Department of Law

The Glasgow Caledonian University Department of Law is a dynamic group of 36 academics and postgraduate students, delivering innovative teaching, learning and research programmes as part of the School of Law and Social Sciences.
With staff and students drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds, we retain strong links with the legal profession, industry and commerce. We have a particularly strong identity as a provider of legal education in the West of Scotland, based on our sound pedagogical approach to teaching and the quality of our graduates. Teaching and research in the Department of Law also capitalises on our local and international resources, including links with the Middle East, Czech Republic, Greece, Australia and New Zealand.
Our research submission to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise found “in the outputs submitted, significant evidence of at least internationally excellent quality” and that our research environment is “capable of supporting significant research activity of at least internationally recognised quality”. This places the Glasgow Caledonian University Department of Law in advance of a number of comparable law departments in Scotland.

Study at the Department of Law

We place a strong emphasis on innovative, technology-based learning. This enables our graduates to go on to rewarding careers in the legal profession or other employment where clarity of thought, articulate expression, and a practical approach are highly valued.
Our Bachelor of Law degree (LLB) is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland and can be taken on a full-time (3 years) or part-time (6 years) basis. For graduates of other disciplines we also offer a Fast Track LLB programme which can be taken as a full-time (2 years) or part-time (4 years) course. Other programmes offered include the BA (Hons) Business Law, BA (Hons) Criminology and BA (Hons) Legal Studies.
For students looking to develop particular specialities, we also offer a range of LLM programmes including European Law, European and International Law, European and International Trade Law, and International Contracting.
Traditional Doctor of Philosophy degrees by research are available to suitable graduates, and for established legal and related professionals we also offer Professional Doctorates. The Professional Doctorate programme has been newly designed to support the personal, vocational and intellectual development of professionals, equipping them to take demanding leadership roles in an era of joint based practice.
Our teaching programmes reflect the commitment of the Department of Law to engage with the legal profession and related disciplines, to produce sound, practical and innovative legal graduates.

Research at the Department of Law

Research within the Department is conducted in collaboration with a wide range of UK and international bodies, including other universities, government departments, legal practitioners and private industry. Overall, our research programme focuses on three core areas:
1. International law (Islamic law, people trafficking, state aggression, state responsibility, citizenship);
2. Society and Justice (Innocence project, miscarriages of justice, media law, juries, expert evidence, sexual offences, gender in law, professional legal structures and IT); and
3. Private law (corporate law, delict, company law).

We are actively involved in the membership of several journal Editorial Boards including Juridical Review, Greens Business Law Bulletin, Scottish Universities Law Review, International Review of Law Computers and Technology and Communication Law Review. Department of Law staff have also produced or contributed to leading textbooks used in legal education and by the legal profession, to notable acclaim.
We promote continuous publication by staff and graduate students, and have made authoritative contributions to current debates on Corporate Culpable Homicide, Mental Health, Women in the Legal Profession, the Law of Evidence and the use of Expert Witnesses, Delict, Employment, Constitutional Law, Public Law, European Union Law, Media Law, Company Law, International Contract Law, Islamic and Middle Eastern Law, International law, Human Rights and the use of State Force.
In addition to individual research programmes, the Department of Law is committed to promoting cross-disciplinary and cross-institution research. We have strong links with the Institute for Society and Social Justice, the Institute for Health and Wellbeing, the Glasgow Centre for the Study of Violence (GCSV), the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR), and the Centre for the Social History of Health and Healthcare (CSHHH).

For further information relating to the Department, or teaching/learning in Law, please contact:

Mr Aidan O'Donnell
Head of Division School of Law and Social Sciences
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow G4 0BA
+44 (0) 141 331 3423
A.ODonnell@gcu.ac.uk

For further information relating to the Research activities of the Department of Law, please contact:
Dr Chris Nottingham
Associate Dean of Research
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow G4 0BA
+44 (0)141 331 3428
Hilary.Tennant@gcu.ac.uk