Wolfson College)
Speakers: Prof Nicola Padfield (Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Penal Justice; Former Director, Cambridge Centre for Criminal Justice), Isuru Devendra (Barrister, 36 Stone), Marie-Anne Coninsx (first EU Ambassador to the Arctic 2017-2019)

For more information see: https://www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/about/events/sixth-annual-wolfson-sir-david-williams-law-society-event

In this lecture, delivered at the 51st iteration of the Exploring Law Conference (ELC) at Cambridge, Lord Lloyd-Jones provides an expert overview of the United Kingdom's highest appellate bodies: the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
Key themes from the address include:
Constitutional Evolution: The 2005 transition from the "Law Lords" in the House of Lords to an independent Supreme Court, emphasising the separation of powers and increased transparency.
The Supreme Court's Mandate: The court acts as a final arbiter for "points of law of general public importance," deciding cases that shape the development of the law across the UK.
The Value of Dissent: A rigorous defence of the right to issue dissenting judgments, which Lord Lloyd-Jones argues enhances intellectual rigour and signals that the law is a living debate.
The Global Reach of the Privy Council: An exploration of its role as the final court of appeal for 29 overseas jurisdictions, highlighting its unique ability to apply local laws - from common law to the Napoleonic Code.
Constitutional Boundaries: A comparison between the UK’s principle of parliamentary sovereignty - where courts cannot strike down primary legislation - and other jurisdictions where the Privy Council may invalidate unconstitutional laws.

Lord Lloyd-Jones concludes by encouraging the next generation of "high fliers" to pursue careers in the law, promising a rewarding and intellectually stimulating path.
For more information about the Conference, see:
https://www.law.cam.ac.uk/access-outreach/exploring-law-conference

On 28 March 2026 CELS held a seminar event on 'The Rule of Law as a (dis)unifying Value in the European Legal Order?'.
Among the rule of law's many virtues is its capacity to provide a framework for deliberating competing ideas of justice, fairness and equality. Yet a value once widely shared is now increasingly contested in both status and meaning. The Centre held this event to explore these and related questions.
The seminar was structured around four core sub-themes. Each of these will begin with a 20-minute presentation followed by a facilitated discussion:
I:The Nature of Values in Supranational Legal Orders - Nabil H. Khabirpour (Video (YouTube) / Audio)
II: The Judiciary and the Rule of Law in Europe - Lord Justice Baker (Video (YouTube) / Audio)
III: The Rule of Law, the Market, and European Identity - Professor Catherine Barnard (Video (YouTube) / Audio)
IV: Enforcing the Rule of Law as a Value under EU Law - Professor Albertina Albors-Llorens (Video (YouTube) / Audio)

For more information see:
https://www.cels.law.cam.ac.uk/activities-archive

On 28 March 2026 CELS held a seminar event on 'The Rule of Law as a (dis)unifying Value in the European Legal Order?'.
Among the rule of law's many virtues is its capacity to provide a framework for deliberating competing ideas of justice, fairness and equality. Yet a value once widely shared is now increasingly contested in both status and meaning. The Centre held this event to explore these and related questions.
The seminar was structured around four core sub-themes. Each of these will begin with a 20-minute presentation followed by a facilitated discussion:
I:The Nature of Values in Supranational Legal Orders - Nabil H. Khabirpour (Video (YouTube) / Audio)
II: The Judiciary and the Rule of Law in Europe - Lord Justice Baker (Video (YouTube) / Audio)
III: The Rule of Law, the Market, and European Identity - Professor Catherine Barnard (Video (YouTube) / Audio)
IV: Enforcing the Rule of Law as a Value under EU Law - Professor Albertina Albors-Llorens (Video (YouTube) / Audio)

For more information see:
https://www.cels.law.cam.ac.uk/activities-archive