The Humanity of Law

The focus of the Information Law and Policy Centre’s work at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) is law and regulation relating to the control and flow of data and media, but we are also concerned with the ‘humanity’ of law.

The Centre is exploring two interrelated aspects of the humanity of law: the place of law as a discipline in the arts and humanities and the humanity of those partaking in legal processes.

To this end, the Centre has been involved in a number of IALS events that have explored the ‘human side’ of legal work including ‘Judgecraft and Emotions’ and ‘The Humanity of Barristers: Stories from the Bar’.

The IALS has also hosted an exhibition of drawings from the UK Supreme Court and other courts which provide an artist’s perspective on the human participants involved in legal proceedings.

IALS Resources

  • Humanity of Barristers Event, video archives of a public event which explored how barristers perform their role, manage their own personal beliefs and emotions, formulate ethical approaches and balance their own humanity with the complexity of their task in representing others. Including Dr Justine Rogers (University of New South Wales), Professor Andy Boon (City Law School, City University), Robin Howard (Barrister, 1 Gray’s Inn Square), Mavis Maclean CBE, (Faculty of Law, University of Oxford and Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple), Caoilfhionn Gallagher, (Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers), London, UK, 19 November 2015.

External Resources

  • Balkin, J.M. and S. Levinson (2006), Law & the humanities: an uneasy relationship. Daedalus, 135 (2), pp. 105-115.
  • Watt, G. (2011), ‘Hard cases, hard times and the humanity of law’ in Bate, J. (ed.) The Public Value of The Humanities (Bloomsbury Academic), 197-207.
  • Williams, I., Drawing from an Uncomfortable Position, Blog documenting the artist’s work sketching scenes from UK Courts.

Past IALS Events

  • The Body of Law: An Exhibition of Drawings by Isobel Williams, an exhibition of drawings at Senate House, sketched from the public seats of the Supreme Court with the court’s permission, and other locations, IALS, London, UK, Summer 2016.
  • Judgecraft and Emotions, an informal conversation between two judges – one from the UK, one from Germany – reflecting on their professional experiences and, in particular, the emotional dimension to their work. With Dr Ruth Herz (School of Law, Birkbeck, University of London) and Ann McAllister (Recorder and full time Adjudicator to the Land Registry), Chaired by Professor Lisa Webley (Professor of Empirical Legal Studies at the University of Westminster), London, UK, 21 April 2016.
  • The Humanity of Barristers, a public event which explored how barristers perform their role, manage their own personal beliefs and emotions, formulate ethical approaches and balance their own humanity with the complexity of their task in representing others. Including Dr Justine Rogers (University of New South Wales), Professor Andy Boon (City Law School, City University), Robin Howard (Barrister, 1 Gray’s Inn Square), Mavis Maclean CBE, (Faculty of Law, University of Oxford and Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple), Caoilfhionn Gallagher, (Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers), IALS event for Being Human Festival, London, UK, November 2015.
  • The Humanity of Judging, a public event organised in conjunction with the UK Supreme Court for the Being Human Festival. A panel of experts discussed various aspects of the humanity of judges and their work. With Alexandra Marks (Deputy High Court Judge), Dr Lawrence McNamara, (Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law), Professor Leslie Moran, (School of Law, Birkbeck, University of London), Professor Erika Rackley, Birmingham Law School), London, UK, November 2014.