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Law Thesis Topics

This page provides a comprehensive list of law thesis topics , designed to assist students in navigating the broad and intricate field of legal studies. Choosing the right thesis topic is crucial for every law student, as it not only contributes to their academic success but also helps in shaping their future career paths. The list encompasses a wide range of specialized areas within the law, including but not limited to administrative law, corporate law, criminal justice, and human rights law. Each category is rich with potential research questions that reflect current challenges and emerging trends in the legal landscape. This resource aims to inspire and support students by providing them with a vast array of topics, thereby facilitating an informed and focused approach to their thesis writing endeavors.

1000 Law Thesis Topics and Ideas

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• The impact of administrative reforms on government efficiency in the 21st century.
• Examining the role of public consultation in administrative decision-making processes.
• The effectiveness of ombudsman institutions in resolving public grievances: A comparative study.
• Legal challenges in implementing electronic governance and digitalization of administrative services.
• The influence of political change on administrative law reforms.
• Judicial review of administrative actions: Balancing government discretion and citizen rights.
• The evolution of administrative law under the pressure of emergency health responses (e.g., COVID-19).
• Privacy rights versus state security: Where should the line be drawn in administrative policies?
• The role of administrative law in combating climate change: Case studies from around the world.
• The effectiveness of administrative penalties in regulating corporate behavior.
• Transparency and accountability in public procurement processes.
• Comparative analysis of administrative law systems in federal and unitary states.
• The role of administrative law in shaping public health policies.
• Administrative law and its impact on minority rights protections.
• The challenge of maintaining administrative justice in times of political instability.
• Legal mechanisms for citizen participation in the administrative rule-making process.
• The future of administrative litigation: Trends and predictions.
• Impact of international law on national administrative law procedures.
• Administrative law’s response to socio-economic disparities.
• The use of artificial intelligence in administrative decision-making: Legal and ethical implications.
• Balancing efficiency and fairness in administrative adjudication.
• The role of administrative agencies in environmental conservation.
• Regulatory challenges in the administration of emerging technologies.
• The impact of globalization on national administrative law practices.
• Administrative law as a tool for social reform.
• Corruption and administrative law: Safeguards and pitfalls.
• Administrative discretion and its limits in democratic societies.
• The intersection of administrative law and human rights.
• The administrative burden of tax law enforcement and compliance.
• Public access to information: Evaluating legal frameworks in different jurisdictions.
• The role of whistleblowers in the administrative state: Protection versus persecution.
• Outsourcing government services: Legal ramifications and oversight.
• Legal standards for emergency powers of administrative agencies.
• Administrative law and the management of public lands.
• Challenges in regulatory enforcement against multinational corporations.
• The impact of administrative decisions on small businesses.
• Legal remedies for administrative injustices: Are they sufficient?
• The influence of lobbying on administrative rule-making.
• The role of the judiciary in shaping administrative law.
• The future of public administration: Predicting changes in law and policy.
• The legal implications of blockchain technology in banking and finance.
• An analysis of regulatory approaches to cryptocurrency in major global economies.
• The role of law in preventing financial crises: Lessons learned from past financial collapses.
• Legal challenges in implementing digital currencies by central banks.
• Consumer protection in online banking: Evaluating current legal frameworks.
• The impact of Brexit on the banking and finance laws in the UK and EU.
• Regulatory responses to financial innovation: Balancing innovation and consumer protection.
• Legal strategies for combating money laundering in the international banking sector.
• The influence of international sanctions on banking and financial transactions.
• Legal issues surrounding the securitization of assets.
• The role of legal frameworks in fostering sustainable banking practices.
• The enforcement of banking regulations against systemic risk.
• Legal aspects of banking insolvencies and their impact on the global economy.
• The evolution of consumer credit laws and their impact on the banking industry.
• The effectiveness of anti-corruption regulations in the banking sector.
• Legal considerations in the management of cross-border banking operations.
• The regulation of shadow banking systems and their legal implications.
• Legal challenges faced by fintech companies in the banking sector.
• The role of law in addressing disparities in access to banking services.
• Legal frameworks for banking privacy and data protection in the age of digital banking.
• The impact of artificial intelligence on regulatory compliance in banking.
• Legal aspects of risk management in banking: Current practices and future directions.
• The legalities of banking for high-risk clients: Balancing business and regulatory requirements.
• The enforcement of Basel III standards in developing countries.
• Legal issues related to bank mergers and acquisitions.
• The regulation of international investment and its impact on banking laws.
• Legal challenges in microfinancing: Protecting both lenders and borrowers.
• The implications of non-performing loans on banking law and policy.
• Banking dispute resolution: The effectiveness of arbitration and mediation.
• The legal framework for Islamic banking and finance: Comparison with Western banking laws.
• The role of the judiciary in shaping banking laws and practices.
• The future of banking regulation: Predicting changes post-global pandemic.
• Legal frameworks governing venture capital and its role in economic development.
• Regulatory challenges in mobile and electronic payment systems.
• The impact of interest rate regulations on banking profitability and lending practices.
• Legal approaches to combat insider trading in the banking sector.
• The role of legal systems in shaping corporate governance in banks.
• Legal provisions for the protection of minority shareholders in banks.
• Regulatory frameworks for derivatives: Balancing risk and innovation.
• The role of international law in governing global banking practices.
• The impact of global trade agreements on domestic commercial laws.
• Legal challenges in e-commerce: Consumer rights and seller responsibilities.
• The enforcement of international commercial contracts: Comparative legal analysis.
• Intellectual property rights in the digital age: Protecting innovations while fostering competition.
• Legal frameworks for cross-border e-commerce transactions.
• The role of commercial law in supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
• Arbitration vs. court litigation: Choosing the right path for commercial disputes.
• The evolution of commercial law with the rise of artificial intelligence and robotics.
• Legal strategies for protecting brand identity and trademarks internationally.
• The impact of anti-monopoly laws on corporate mergers and acquisitions.
• Legal aspects of supply chain management and logistics.
• The enforcement of non-disclosure agreements in international business deals.
• Consumer protection laws in the context of misleading advertising and sales practices.
• The role of commercial law in regulating online payment systems.
• Contract law for the modern entrepreneur: Navigating contracts in a digital world.
• The influence of cultural differences on international commercial negotiations and laws.
• Legal challenges in franchising: Protecting franchisors and franchisees.
• Commercial leasing disputes and the law: Trends and resolutions.
• Corporate social responsibility and commercial law: Legal obligations and implications.
• Legal implications of Brexit for European trade and commercial law.
• Regulation of commercial drones: Privacy, safety, and commercial uses.
• Legal issues surrounding the gig economy and contract employment.
• Protecting consumer data in commercial transactions: Legal obligations and challenges.
• Legal aspects of marketing and advertising in digital media.
• Impact of environmental laws on commercial practices: From compliance to competitive advantage.
• Legal remedies in commercial law: Exploring efficient dispute resolution mechanisms.
• Insolvency and bankruptcy: Legal strategies for rescuing troubled businesses.
• The legal consequences of business espionage: Protecting commercial interests.
• The role of trademarks in building and maintaining brand value.
• Corporate governance in the modern corporation: Legal frameworks and challenges.
• Comparative analysis of commercial guaranties across different legal systems.
• Legal issues in the export and import of goods: Navigating international regulations.
• The regulation of commercial insurance: Balancing stakeholder interests.
• Legal challenges in real estate development and commercial property investments.
• Impact of digital currencies on commercial transactions.
• International taxation and its impact on multinational commercial operations.
• The regulation of unfair competition in a globalized market.
• Legal strategies for managing commercial risks in unstable economies.
• The role of law in innovative financing methods like crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending.
• Contractual liability and risk management in international commercial projects.
• The impact of digital market platforms on traditional competition law frameworks.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of antitrust laws against tech giants in the digital economy.
• Comparative analysis of competition law enforcement in the US and EU.
• The role of competition law in regulating mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare sector.
• Challenges in applying competition law to free-of-charge services on the internet.
• Legal strategies for combating price fixing in international markets.
• The impact of Brexit on competition law and policy in the UK.
• Competition law and its role in managing market dominance by multinational corporations.
• Evaluating the need for reform in competition law to adapt to global economic changes.
• The enforcement of competition law against patent abuse and anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry.
• The role of competition authorities in promoting innovation through enforcement policies.
• Analyzing the intersection of competition law and consumer protection.
• The effectiveness of leniency programs in uncovering and deterring cartel activity.
• Impact of competition law on small and medium-sized enterprises: Protection or hindrance?
• The influence of artificial intelligence on competitive practices and regulatory responses.
• The role of economic evidence in competition law litigation.
• Globalization and its effects on national competition law policies.
• The challenges of enforcing competition law in digital advertising markets.
• Network effects and lock-in as challenges for competition law in the IT industry.
• Legal remedies for anti-competitive practices in the energy sector.
• The dynamics of competition law in developing economies: Case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• The implications of cross-border competition law enforcement in multinational operations.
• Consumer welfare and the debate over the goals of competition law.
• The regulation of joint ventures under competition law: A critical analysis.
• Vertical restraints and competition law: Balancing market efficiencies and anti-competitive concerns.
• The role of competition law in sports, media, and entertainment industries.
• Competition law and policy in the era of globalization: Protecting domestic industries while encouraging innovation.
• The future of competition law enforcement in a post-pandemic world.
• The effectiveness of competition law in curbing monopolistic practices in the telecom industry.
• Balancing national security interests and competition law.
• The role of whistle-blowers in competition law enforcement.
• Assessing the impact of public sector monopolies on competition law.
• Competition law as a tool for economic development in emerging markets.
• The challenges of proving intent in anti-competitive practices.
• The application of competition law to the agricultural sector and its impact on food security.
• Reform proposals for more effective competition law enforcement.
• The role of state aid and subsidies in competition law.
• Competition law implications of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.
• The balance between intellectual property rights and competition law.
• The use of machine learning algorithms in predicting and analyzing market competition.
• The evolving concept of constitutionalism in the digital age.
• Analysis of constitutional changes in response to global pandemics.
• The role of the judiciary in upholding constitutional rights in times of political turmoil.
• Comparative study of free speech protections under different constitutional regimes.
• The impact of migration crises on constitutional law frameworks in the EU.
• Gender equality and constitutional law: Examining legal reforms across the globe.
• The constitutional implications of Brexit for the United Kingdom.
• Federalism and the balance of power: Lessons from the United States Constitution.
• The enforceability of social and economic rights under constitutional law.
• The influence of international human rights treaties on national constitutional laws.
• The right to privacy in the era of mass surveillance: A constitutional perspective.
• The role of constitutions in managing ethnic and religious diversity.
• Constitutional law and the challenge of climate change.
• The legality of emergency powers under constitutional law in various countries.
• The impact of artificial intelligence on constitutional rights and liberties.
• Same-sex marriage and constitutional law: A comparative analysis.
• The constitutionality of the death penalty in the 21st century.
• Age and constitutional law: The rights and protections afforded to the elderly.
• Constitutional reforms and the evolution of democratic governance in Africa.
• The role of the constitution in combating corruption within government institutions.
• Gun control and constitutional rights: A critical analysis.
• The balance between national security and individual freedoms in constitutional law.
• The effectiveness of constitutional courts in protecting minority rights.
• The constitution as a living document: Interpretation and change in judicial review.
• Assessing the constitutional frameworks for federal and unitary states.
• The impact of populism on constitutional democracy.
• Constitutional law in the face of technological advancements: Regulation and rights.
• The role of constitutional amendments in shaping political stability.
• Analyzing the separation of powers in newly formed governments.
• Indigenous rights and constitutional law: Case studies from North America and Australasia.
• Constitutional law and public health: Legal responses to health emergencies.
• The constitutionality of affirmative action policies in education and employment.
• Political party bans and democracy: A constitutional analysis.
• The role of the constitution in economic policy and regulation.
• Constitutional challenges to the regulation of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies.
• The implications of judicial activism for constitutional law.
• The constitution and the right to a clean and healthy environment.
• The intersection of constitutional law and international diplomacy.
• Protection of children’s rights within constitutional frameworks.
• The future of constitutional governance in virtual and augmented reality environments.
• The enforceability of electronic contracts in international commerce.
• The impact of AI on contract formation and enforcement.
• Comparative analysis of contract law remedies in different jurisdictions.
• The legal implications of smart contracts in blockchain technologies.
• The role of contract law in regulating freelance and gig economy work.
• The challenges of cross-border contract enforcement in the digital age.
• Contractual risk management in international construction projects.
• The doctrine of frustration in contract law: Contemporary issues and challenges.
• Consumer protection in online contracts: A critical analysis.
• The influence of cultural differences on international commercial contracts.
• Force majeure clauses in contracts during global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The evolution of contract law with technological advancements.
• Legal issues surrounding the termination of contracts: A comparative study.
• The role of contract law in sustainable development and environmental protection.
• Misrepresentation in contract law: A review of current legal standards.
• The legal status of verbal agreements in a digital world.
• Contractual obligations and rights in the sharing economy.
• The interplay between contract law and intellectual property rights.
• The effectiveness of liquidated damages clauses in commercial contracts.
• Unconscionability in contract law: Protecting the vulnerable party.
• The enforcement of non-compete clauses in employment contracts.
• The legality of automatic renewal clauses in consumer and business contracts.
• The impact of contract law on consumer rights in financial agreements.
• Standard form contracts and the imbalance of power between parties.
• The role of mediation in resolving contract disputes.
• Contract law in the sale of goods: The challenges of e-commerce.
• The future of contract law in regulating virtual and augmented reality transactions.
• The concept of ‘good faith’ in contract negotiation and execution.
• Legal implications of contract breaches in international trade.
• The application of contract law in healthcare service agreements.
• The enforceability of penalty clauses in different legal systems.
• Contract modifications: Legal implications of changing terms mid-agreement.
• The legal challenges of subscription-based contract models.
• Contract law and data protection: Obligations and liabilities.
• The impact of insolvency on contractual relationships.
• The regulation of crowdfunding agreements under contract law.
• Consumer contracts and the right to withdraw in the digital marketplace.
• Ethical considerations in contract law: Duties beyond the written document.
• The use of contract law in combating human rights violations.
• The effectiveness of international conventions in harmonizing contract law across borders.
• Corporate governance and its impact on shareholder activism.
• The role of corporate social responsibility in modern business practices.
• Legal strategies to combat corporate fraud and enhance transparency.
• Comparative analysis of corporate bankruptcy laws and their effectiveness.
• The influence of global corporate regulations on multinational mergers and acquisitions.
• The impact of environmental regulations on corporate operations and compliance.
• Legal challenges and opportunities in corporate restructuring processes.
• Corporate liability for human rights violations in international operations.
• The effectiveness of anti-money laundering laws in the corporate sector.
• The role of ethics in corporate law: How legal frameworks shape business morality.
• The impact of technology on corporate governance: Blockchain and beyond.
• Legal aspects of venture capital funding in startups and SMEs.
• Corporate law in the digital age: Challenges and opportunities for digital enterprises.
• The role of minority shareholders in influencing corporate decisions.
• Legal frameworks for corporate whistleblowing and the protection of whistleblowers.
• Corporate insolvency procedures: A comparative study of the US and EU frameworks.
• The evolution of corporate personhood and its legal implications.
• The role of stock exchanges in enforcing corporate law.
• Legal issues surrounding corporate espionage and competitive intelligence gathering.
• Comparative analysis of corporate governance codes across different jurisdictions.
• Legal frameworks for handling conflicts of interest in corporate boards.
• The regulation of corporate political contributions and lobbying activities.
• Corporate taxation laws and their impact on international business strategies.
• The regulation of joint ventures under corporate law: Balancing interests and sharing control.
• The challenges of maintaining corporate compliance in a global market.
• Corporate law and the protection of intellectual property rights.
• The effectiveness of corporate penalties in deterring corporate misconduct.
• Legal aspects of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).
• Corporate law implications for artificial intelligence integration in business practices.
• The legal challenges of managing cyber risk in corporate entities.
• Corporate law’s role in managing and disclosing financial risks.
• The impact of corporate law on the governance of nonprofit organizations.
• Legal responsibilities and liabilities of corporate directors and officers.
• The role of international treaties in shaping corporate law practices.
• Corporate law and its influence on strategic business alliances and partnerships.
• Legal aspects of sustainable investment in corporate decision-making.
• The regulation of private equity and hedge funds under corporate law.
• Legal challenges in corporate branding and marketing strategies.
• Corporate law considerations in the management of supply chains.
• The impact of corporate law on mergers and acquisitions in emerging markets.
• The impact of forensic science advancements on criminal law and procedure.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in reducing recidivism rates.
• The role of mental health assessments in criminal sentencing.
• Legal challenges in prosecuting international cybercrimes.
• The evolution of laws against domestic violence and their enforcement.
• The effectiveness of death penalty deterrence: A critical analysis.
• Legal frameworks for combating human trafficking: Global perspectives.
• The influence of social media on criminal behavior and law enforcement.
• Racial disparities in criminal sentencing: Causes and legal remedies.
• The application of criminal law to acts of terrorism: Balancing security and civil liberties.
• Juvenile justice: Reforming the approach to underage offenders.
• The legal implications of wrongful convictions: Prevention and compensation.
• Drug policy reform: The shift from criminalization to harm reduction.
• The impact of body-worn cameras on policing and criminal justice.
• Legal and ethical considerations in the use of DNA evidence in criminal trials.
• The role of the insanity defense in criminal law: A comparative study.
• Legal strategies for addressing gang violence within urban communities.
• The criminalization of poverty and its impact on justice.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of sexual assault legislation.
• The role of public opinion in shaping criminal law reforms.
• Legal approaches to combating corruption and white-collar crime.
• The challenges of protecting victims’ rights in criminal proceedings.
• The impact of immigration laws on criminal justice practices.
• Ethical and legal issues in the use of undercover policing tactics.
• The effects of legalizing marijuana on criminal justice systems.
• The role of international cooperation in combating cross-border criminal activities.
• The use of restorative justice practices in criminal law systems.
• Challenges in the enforcement of wildlife protection laws.
• Legal issues surrounding the use of force by law enforcement.
• The implications of emerging technologies for criminal law and justice.
• Legal definitions of terrorism and their impact on law enforcement.
• The impact of social movements on criminal law reform.
• Addressing elder abuse through criminal statutes and protections.
• The role of forensic psychology in criminal investigations.
• Legal consequences of financial crimes in different jurisdictions.
• Challenges in prosecuting war crimes and genocide.
• The legal aspects of electronic monitoring and surveillance in criminal investigations.
• The implications of international extradition in criminal law.
• Addressing the challenges of witness protection programs.
• The intersection of criminal law and human rights in detention and interrogation.
• Legal frameworks for data protection and privacy in the digital age.
• The implications of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on global internet governance.
• Cybersecurity laws: National strategies and international cooperation.
• The legality of government surveillance programs under international cyber law.
• Intellectual property challenges in the era of digital media.
• Legal issues surrounding the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• The enforcement of cybercrimes: Challenges and strategies.
• Rights and responsibilities of individuals and corporations under cyber law.
• Cyberbullying and online harassment: Legal remedies and limitations.
• The role of cyber law in managing online misinformation and fake news.
• Legal challenges in the regulation of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
• The impact of cloud computing on privacy and data security legal frameworks.
• Legal aspects of e-commerce: Consumer protection online.
• The digital divide: Legal implications of unequal access to technology.
• Regulation of digital advertising and its implications for privacy.
• Jurisdictional issues in cyberspace: Determining liability in a borderless environment.
• Legal considerations for Internet of Things (IoT) devices in consumer and industrial applications.
• The role of anonymity in the internet: Balancing privacy and accountability.
• Cyber law and its impact on the creative industries: Copyright issues in digital content creation.
• Legal frameworks for combating online trade of illegal goods and services.
• The enforcement of digital rights management (DRM) technologies.
• Cyber law and online education: Intellectual property and privacy concerns.
• The regulation of social media platforms under cyber law.
• Legal remedies for victims of online identity theft.
• The implications of autonomous vehicles on cyber law.
• Legal strategies to address online child exploitation and protection.
• The impact of telemedicine on health law and cyber law.
• Challenges in enforcing online contracts and resolving disputes.
• Cyber law in the context of national security: Balancing civil liberties.
• Legal frameworks for software development and liability issues.
• The influence of international treaties on national cyber law policies.
• Legal aspects of cyber espionage and state-sponsored cyber attacks.
• Ethical hacking: Legal boundaries and implications.
• The regulation of online gaming: Consumer protection and cyber law.
• Cyber law and digital accessibility: Rights of differently-abled persons.
• Legal implications of biometric data processing in cyber law.
• The future of robotic automation and law: Ethical and legal considerations.
• The role of cyber law in the governance of digital health records.
• Managing online content: Legal issues around censorship and freedom of expression.
• Cyber law implications for digital banking and fintech.
• The effectiveness of international agreements in combating climate change.
• Legal strategies for biodiversity conservation in international and domestic contexts.
• The impact of environmental law on sustainable urban development.
• Comparative analysis of water rights and regulations across different jurisdictions.
• Legal mechanisms for controlling plastic pollution in marine environments.
• The role of environmental impact assessments in promoting sustainable projects.
• Legal and regulatory challenges of renewable energy implementation.
• The effectiveness of air quality laws in reducing urban smog.
• Environmental justice and its impact on marginalized communities.
• The role of the judiciary in shaping environmental policy.
• Corporate accountability for environmental degradation: Legal remedies.
• The regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their environmental impact.
• Legal frameworks for the protection of endangered species and habitats.
• Climate refugees: Legal challenges and protections under international law.
• The intersection of environmental law and human rights.
• Challenges in enforcing environmental laws against multinational corporations.
• Legal aspects of carbon trading and emissions reduction schemes.
• The impact of agricultural practices on environmental law and policy.
• Mining and environmental degradation: Legal responses and remedies.
• The use of environmental law to combat deforestation.
• Legal issues related to energy storage and its environmental impacts.
• Regulatory challenges of nanotechnology and environmental health.
• Legal strategies for water management in drought-prone areas.
• The regulation of noise pollution in urban environments.
• The role of public participation in environmental decision-making.
• Legal frameworks for dealing with hazardous waste and its disposal.
• Environmental law as a tool for green building and construction practices.
• Legal challenges in protecting wetlands through environmental laws.
• The enforceability of international environmental law.
• The impact of environmental laws on traditional land use and indigenous rights.
• The role of local governments in environmental governance.
• Environmental law and the regulation of pesticides and chemicals.
• Legal responses to environmental disasters and recovery processes.
• The implications of deep-sea mining for environmental law.
• The role of environmental NGOs in shaping law and policy.
• Legal tools for the conservation of marine biodiversity.
• Challenges of integrating environmental concerns in corporate governance.
• Legal implications of artificial intelligence in environmental monitoring.
• The role of litigation in enforcing environmental norms and standards.
• Trends and challenges in the enforcement of transboundary environmental laws.
• The impact of EU law on national sovereignty of member states.
• Brexit and its legal implications for both the UK and EU.
• The effectiveness of the EU’s data protection regulation (GDPR) in a global context.
• The role of the European Court of Justice in shaping EU policies.
• Legal analysis of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its impacts.
• The EU’s approach to antitrust and competition law enforcement.
• Human rights protection under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
• Legal challenges in the implementation of the EU’s Digital Single Market.
• The EU’s role in international trade: Legal frameworks and challenges.
• The influence of EU environmental law on member state legislation.
• Consumer protection laws in the EU and their effectiveness.
• Legal mechanisms of the EU banking union and capital markets union.
• The regulation of pharmaceuticals and healthcare within the EU.
• Migration and asylum laws in the EU: Challenges and responses.
• The role of lobbying in EU lawmaking processes.
• Legal aspects of the EU’s energy policy and its impact on sustainability.
• The enforcement of intellectual property rights within the EU.
• The EU’s legal framework for dealing with cyber security threats.
• Analysis of EU labor laws and their impact on worker mobility.
• Legal bases for EU sanctions and their impact on international relations.
• The EU’s legal strategies against terrorism and organized crime.
• The effectiveness of the EU’s regional development policies.
• Legal and ethical issues in AI regulation within the EU.
• The EU’s approach to regulating blockchain technology.
• The challenges of EU enlargement: Case studies of recent accession countries.
• The role of the EU in global environmental governance.
• The impact of EU laws on the rights of indigenous populations.
• Legal analysis of EU sports law and policy.
• The EU’s framework for consumer digital privacy and security.
• The regulation of biotechnology in agriculture within the EU.
• EU tax law and its implications for global corporations.
• The role of the European Ombudsman in ensuring administrative justice.
• The influence of EU copyright law on digital media and entertainment.
• Legal frameworks for public procurement in the EU.
• The impact of EU maritime law on international shipping and trade.
• EU chemical regulations: REACH and its global implications.
• Legal issues surrounding the EU’s external border control policies.
• The EU’s role in shaping international aviation law.
• The impact of EU law on public health policy and regulation.
• The future of the EU’s constitutional framework and its legal challenges.
• The impact of cultural diversity on family law practices.
• Legal challenges in the enforcement of international child custody agreements.
• The effectiveness of mediation in resolving family disputes.
• The evolution of child support laws in response to changing societal norms.
• Comparative analysis of divorce laws across different jurisdictions.
• Legal implications of surrogacy: Rights of the child, surrogate, and intended parents.
• The impact of social media on family relationships and legal proceedings.
• Legal rights of cohabiting couples: A comparative study.
• The role of family law in addressing domestic violence.
• The legal recognition of LGBTQ+ families in different countries.
• The effect of parental alienation on child custody decisions.
• Adoption laws and the challenges of cross-border adoption.
• Legal issues surrounding elder care and guardianship.
• The role of genetic testing in family law (paternity disputes, inheritance rights).
• The impact of immigration laws on family unification policies.
• The rights of children with disabilities in family law proceedings.
• The influence of religious beliefs on family law decisions.
• The legal challenges of blended families: Rights and responsibilities.
• The role of children’s rights in family law: Voice and protection.
• Legal frameworks for dealing with family assets and financial disputes.
• The impact of addiction (substance abuse, gambling) on family dynamics and legal outcomes.
• The enforcement of prenuptial agreements: A critical analysis.
• Legal responses to teenage pregnancy and parental responsibilities.
• The effect of military service on family law issues (divorce, custody).
• The challenges of maintaining privacy in family law cases.
• The impact of mental health on parental rights and child custody.
• The role of the state in family planning and reproductive rights.
• Comparative study of same-sex marriage laws before and after legalization.
• The evolution of father’s rights in family law.
• The legal complexities of artificial reproductive technologies.
• Family law and its role in preventing child marriages.
• The impact of economic downturns on family law issues (alimony, child support).
• Legal strategies for protecting domestic violence survivors through family law.
• The role of international conventions in shaping family law.
• Gender biases in family law: A critical analysis.
• The regulation of family law advertising and its ethical implications.
• The influence of international human rights law on family law.
• The challenges of transnational families in navigating family law.
• Legal and ethical issues in the involuntary sterilization of disabled individuals.
• The future of family law: Predicting changes in legislation and practice.
• The legal implications of telemedicine and remote healthcare services.
• Regulation and liability of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
• The impact of healthcare laws on patient privacy and data protection.
• Legal issues surrounding the right to die: Euthanasia and assisted suicide.
• The enforcement of mental health legislation and patient rights.
• Legal challenges in the regulation of pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
• The role of health law in managing infectious disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19.
• Ethical and legal considerations of genetic testing and genome editing.
• Comparative analysis of health insurance models and their legal implications.
• The impact of health law on underserved and marginalized populations.
• Legal aspects of medical malpractice and healthcare provider liability.
• The regulation of stem cell research and therapy.
• Legal frameworks for addressing obesity as a public health issue.
• The role of law in combating healthcare fraud and abuse.
• Ethical issues in the allocation of scarce medical resources.
• Legal challenges in child and adolescent health care consent.
• The influence of global health initiatives on national health law policies.
• Legal issues related to the development and use of biobanks.
• Health law and its impact on emergency medical response and preparedness.
• Legal and ethical challenges in the treatment of psychiatric patients.
• The rights of patients in clinical trials: Informed consent and beyond.
• The regulation of medical marijuana and its impact on healthcare systems.
• Health law’s role in addressing non-communicable diseases.
• Legal strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance.
• The legal implications of sports medicine and athlete care.
• The protection of vulnerable groups in healthcare settings.
• Legal frameworks governing organ donation and transplantation.
• The role of health law in reproductive rights and technologies.
• The impact of bioethics on health law policy and practice.
• Legal considerations of global health diplomacy and international health law.
• The regulation of alternative and complementary medicine.
• Legal challenges in providing healthcare in rural and remote areas.
• The impact of nutrition and food law on public health.
• Legal responses to aging populations and elder care.
• Health law and its impact on vaccination policies and enforcement.
• The legal implications of patient literacy and health education.
• Regulatory challenges in health information technology and mobile health apps.
• Legal and ethical issues in cosmetic and elective surgery.
• The role of whistleblowers in improving healthcare quality and safety.
• The legal implications of healthcare marketing and consumer protection.
• The impact of international human rights conventions on domestic laws.
• The role of the International Criminal Court in enforcing human rights standards.
• Legal remedies for victims of war crimes and genocide.
• The enforcement of human rights in areas of conflict and post-conflict societies.
• The legal implications of refugee and asylum seeker policies.
• The right to freedom of expression in the digital age.
• Human rights challenges in the context of global migration.
• Legal protections against discrimination based on gender, race, and sexuality.
• The impact of cultural practices on the enforcement of human rights.
• Legal frameworks for protecting children in armed conflicts.
• The role of non-governmental organizations in promoting and protecting human rights.
• Human rights and environmental law: the right to a healthy environment.
• The legal aspects of economic, social, and cultural rights.
• Protecting the rights of indigenous peoples: international and domestic approaches.
• Human rights implications of counter-terrorism laws and practices.
• The role of national human rights institutions in promoting human rights.
• Legal challenges in combating human trafficking and modern slavery.
• The rights of disabled individuals under international human rights law.
• Legal strategies to combat racial and ethnic profiling.
• The protection of human rights defenders in hostile environments.
• The impact of globalization on labor rights and working conditions.
• The role of the media in promoting human rights awareness and protection.
• Human rights law and its intersection with gender-based violence.
• The right to education and legal measures to enforce it.
• Legal responses to the crisis of statelessness.
• Human rights issues surrounding the management of natural disasters.
• The role of human rights law in regulating private military and security companies.
• The right to privacy in the surveillance era.
• Legal measures to address economic inequality and ensure human rights.
• The challenge of protecting human rights in authoritarian regimes.
• Human rights in medical law: issues of consent and autonomy.
• The right to food and water as fundamental human rights.
• Legal frameworks for the rights of the elderly in different countries.
• The role of human rights law in addressing issues of domestic violence.
• Human rights considerations in the development and enforcement of immigration laws.
• The impact of intellectual property laws on access to medicines.
• The enforcement of the rights of LGBT individuals globally.
• Human rights law and its application to internet governance.
• The legal rights of prisoners and the conditions of detention.
• The role of human rights in shaping international trade and investment policies.
• The impact of immigration laws on national security in various countries.
• Comparative analysis of asylum procedures across different jurisdictions.
• The role of immigration law in shaping multicultural societies.
• Legal challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers during resettlement.
• The effectiveness of skilled migrant programs and their impact on the economy.
• Legal and ethical considerations in the detention of immigrants.
• The influence of international human rights law on national immigration policies.
• The impact of Brexit on immigration laws in the UK and the EU.
• The role of international agreements in managing migration crises.
• Legal strategies to combat human trafficking within the immigration system.
• The rights of undocumented immigrants and access to legal aid.
• The enforcement of immigration laws and the rights of migrant workers.
• The legal implications of family reunification policies.
• Analysis of deportation procedures and their compliance with international law.
• The effect of climate change on migration patterns and immigration law.
• Legal measures to protect immigrants against labor exploitation.
• The role of local governments in immigration enforcement.
• The legal aspects of border management technologies.
• Immigration law and its impact on education for immigrant children.
• The challenges of integrating immigrants into host societies legally.
• Comparative study of investor immigration programs.
• The effects of cultural bias in immigration law enforcement.
• Legal remedies for immigrants subjected to discrimination.
• The intersection of immigration law and public health policies.
• The legal consequences of overstaying visas on future immigration applications.
• The role of consulates and embassies in the immigration process.
• Legal frameworks for addressing statelessness in the context of immigration.
• Immigration law’s response to temporary protection statuses.
• The impact of international sports events on immigration laws and policies.
• The role of non-governmental organizations in shaping immigration law.
• The use of biometric data in immigration control.
• Legal perspectives on the economic impact of immigration.
• Challenges in protecting the rights of elderly immigrants.
• The influence of immigration on national identity and cultural policies.
• Legal implications of global demographic shifts on immigration policies.
• The regulation of international student visas and their impact on higher education.
• Legal challenges faced by immigrants in accessing healthcare services.
• The dynamics of urban immigration and legal integration strategies.
• Legal issues concerning expatriation and renunciation of citizenship.
• The future of immigration law in the face of global political changes.
• The impact of artificial intelligence on copyright and patent law.
• Comparative analysis of trademark laws in the digital age across different jurisdictions.
• The role of intellectual property rights in fostering or hindering innovation.
• Legal challenges in the protection of software under intellectual property law.
• The enforcement of intellectual property rights in online platforms.
• The balance between intellectual property rights and the public domain.
• The implications of 3D printing technologies on intellectual property rights.
• Intellectual property issues in the music industry: Streaming and digital rights.
• The effectiveness of international intellectual property treaties like WIPO and TRIPS.
• Intellectual property strategies for biotechnological inventions.
• The role of patents in the pharmaceutical industry and access to medicine.
• The impact of intellectual property rights on traditional knowledge and cultural expressions.
• Copyright law and its adaptability to new forms of media like virtual reality.
• The intersection of intellectual property law and competition law.
• Legal frameworks for managing intellectual property in joint ventures and collaborations.
• The role of intellectual property in the fashion industry and combating counterfeits.
• Trademark dilution: A comparative study between the U.S. and EU approaches.
• Legal challenges associated with celebrity rights and their management under IP law.
• Intellectual property rights and their impact on small and medium-sized enterprises.
• The protection of design rights in industrial models and drawings.
• Intellectual property and corporate governance: Policy, compliance, and enforcement.
• The challenges of enforcing intellectual property rights in the global south.
• The evolution of copyright law in protecting digital ebooks and publications.
• Intellectual property law in the advertising industry: Challenges and perspectives.
• Ethical considerations in intellectual property law.
• The role of intellectual property in the development of artificial organs and bioprinting.
• Challenges in patenting genetic material and the moral implications thereof.
• Intellectual property considerations in cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
• Intellectual property rights in the context of augmented reality technologies.
• The role of intellectual property in the semiconductor industry.
• The impact of open-source licensing on intellectual property law.
• Legal issues surrounding the protection of data and databases under intellectual property law.
• The role of intellectual property in sports marketing and merchandise.
• Intellectual property issues in cloud computing and data storage.
• Copyright disputes in the film industry: Case studies and legal insights.
• The protection of plant varieties and agricultural innovation under IP law.
• Intellectual property and its role in promoting or restricting access to educational materials.
• Trade secrets law: Comparative approaches and key challenges.
• The impact of geographical indications on local economies and protection strategies.
• Intellectual property law and its enforcement in the age of the internet of things.
• The effectiveness of the United Nations in resolving international disputes.
• The role of international law in governing the use of force by states.
• Legal frameworks for international cooperation in combating climate change.
• The implications of sovereignty and state responsibility in international law.
• The enforcement of international human rights law in conflict zones.
• Legal strategies for addressing international cybercrime and digital warfare.
• The regulation of international trade under the World Trade Organization (WTO).
• Legal challenges in the management of global migration and refugee crises.
• The impact of international sanctions on global diplomacy and law.
• The legal status and rights of stateless individuals under international law.
• The application of international law in the Antarctic and other common areas.
• The protection of cultural heritage in times of war under international law.
• The role of international courts and tribunals in enforcing maritime law.
• Comparative analysis of regional human rights mechanisms (e.g., European, African, American).
• The jurisdiction and reach of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• The legal implications of territorial disputes on international relations.
• The influence of international law on national legislation regarding environmental protection.
• The legal treatment of indigenous peoples’ rights at the international level.
• The development of international norms for corporate social responsibility.
• Legal and ethical considerations in international medical research and healthcare.
• The regulation of international finance and its impact on economic development.
• The challenges of enforcing intellectual property rights at the international level.
• The legal frameworks governing the use and regulation of drones in international airspace.
• The impact of bilateral and multilateral treaties on domestic legal systems.
• International legal standards for the treatment of prisoners and detainees.
• The role of diplomatic immunity in contemporary international law.
• Legal issues surrounding international sports events and the governance of international sports bodies.
• The use of international law in combating terrorism and protecting national security.
• Legal measures against international trafficking of drugs, arms, and human beings.
• The role of non-state actors in international law (NGOs, multinational corporations, etc.).
• Legal considerations in the preservation of biodiversity under international conventions.
• The international legal ramifications of artificial islands and reclaimed territories.
• The dynamics of negotiation and implementation of international peace treaties.
• The intersection of international law and global public health policies.
• The legal challenges in regulating outer space activities and celestial bodies.
• The enforcement of international labor standards and their impact on global trade.
• Legal implications of global electronic surveillance by states.
• The regulation of international nuclear energy and nuclear weapons.
• The role of international law in addressing issues of global poverty and inequality.
• The future of international law in a multipolar world order.
• The impact of globalization on labor rights and standards.
• Legal challenges and protections for gig economy workers.
• Comparative analysis of minimum wage laws across different jurisdictions.
• The role of trade unions in modern labor markets.
• Legal frameworks governing telecommuting and remote work arrangements.
• Enforcement of anti-discrimination laws in the workplace.
• The impact of artificial intelligence and automation on labor laws.
• Legal protections for migrant workers in host countries.
• The effectiveness of occupational safety and health regulations.
• The role of labor law in managing economic crises and labor market shocks.
• Gender equality in the workplace: Assessing legal approaches.
• The regulation of child labor in developing economies.
• Legal implications of employee surveillance practices.
• Rights and legal protections for part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers.
• Collective bargaining challenges in the public sector.
• The legal status of unpaid internships and volunteer work.
• Legal responses to workplace bullying and psychological harassment.
• The enforceability of non-compete clauses in employment contracts.
• Legal issues related to employee benefits and pensions.
• The impact of labor laws on small businesses and startups.
• Labor rights in the informal economy.
• Legal strategies for conflict resolution in labor disputes.
• The influence of international labor standards on national laws.
• The role of labor law in promoting sustainable employment practices.
• The effectiveness of mediation and arbitration in labor disputes.
• Legal protections against wrongful termination.
• The challenges of enforcing fair labor practices across multinational corporations.
• The rights of disabled workers under labor law.
• Labor law and its adaptation to the changing nature of work.
• The regulation of labor in industries with high risk of exploitation (e.g., textiles, mining).
• The impact of labor law on industrial relations in the healthcare sector.
• Legal aspects of wage theft and its enforcement.
• Labor laws related to shift work and overtime regulations.
• The legal consequences of labor strikes and lockouts.
• Employee privacy rights versus employer’s right to monitor.
• The role of labor law in economic development and poverty reduction.
• Legal frameworks for employee representation in corporate governance.
• The challenges of labor law compliance in the retail sector.
• Labor law issues in the entertainment and sports industries.
• Future trends in labor law: Anticipating changes in legislation and workplace norms.
• The ethical implications of attorney-client confidentiality.
• Ethical challenges in pro bono legal work.
• The role of personal morality in legal judgments.
• Ethical dilemmas faced by defense attorneys in criminal cases.
• The influence of ethics on legal decision-making processes.
• Conflicts of interest in legal practice: Identification and management.
• Ethical considerations in legal advertising and client solicitation.
• The impact of technology on ethical practices in law.
• Ethical issues in the representation of minors and incapacitated clients.
• The enforcement of ethical standards in the judiciary.
• Ethical challenges in corporate legal departments.
• The ethics of legal outsourcing and the use of non-lawyers.
• Ethical considerations in mediation and alternative dispute resolution.
• The implications of ethical misconduct on legal careers.
• The duty of lawyers to the court vs. client loyalty.
• Ethical issues in cross-border legal practices.
• The responsibility of lawyers in preventing money laundering.
• The ethical dimensions of legal education and training.
• The balance between justice and efficiency in legal ethics.
• Ethical considerations in the use of artificial intelligence in law.
• The ethics of plea bargaining and its impact on justice.
• Ethical issues in the management of legal trusts and estates.
• The role of ethics in environmental law.
• Professional responsibility in managing legal errors and omissions.
• Ethical dilemmas in bankruptcy law.
• The impact of personal ethics on public interest law.
• Ethical considerations in the competitive practices of law firms.
• Ethics in legal research: Ensuring accuracy and integrity.
• The moral obligations of lawyers in promoting human rights.
• The ethics of lawyer activism in political and social movements.
• Challenges of maintaining ethical standards in high-pressure legal environments.
• Ethical issues in the intersection of law and politics.
• The professional ethics of tax lawyers.
• Ethical challenges in the prosecution of complex financial crimes.
• The ethical dimensions of elder law and representation of the elderly.
• The role of moral philosophy in legal ethics curricula.
• Ethical considerations in capital punishment cases.
• Lawyers’ ethical responsibilities in handling classified information.
• The impact of ethical lapses in corporate scandals.
• Future directions in legal ethics: Preparing lawyers for emerging moral challenges.
• The legal frameworks governing international maritime boundaries.
• Liability issues in the event of oil spills and maritime environmental disasters.
• The regulation of piracy under international maritime law.
• Legal challenges in the Arctic maritime routes and territorial claims.
• The effectiveness of maritime safety regulations in preventing accidents at sea.
• Legal aspects of maritime insurance: Coverage, claims, and disputes.
• The role of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in global shipping regulations.
• Arbitration and dispute resolution in international maritime contracts.
• Legal implications of autonomous ships on international maritime law.
• The enforcement of maritime security measures against terrorism.
• Ship registration and flag state responsibilities under international law.
• The impact of climate change on maritime boundaries and fishing rights.
• Legal strategies for combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
• Maritime lien and ship arrest procedures across different jurisdictions.
• The regulation of crew rights and labor conditions aboard international vessels.
• Comparative analysis of salvage law and the law of finds.
• Legal issues surrounding the abandonment of ships.
• Port state control and its impact on international shipping.
• The rights and legal protection of seafarers under international maritime law.
• The application of maritime law to underwater cultural heritage.
• The challenges of enforcing maritime law in high seas governance.
• Legal frameworks for the management of maritime natural resources.
• Collision regulations and legal liability at sea.
• The impact of technology on maritime law: Satellite and GPS issues.
• The legalities involved in the financing and construction of vessels.
• Legal issues related to maritime transport of hazardous and noxious substances.
• The role of maritime law in the global supply chain and logistics.
• Legal implications of maritime blockades during armed conflict.
• The interface between maritime law and marine biodiversity conservation.
• The legality of maritime security operations by private companies.
• Insurance law as applicable to maritime piracy and armed robbery.
• The regulation of the international cruise industry under maritime law.
• Challenges in maritime jurisdiction: Enforcement and compliance issues.
• Legal aspects of maritime cybersecurity threats and data protection.
• The impact of maritime law on the offshore oil and gas industry.
• Legal issues in maritime search and rescue operations.
• The role of national courts in maritime law enforcement.
• Trends in maritime law: Emerging issues and future directions.
• Maritime law and its adaptation to the shipping of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
• The influence of maritime law on international maritime education and training.
• Legal challenges posed by digital media platforms to traditional copyright laws.
• The impact of social media on privacy rights and legal implications.
• Regulation of fake news and misinformation: Legal frameworks and effectiveness.
• Legal aspects of media censorship in authoritarian regimes.
• The role of media law in protecting journalistic sources and whistleblowers.
• Copyright infringement in the digital age: Streaming services and legal responses.
• Legal standards for advertising and marketing in digital and traditional media.
• The influence of media law on freedom of expression and public discourse.
• The right to be forgotten in the age of the internet: Legal and ethical considerations.
• Defamation law in the digital era: Challenges and new developments.
• Legal responses to cyberbullying and online harassment through media platforms.
• Intellectual property rights in the creation and distribution of digital content.
• Legal issues surrounding user-generated content on online platforms.
• The role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in regulating broadcast media.
• Legal frameworks for handling sensitive content: Violence, sexuality, and hate speech.
• The regulation of political advertising and its impact on elections.
• The legal implications of artificial intelligence in content creation.
• Data protection laws and their enforcement on media platforms.
• The balance between national security and press freedom.
• Legal strategies for combating deepfake technology and its implications.
• Media ownership laws and their impact on media diversity and pluralism.
• The enforcement of media ethics and law in the age of global digital platforms.
• Legal challenges in cross-border media operations and jurisdictional issues.
• The role of legal frameworks in managing public relations crises.
• The impact of telecommunications law on media dissemination and access.
• Legal considerations for media mergers and acquisitions.
• Regulation of satellite and cable TV in the digital landscape.
• Legal issues related to podcasting and other emerging media formats.
• The protection of minors in media consumption: Legal frameworks and challenges.
• The legal ramifications of media during public health emergencies.
• Accessibility laws related to media content for persons with disabilities.
• The role of the law in combating racial and gender stereotypes in media.
• Media law and consumer protection: Misleading advertisements and consumer rights.
• The impact of GDPR and other privacy regulations on media operations in Europe.
• The legal implications of virtual and augmented reality technologies in media.
• Legal disputes involving music licensing and rights management.
• The challenges of regulating live streaming services under existing media laws.
• Legal issues surrounding the archiving of digital media content.
• The intersection of media law and sports broadcasting rights.
• Future trends in media law: Preparing for new challenges in media and communication technologies.
• Comparative analysis of property rights and land tenure systems across different cultures.
• The impact of eminent domain on property rights and fair compensation.
• Legal challenges in the administration of estates and trusts.
• Intellectual property rights in the digital age: Balancing creators’ rights and public access.
• The role of property law in environmental conservation.
• Legal frameworks governing the leasing and renting of property.
• The evolution of property rights in response to urbanization.
• Property disputes and their resolution: Case studies from land courts.
• The effect of zoning laws on property development and urban planning.
• Legal aspects of real estate transactions and the role of property lawyers.
• Property law and its impact on economic development in emerging markets.
• Legal challenges of property ownership in communal and indigenous lands.
• The influence of property law on agricultural practices and rural development.
• Legal responses to squatting and adverse possession.
• Property rights in marital and family law contexts.
• The implications of blockchain technology on property transactions and record keeping.
• Legal and ethical considerations in the foreclosure process.
• Water rights and property law: Managing conflicts and ensuring sustainability.
• The impact of natural disasters on property law and homeowner rights.
• Property rights and the challenges of gentrification in urban areas.
• Legal considerations in the conversion of property for commercial use.
• The implications of property law for renewable energy projects (e.g., wind farms, solar panels).
• Historical perspectives on property law and their modern-day relevance.
• The regulation of property within gated communities and homeowners associations.
• Legal issues related to the inheritance of digital assets.
• The role of property law in resolving boundary disputes.
• Property law and the regulation of timeshares and vacation ownership.
• The intersection of property law and bankruptcy proceedings.
• Legal frameworks for managing property during divorce or separation.
• Property rights and the management of shared or common resources.
• Legal challenges in property transactions involving foreign investors.
• Property law in the context of historic preservation and cultural heritage.
• Regulatory issues surrounding the development of commercial properties.
• The role of property law in the sharing economy (e.g., Airbnb, Uber).
• Legal issues in property development and construction.
• The impact of tax law on property ownership and transfer.
• Property law and its implications for homelessness and affordable housing.
• Legal approaches to combating land degradation and promoting sustainable use.
• The role of artificial intelligence and technology in property law enforcement.
• Future trends in property law: Predicting changes and legal needs.
• The role of international law in managing global pandemics and health emergencies.
• Legal frameworks governing the use of force and intervention by states.
• The effectiveness of international sanctions as a tool of diplomacy.
• The implications of sovereignty in the digital age for international law.
• The enforcement mechanisms of international human rights law.
• The legal challenges of climate change negotiations and treaty implementation.
• The jurisdiction and effectiveness of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• The role of international law in governing outer space activities.
• Legal issues related to the protection of refugees and stateless persons.
• The development and enforcement of international environmental law.
• The impact of international law on maritime disputes and ocean governance.
• The legal basis and implications of unilateral declarations of independence.
• Legal strategies to combat international terrorism within the framework of public international law.
• The role of soft law in international relations and its legal significance.
• International legal aspects of economic sanctions and their impact on trade.
• The resolution of territorial disputes through international courts and tribunals.
• The regulation of armed conflict and the laws of war.
• International law and the regulation of cyberspace and cybersecurity.
• The legal challenges and implications of artificial intelligence on international norms.
• The enforcement of international anti-corruption measures.
• The role of international organizations in global governance.
• Legal issues surrounding the management of international waters.
• The impact of cultural heritage protection under international law.
• International legal standards for labor and their enforcement.
• The relationship between international law and indigenous rights.
• The influence of global financial regulations on international law.
• The compatibility of regional trade agreements with the World Trade Organization (WTO) law.
• Legal protections for investors under international investment agreements.
• International law and its role in addressing global inequality.
• The legal challenges of managing international migration.
• The application of international law in diplomatic relations.
• International legal considerations in the disposal of hazardous wastes.
• The role of public international law in combating human trafficking.
• Legal frameworks for international cooperation in disaster relief and emergency response.
• International law and the challenges of sustainable development.
• The regulation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) under international law.
• Legal issues surrounding global telecommunications regulations.
• International law and the use of drones in warfare and surveillance.
• The implications of emerging technologies on arms control agreements.
• The future of public international law in a multipolar world.
• Legal implications of doping in sports: An international perspective.
• The enforceability of sports contracts: Analysis of player agreements.
• Intellectual property rights in sports: Branding, trademarks, and image rights.
• Legal aspects of sports broadcasting rights in the digital age.
• The role of arbitration in resolving sports disputes.
• Gender equality in sports: Legal challenges and advancements.
• Legal issues surrounding the organization of international sporting events.
• Sports governance: The impact of legal structures on global sports bodies.
• The application of labor laws to professional athletes and sports leagues.
• The protection of minors in professional sports.
• Anti-discrimination laws and their enforcement in sports.
• Legal considerations in the commercialization of sports.
• Sports injury and liability: The role of law in protecting athletes.
• Ethical and legal considerations in sports betting and gambling.
• The implications of technological advancements on sports law (e.g., VAR, goal-line technology).
• Contract negotiation and dispute resolution in sports.
• The impact of COVID-19 on sports contracts and legal liabilities.
• Legal issues in e-sports: Regulation and recognition.
• Ownership rights and financial regulations in sports clubs.
• Privacy laws and their application to athletes’ personal data.
• The legal framework for anti-doping regulations across different sports.
• The role of sports agents: Legal responsibilities and ethical considerations.
• Disability sports and legal challenges in inclusivity.
• Sports tourism and the law: Legal issues in hosting international events.
• Legal challenges in sports marketing and sponsorship agreements.
• The regulation of sports medicine and legal liabilities.
• The role of national courts in sports law.
• Safeguarding child athletes: Legal obligations and policies.
• The legality of sanctions in sports: Case studies from football and athletics.
• The intersection of sports law and human rights.
• Sports law in collegiate athletics: Compliance and regulation.
• The regulation of violent conduct in sports.
• Legal issues surrounding the use of performance-enhancing technology.
• Sports, media rights, and freedom of expression.
• Legal challenges in managing sports facilities and event safety.
• The impact of sports law on international relations.
• Sports law and the challenge of match-fixing.
• The role of international sports law in the Olympic Movement.
• The governance of water sports and maritime law intersections.
• Future trends in sports law: Emerging issues and legal needs.
• Comparative analysis of international tax treaties and their impact on global trade.
• The legality of digital taxation and its implications for multinational corporations.
• Legal challenges in implementing a global minimum tax for corporations.
• The role of tax law in economic development and foreign direct investment.
• Tax evasion and avoidance: Legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms.
• The impact of tax incentives on renewable energy investments.
• Estate and inheritance tax laws: A comparative study.
• The effectiveness of VAT systems in developing economies.
• Legal issues surrounding tax havens and offshore financial centers.
• The application of tax laws to cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
• The role of taxation in public health policy (e.g., taxes on sugary drinks, tobacco).
• Taxation of the gig economy: Challenges and policy options.
• Legal frameworks governing charitable giving and tax deductions.
• The implications of property tax laws on urban development.
• Transfer pricing regulations and their impact on international business operations.
• The enforcement of sales taxes in the e-commerce sector.
• Tax compliance burdens for small and medium-sized enterprises.
• The legal aspects of tax reforms and policy changes.
• Taxation and privacy: Legal issues in the collection and sharing of taxpayer information.
• Comparative analysis of capital gains tax regulations.
• The role of artificial intelligence in tax administration and compliance.
• The legal challenges of implementing environmental taxes.
• Tax disputes and litigation: Strategies and outcomes.
• The regulation and taxation of financial derivatives.
• Tax law and its impact on charitable organizations and non-profits.
• The interplay between tax law and bankruptcy law.
• Legal strategies used by states to combat tax avoidance and profit shifting.
• The influence of tax policy on housing markets.
• Legal implications of tax credits for family and dependents.
• Taxation of expatriates and non-resident citizens.
• The constitutionality of tax laws and challenges in the courts.
• Tax law as a tool for social equity and redistribution.
• The impact of tax laws on consumer behavior.
• Taxation in the digital media and entertainment industries.
• The role of tax law in regulating pensions and retirement savings.
• Tax policy and its effect on agricultural practices and land use.
• The challenges of harmonizing state and federal tax laws.
• Tax law and the regulation of the sports industry.
• The taxation of international shipping and maritime activities.
• Future trends in tax law: Anticipating changes in global tax policies.

We hope this extensive collection of law thesis topics sparks your intellectual curiosity and aids in pinpointing a subject that resonates with your academic interests and career aspirations. Each topic presented here has been chosen to challenge your understanding and to encourage a deeper exploration of the legal landscape. As you prepare to embark on your thesis journey, consider these topics not just as mere titles, but as gateways to developing a nuanced understanding of the law in various contexts. Utilize this resource to craft a thesis that not only fulfills your academic requirements but also contributes meaningfully to the discourse in your chosen area of law.

The Range of Law Thesis Topics

Exploring the vast expanse of law thesis topics provides a unique opportunity for law students to delve into specific legal issues, refine their understanding, and contribute to the ongoing development of legal scholarship. As students embark on this crucial phase of their academic journey, selecting the right thesis topic is essential. This article aims to illuminate the range of potential law thesis topics, highlighting current issues, recent trends, and future directions. By examining these topics, students can better understand the legal landscape’s complexities and identify areas where they can make a significant academic impact.

Current Issues in Law

As we navigate through the complexities of contemporary society, numerous current issues in law emerge that are critical for law students to explore in their theses. These topics not only reflect ongoing legal challenges but also set the stage for developing effective solutions that uphold justice and societal norms. Delving into these law thesis topics allows students to engage with live issues that impact various facets of the legal system, from privacy laws and civil rights to corporate governance and environmental regulations.

• Privacy and Data Protection: In today’s digital age, the issue of privacy and data protection has come to the forefront. With the proliferation of digital data, the legal frameworks designed to protect personal information are constantly tested. Law students could explore the adequacy of existing laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States, considering the rapid advancements in technology and the increasing global nature of data processing.
• Civil Rights in the Modern Era: As societies evolve, so too do their understandings and implementations of civil rights. Current legal discussions often focus on issues such as police brutality, LGBTQ+ rights, and the protections afforded to individuals under new healthcare regulations. Thesis topics may examine how legal responses are adapting in light of these challenges, particularly in terms of legislative and judicial actions intended to protect marginalized groups.
• Corporate Compliance and Governance: With the global economy becoming more interconnected, the importance of corporate compliance and governance has been magnified. Law thesis topics could investigate how businesses are expected to operate ethically while maximizing shareholder value, especially in industries that have significant impacts on the environment or human rights. Additionally, the legal liabilities of corporate officers and directors for breaches of fiduciary duties remain a hot topic in legal research.
• Environmental Law and Climate Change: Environmental law continues to be a pressing area of legal concern as the effects of climate change become more evident. Law students can explore topics related to the enforcement of environmental regulations, the role of international treaties in combating global warming, and the legal responsibilities of nations and corporations in ensuring sustainability. The recent shifts towards renewable energy sources and their legal implications offer a rich field for exploration.
• Immigration Law: Immigration law remains at the forefront of political and legal debates in many countries. Thesis topics could address the legality of border enforcement practices, the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, and the impact of new immigration policies on families and communities. Additionally, the intersection of immigration law with human rights provides a compelling area for legal research and discussion.
• Intellectual Property in the Innovation Economy: As innovation drives economic growth, intellectual property (IP) law plays a crucial role in protecting inventions, brands, and creative works. However, the tension between IP protection and the public interest, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry and technology sector, presents a complex scenario for legal analysis. Law students might explore the balance between encouraging innovation through patents and copyrights and ensuring public access to essential medicines and technologies.

Each of these areas presents unique challenges and opportunities for law students to contribute to their fields through rigorous analysis and innovative thinking. Addressing these current issues in law not only enhances their academic portfolio but also prepares them to enter the legal profession with a comprehensive understanding of the issues at the forefront of legal practice today. By focusing on these law thesis topics, students can position themselves at the cutting edge of legal research and development.

Recent Trends in Law

The dynamic nature of legal systems worldwide ensures that the landscape of law is perpetually evolving. Recent trends in law have been shaped by technological advancements, societal shifts, and global events that have prompted significant legal developments and debates. These trends provide fertile ground for law thesis topics, offering students a chance to explore the cutting-edge issues that are shaping modern legal doctrines and practices.

• Technology and Law: One of the most pervasive influences on recent legal trends is technology. From the rise of fintech and blockchain technology affecting financial regulations to the challenges posed by artificial intelligence in privacy and intellectual property law, technology is reshaping legal boundaries. Law students could examine topics such as the regulation of autonomous vehicles, legal responses to cybersecurity threats, or the implications of AI in criminal justice systems, including predictive policing and decision-making algorithms.
• Global Health and Law: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role of health law on a global scale. Recent legal trends have focused on public health law’s response to pandemics, including emergency powers, vaccination mandates, and quarantine measures. Thesis topics might analyze the balance between individual rights and public health safety, the legal implications of global vaccine distribution, or the role of the World Health Organization in shaping international health regulations.
• International Trade and Law: Recent shifts in international trade agreements and policies, such as Brexit and changes in the United States’ trade policies, have significant legal implications. Law students have the opportunity to delve into issues surrounding trade negotiations, tariffs, and the role of international bodies like the World Trade Organization in mediating global trade disputes. Additionally, the rise of protectionist policies and their legal ramifications offers a rich area for scholarly investigation.
• Social Justice and Law: Recent years have seen a marked increase in legal initiatives focused on social justice, including movements towards criminal justice reform, police accountability, and the decriminalization of certain activities. Law thesis topics could explore the legal frameworks surrounding prison reform, the abolition of cash bail systems, or the legalization of cannabis and its social, economic, and legal impacts.
• Environmental and Energy Law: With the urgent need for environmental sustainability, recent legal trends have increasingly focused on environmental and energy law. Topics for exploration include the transition to renewable energy sources, legal strategies for reducing carbon footprints, and the enforcement of international environmental agreements like the Paris Accord. Law students could also investigate the legal aspects of green technology patents and their role in promoting eco-friendly innovations.
• Corporate Responsibility and Ethics: There is a growing trend towards ensuring that corporations operate more transparently and ethically, particularly in relation to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. This shift has led to new regulations and legal standards, offering thesis topics on corporate governance reforms, the legal liabilities of ignoring climate change impacts, and the integration of corporate social responsibility into business operations.

These recent trends in law reflect a world where legal systems are rapidly adapting to external changes and internal pressures. For law students, engaging with these law thesis topics not only provides an opportunity to contribute to scholarly discourse but also to influence future legal practices and policies. As these trends continue to evolve, they will undoubtedly shape the legal landscape for years to come, providing ongoing opportunities for impactful legal research.

Future Directions in Law

The legal landscape is continually evolving, driven by shifts in technology, societal norms, and global dynamics. Identifying and understanding future directions in law is crucial for law students as they consider thesis topics that not only address current legal challenges but also anticipate upcoming legal trends. This exploration provides insights into potential legal reforms, the emergence of new legal fields, and the adaptation of law to future societal needs.

• The Expansion of Cyber Law: As digital technology becomes even more integrated into daily life, the future of law will increasingly hinge on addressing cyber-related issues. Future law thesis topics might explore regulations for the Internet of Things (IoT), legal responses to virtual realities, and the implications of quantum computing on data security and encryption. Additionally, the legalities of digital personhood and AI’s rights and responsibilities will challenge traditional legal frameworks and require innovative legal thinking.
• Climate Change Legislation: Climate change continues to be an urgent global issue, necessitating robust legal frameworks that promote environmental sustainability and mitigate harm. Future legal scholars might focus on international climate agreements, the development of national laws that enforce global climate goals, and the legal responsibilities of countries and corporations in reducing their carbon footprint. The role of law in promoting green technologies and sustainable urban planning will also be critical areas for research.
• Global Legal Cooperation: In an interconnected world, the future of law lies in global cooperation, particularly in areas like human rights, international trade, and public health. Law students could examine the potential for new international treaties, the evolution of supranational legal institutions, and the ways legal systems can work together to address issues such as migration, pandemics, and international crime.
• Legal Implications of Biotechnology: As biotechnological advancements continue, so too will their legal implications. Future thesis topics may include the regulation of genetic editing techniques, bioethics, bioprinting of human organs, and the patenting of biotechnological inventions. The balance between innovation and ethical considerations will be a significant focus, as will the protection of genetic data.
• Reforming Justice Systems: There is an ongoing need for justice system reform, particularly concerning equity, efficiency, and accessibility. Future directions in law could involve examining alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, the decriminalization of certain offenses, and reforms in sentencing practices. Additionally, the adoption of technology in the justice system, such as virtual courtrooms and AI in legal decision-making, presents both opportunities and challenges.
• The Future of Labor Law: The nature of work and the workplace is changing rapidly, prompted by technology and evolving business models. Future law thesis topics might include the legal status and rights of gig economy workers, the use of AI in workplace management, and the implications of remote work for labor law. Legal scholars will need to consider how labor laws can adapt to continue protecting workers’ rights in this new landscape.
• Protecting Rights in a Digital World: As personal and societal activities increasingly move online, protecting individual rights becomes more complex and essential. Future legal research could focus on digital identity, the right to digital privacy, and freedom of expression online. Legal frameworks will need to evolve to protect these rights adequately while balancing them against national security concerns and societal norms.

These future directions in law offer a glimpse into the potential challenges and areas of growth for the legal profession. For law students, engaging with these topics not only helps push the boundaries of current legal thought but also prepares them to play an active role in shaping the future of the legal landscape.

The exploration of law thesis topics is more than an academic requirement; it’s a chance to engage deeply with the legal issues that shape our society and influence our daily lives. As we have seen, the scope of potential topics spans from traditional legal analyses to emerging legal challenges brought about by technological and social changes. Whether addressing longstanding issues or anticipating future legal shifts, students equipped with the right thesis topic can contribute meaningfully to the discourse within their chosen field. Encouragingly, the breadth of law thesis topics offers endless possibilities for investigation and innovation, promising a rich tapestry of legal knowledge that will evolve with the changing world.

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35 Law Dissertation Topic Ideas

Choosing a topic for a law dissertation is like standing at a crossroads; the direction you pick can shape your academic journey and professional future. Law, a field rich in complexity and diversity, offers a myriad of paths to explore.

Whether you’re drawn to criminal justice, human rights, commercial law, or environmental policies, the key is to select a topic that not only ignites your passion but also contributes to the existing body of knowledge. In this article, we’ll walk through 35 law dissertation topic ideas, each with its own unique angle and significance.

Law Dissertation Topic Ideas

These ideas are designed to inspire, challenge, and guide you in finding a topic that resonates with your interests and academic goals.

Idea #1: The Evolution of Privacy Laws in the Digital Age

Why it’s appropriate: This topic is incredibly relevant in our technology-driven society. It’s ideal for students interested in how legal frameworks adapt to the digital world.

Idea #2: International Human Rights Law and Refugees

Why it’s appropriate: This is a timely subject, especially with ongoing global conflicts. It suits those passionate about humanitarian law and global justice.

Idea #3: Intellectual Property Rights in the Music Industry

Why it’s appropriate: Perfect for those interested in entertainment law and creative rights. It’s especially relevant in an era of digital streaming and content sharing.

Idea #4: Corporate Social Responsibility and Law

Why it’s appropriate: This topic merges business and ethics, ideal for students intrigued by how corporations are legally bound to social responsibilities.

Idea #5: Environmental Law and Climate Change Policies

Why it’s appropriate: Given the urgency of climate change, this topic is both current and vital. It’s perfect for students passionate about environmental justice.

Idea #6: Legal Implications of Artificial Intelligence

Why it’s appropriate: As AI becomes more integrated into society, its legal implications are vast and uncharted. This topic is cutting-edge and innovative.

Idea #7: The Impact of Brexit on UK Law

Why it’s appropriate: Brexit is a landmark event with significant legal consequences. It suits students interested in European and UK law.

Idea #8: Cybersecurity Laws and Data Protection

Why it’s appropriate: In our digital era, this topic is crucial. It’s well-suited for students keen on technology law and privacy issues.

Idea #9: Comparative Study of Divorce Laws in Different Cultures

Why it’s appropriate: This offers a global perspective on family law. It’s great for those interested in cultural studies and legal diversity.

Idea #10: Legal Ethics and Professional Conduct

Why it’s appropriate: A fundamental topic, perfect for those interested in the moral dimensions of legal practice.

Idea #11: Child Custody Laws and Their Psychological Impact

Why it’s appropriate: This topic combines law with psychology, ideal for students interested in family law and child welfare.

Idea #12: The Legalization of Euthanasia: A Comparative Analysis

Why it’s appropriate: A controversial yet important topic, suitable for students interested in health law and ethics.

Idea #13: The Role of International Law in Preventing War Crimes

Why it’s appropriate: This topic is significant for those interested in peace studies and international justice.

Idea #14: Legal Strategies Against Human Trafficking

Why it’s appropriate: It’s a critical issue in human rights law, perfect for students passionate about advocacy and social justice.

Idea #15: Copyright Law in the Digital Era

Why it’s appropriate: Relevant for students interested in how digitalization affects creative rights and content distribution.

Idea #16: The Influence of Law on Economic Growth

Why it’s appropriate: This topic merges economics and law, ideal for students interested in the legal aspects of economic policies.

Idea #17: Legal Challenges in the Adoption of Renewable Energy

Why it’s appropriate: A forward-looking topic, perfect for those interested in environmental law and sustainable development.

Idea #18: Sports Law and Athlete Contracts

Why it’s appropriate: Great for students interested in the intersection of sports, business, and law.

Idea #19: Media Law and Freedom of Speech

Why it’s appropriate: This topic is crucial in our era of information and media. It suits those passionate about media ethics and constitutional law.

Idea #20: Legal Issues in Medical Malpractice

Why it’s appropriate: A pertinent topic for students interested in the intersection of law and healthcare.

Idea #21: Gender Discrimination in the Workplace: Legal Perspectives

Why it’s appropriate: This topic tackles a significant issue in employment law and is ideal for students passionate about gender equality and labor rights.

Idea #22: The Legal Framework of Cryptocurrencies

Why it’s appropriate: A cutting-edge topic, suitable for students interested in financial law and emerging technologies.

Idea #23: The Effectiveness of International Sanctions

Why it’s appropriate: Ideal for students interested in international relations and law.

Idea #24: Legal Issues in Drone Use and Regulation

Why it’s appropriate: A modern and innovative topic, perfect for those interested in aviation law and technology.

Idea #25: White-Collar Crime and Legal Responses

Why it’s appropriate: A significant topic in criminal law, suitable for students interested in corporate crime and justice.

Idea #26: The Role of Law in Social Change

Why it’s appropriate: This topic explores how law can be a tool for societal improvement. It’s ideal for students passionate about social justice and legal reform.

Idea #27: Animal Rights and Legal Protection

Why it’s appropriate: A unique topic, perfect for students interested in environmental law and ethics.

Idea #28: The Legal Implications of Biotechnology

Why it’s appropriate: This topic is at the frontier of science and law, ideal for students interested in legal issues surrounding biotech advancements.

Idea #29: Legal Aspects of International Trade Agreements

Why it’s appropriate: Suitable for students interested in the legalities of global commerce and trade law.

Idea #30: The Role of Judiciary in Democracy

Why it’s appropriate: A fundamental topic, perfect for those interested in constitutional law and the justice system.

Idea #31: Legal Protection for Indigenous Peoples

Why it’s appropriate: This topic is vital for students interested in human rights and cultural preservation.

Idea #32: The Legal Ethics of Self-driving Cars

Why it’s appropriate: A futuristic topic, suitable for students interested in the intersection of law and emerging automotive technologies.

Idea #33: Patent Law and Innovation

Why it’s appropriate: Ideal for students interested in how legal frameworks influence technological advancement and protection.

Idea #34: The Legalities of Space Exploration

Why it’s appropriate: A visionary topic, perfect for those interested in the laws governing outer space and extraterrestrial activities.

Idea #35: The Impact of Social Media on Privacy Laws

Why it’s appropriate: Highly relevant in today’s digital society, this topic is ideal for students interested in privacy rights and digital law.

Choosing the right dissertation topic in law is a journey of exploration and discovery. The ideas presented here offer a starting point for this journey, covering a range of legal areas from the highly traditional to the cutting-edge.

Each topic holds the potential to not only enhance your understanding of the law but also to make a meaningful contribution to the field. Remember, the best dissertation topic is one that captivates your interest, challenges your intellect, and contributes to your career path in law.

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Law Dissertation Topics

Published by Owen Ingram at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On May 29, 2024

Law dissertations can be demanding because of the need to find relevant regulations, cases, and data to address the research problem successfully. It is of utmost importance to critically examine facts before framing the  research questions .

Selection of the most appropriate legal terms and legal authorities, whether online or in print, can be challenging, especially if you have not tackled a law dissertation project before.

To help you select an intriguing law  dissertation  topic,  our expert writers have suggested some issues in various areas of law, including trust law, EU law, family law, employment and equality law, public law, tort law, intellectual property rights, commercial law, evidence, and criminal law, and human rights and immigration law.

These topics have been developed by PhD-qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

Review the step-by-step guide on how to write your own dissertation  here.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question , aim and objectives ,  literature review  along the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation examples to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of dissertation topics for 2024 here.

Law Dissertation Topics & Ideas

Topic 1: the role of international criminal laws in reducing global genocide.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the role of international criminal laws in reducing global genocide. It will be an exploratory study identifying the explicit and implicit effects of international criminal laws on the worldwide genocide. It will analyse different incidents of international genocide and find out how international criminal laws played a positive role in reducing these incidents. Lastly, it will recommend possible changes in international criminal laws to effectively mitigate global genocide. And it will be done by comparing criminal laws of world-leading powers to reduce genocide.

Topic 2: Impact of Anti-Racism Employment Laws on Organisational Culture- A Comparative Study on the Anti-Racism Employment Laws in the US and Canada

Research Aim: This research aims to find the impact of anti-racism employment laws on the organisational culture in the US and Canada in a comparative analysis. It will identify the change in employees’ behaviour after implementing anti-racism laws. Moreover, it will find whether employees gleefully welcomed these laws or showed resistance. And how do these laws affect the organisations’ performance that strictly implemented them?

Topic 3: Globalisation, international business transactions, and commercial law- A perspective from literature.

Research Aim: Students and practitioners can find the law of international business transactions as a subfield within a broader field of international commercial law to be somewhat amorphous.

This study will explain the impact of globalisation on international business transactions and commercial law by establishing some necessary links between the study of transnational business law and related fields of international studies. This study also aims to address theories about foreign business regulation, such as the idea that it is free of power politics. For the collection of data existing literature will be studied. The methodology of this research will rely on existing previous literature.

Topic 4: Investigating the impact of competition law on the businesses in the UK- Post Brexit

Research Aim: This study aims to investigate the impact of competition laws on businesses in the post-Brexit UK. The proposed study will not only analyse the performance of the businesses with the current competition laws. But also analyse the impact of possible changes in competition laws on the businesses in the post-Brexit UK. It will also incorporate the possible difference of changes in competition laws in deal, no-deal, hard deal, and soft deal scenarios. This way of individually analysing the difference in competition laws due to the status of the UK’s deal with the EU will give better insights into how businesses will be affected by these laws in the post-Brexit UK.

Topic 5: A comparison between Islamic and contemporary laws against rape. Which law is the most effective in preventing this horrific crime?

Research Aim: For several years, marital and non-marital relations in Muslim-majority countries have been a source of controversy. Under Islamic law, it is strictly forbidden for a Muslim, or even non-Muslim, to engage in illicit sexual relations with the opposite gender under any situation. The current study will help us understand the concepts presented in Islamic laws about rape cases. In this context, a comparative analysis of Islamic and contemporary law will be explained. It will also identify efficient and effective strategies to prevent this horrific crime.

Law Dissertation Topics for the COVID Crisis

Topic 1: the legal implications of the covid-19 pandemic on canadian immigration and the way forward..

Research Aim: This study will focus on how the Canadian government benefits from resources accrued from immigration, the impact of COVID-19 on Canadian Immigration, the current legislation on immigration, the effects of COVID-19 on the immigration law, the possible amendments that could help cushion the impact and the way forward.

Topic 2: Effect of COVID-19 on the United States Immigration policies; an assessment of International Legal agreements governing pandemic disease control and the way forward.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the pandemic’s effect on immigration policies in the United States. It also suggests the required steps based on the laws that regulate government acts during an outbreak of a pandemic.

Topic 3: Creating legal policies in preparedness for the global pandemic; lessons from COVID-19 on Canadian immigration policies.

Research Aim: This research will focus on how the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and how most countries seemed unprepared. Historical background of the flu pandemic can also be made to assess how the world overcame the pandemic. And the need for the Canadian government or any other country you wish to choose can prepare for a global pandemic by creating legal policies that could help prepare ahead for such a period, such as policies on scientific research and funding.

Topic 4: The need for uniformity of competition law and policy in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries; An approach to the European Union standard.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the Gulf Cooperation Countries and their current legislation on competition law and its implications. Countries under the European Union’s competition law, the legal implications, and the need to consider such a part.

Topic 5: The need for competition law and policy enforcement; An analysis of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.

Research Aim: This research focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries’ competition laws and their enforceability. It analyses the benefits of enforcing the competition law and looks at the European Union’s uniformed laws and their benefits. It looks into the various countries, how the competition law currently works, and how it can affect each country’s economy in a better way or adequately enforced.

Topic 6: Provisions of the law on rape, the need to expand its coverage on the misuse of its provisions, and false accusations.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the law’s present provisions on rape and rape victims and the recent false accusations.

Topic 7: Summary dismissal of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the legal implications under the labour law, and the way forward. The Case Study of Nigeria

Research Aim: This research will focus on the statistics of people who were summarily dismissed during the COVID-19 pandemic based on natural occurrences, provisions of the law against summary dismissal, and its enforcement, and how this can be cushioned against future events. The labour law needs to be expanded to cover similar situations to protect workers.

Topic 8: A legal assessment of the settlement of international disputes through the peaceful process and its effectiveness

Research Aim: This research focuses on the mode of dispute settlement in the international community, assessment of international laws and treaties on peaceful settlement of conflicts among countries of member states, the methods of dispute settlements, its strengths and weaknesses, and the need to improve the current mechanisms of peaceful settlement in the international community.

Topic 9: The protection of minority shareholders and the majority shareholders' power in Companies, a critical analysis of the Nigerian Companies and Allied Matters Act provisions.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the law’s provisions for protecting minority shareholders in companies and the majority shareholders’ power. How effective are these provisions in protecting the minorities against the management of the majority shareholders, and what is the way forward

More Law Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: world bank developmental projects and greater accountability.

Research Aim: Examine communities impacted by development operations under the World Bank Development project schemes using the project law model to understand the lack of participation and successful influence of these communities to improve accountability and good governance.

Topic 2: The right to bear arms: Rethinking the second amendment

Research Aim: Gun control and the right to bear arms has been an ever-evolving web discourse in the United States. The research aims to analyse how gun control laws have changed in the USA since specifically focusing on the 2nd Amendment and its original framework.

Topic 3: Rethinking the international legal framework protecting journalists in war and conflict zones.

Research Question: Is the current legal framework still appropriate for protecting journalists in today’s conflict zones? Research Aim: The primary body of law that is set out to protect journalists includes the Geneva Conventions and their additional Protocols. However, since the time they were drafted and decades after, there have been conspicuous changes to the way warfare is conducted. It is imperative to examine this body of law in order to improve it, as journalists have now become prime targets in war zones and conflict areas because of their profession.

Topic 4: A critical analysis of the employment law of disabled individuals in the UK and what new policies can be integrated to increase its efficiency.

Research Aim: Employment or labour law has always been under the limelight. Many critiques and researchers have proposed different amendments to the existing law pertaining to labour and employees. The main aim of the research is to critically analyse the employment law of disabled individuals in the UK along with effective recommendations that need to be made in order to make the existing law more efficient and effective.

Topic 5: A critical evaluation of racial discrimination laws in developed countries and how they impact the workplace environment

Research Aim: Racial discrimination has always been a controversial issue in almost every part of the World. However, many developed countries (companies) face severe racial discrimination issues that directly impact their name and brand value. Therefore, this research provides a critical evaluation of racial discrimination laws, particularly in developed countries. Moreover, the research will focus on how racial discrimination laws are impacting the workplace environment.

Topic 6: A comparative analysis of legislation, policy, and guidelines of domestic abuse between the UK and the USA.

Research Aim: Domestic laws basically deal with and provide criminal rules for punishing individuals who have physically or emotionally harmed their own family members. It has been found that many domestic cases of abuse are not reported to the concerned authority. Due to this reason, the main focus of the research is to conduct a comparative analysis of legislation, policy, and guidelines of domestic abuse between the UK and the USA and how effective both countries have been in minimising domestic abuse.

Topic 7: Analysing the negative impact of technology in protecting the intellectual property rights of corporations.

Research Aim: Intellectual property has gained significant importance after the emergence of counterfeit products coming from different parts of the world. It has been found that many factors have motivated the sale of counterfeit products. Therefore, this research aims to analyse the negative impact of technology in protecting the intellectual property rights of products and corporations.

Topic 8: A critical assessment of the terrorism act of 2010 and its impact on Muslims living around the globe.

Research Aim: Since the incident of 9/11, the entire world has been under the pressure of terrorism activities, especially Muslims living around the world. Therefore, this research intends to critically assess the terrorism act of 2010 and its impact on Muslims living around the globe.

Trust Law Dissertation Topics

The trust law requires the settler to meet the three certainties, including the object, intention, and subject matter. As posted to a moral obligation or mere gift, confidence of choice can be best described as clarity of purpose. Some interesting dissertation topics in the field of trust law  are listed below:

• To investigate the attitude of the courts to trusts supporting political agendas.
• To identify and discuss principles on which half-secret and full-secret trusts are enforced. Does a literature review highlight circumstances where it is essential to consider whether such beliefs are constructive and expressive?
• The role and impact of trust law as asset portioning and fiduciary governance
• From law to faith: Letting go of secret trusts
• Critical analysis of the statement “Traditionally, equity and the law of trusts have been concerned with providing justice to balance out the rigour of the common law” regarding modern equity development/operation.
• Should the assumption of resulting trusts and progression be abolished in this modern age? A critical review of the literature
• A critical examination of the courts’ concern of financial reward in the context of “trustee powers of investment.”
• Does the doctrine of cypress do justice to the intentions of the testator?
• The impact of the decision of Harrison v Gibson on the law of the clarity of intention.
• The approval of trustees in the Zimbabwean law of trusts

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ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service!

European Law Dissertation Topics

European law has recently attracted wide attention from the academic world, thanks to the growing influence of European Law on administrative law in EU members. It should be noted that every aspect of life in European states is significantly affected by European law, and therefore, this area of research has gained tremendous popularity. Some exciting and specific research areas are given below:

• A critical review of the European anti-discrimination Law
• To investigate the economics and history of European Law.
• An investigation of the European human rights law
• Investigating the impact of “Freedom of Speech” on the German economy
• Investigating the impact of immigration laws on the German economy
• How the French parliamentary sovereignty has been affected by the European Union
• Uniform interpretation of European patent law with a unique view on the creation of a standard patent court
• The impact of European consensus in the jurisprudence of the European court of Human Rights.
• The impact of the European convention on human rights on international human rights law
• A critical analysis of the tensions between European trade and social policy
• To investigate the European Union’s enforcement actions and policies against member countries.
• European Laws amidst the Brexit process

Read this Article.

Family Law Dissertation Topics

A wide range of topics are covered under the field of family law and the law of children. Essentially, this area of law takes into consideration the registration of marriages, statutory rights concerning marriage, the effects of a decree, void and voidable marriages, the impact of the Human Rights Act, the legal stature of unmarried and married individuals, and the case for reform of UK family law . Other research areas include enforcing financial responsibilities in the Magistrates court, enforcing the arrears of maintenance payments, the award of maintenance, enforcing financial obligations to children or a child, financial orders for children, and the Child Support Act. An extremely intriguing area of law that has gained tremendous popularity in the modern era, some specific  dissertation topics  in this area of law studies are listed below:

• Investigating therapeutic and theoretical approaches to deal with spouse abuse in light of the UK government’s latest research on domestic violence
• Unmarried fathers’ access to parental responsibility – Does the current law enforce rights and responsibilities towards children?
• To study the criminal justice process involving a child witness.
• The children’s right to participation – Rhetoric or Reality? – A critical review of literature from the past two decades
• To study the position of unmarried fathers in the UK.
• Does the UK Family law need a major reform?
• A critical review of the rights of married women in real estate
• Child welfare and the role of local authorities
• To study the legal and social foundations of parenting, civil partnership, and marriage.
• To examine whether the Child Support Act has positively influenced child maintenance.

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Employment Law Dissertation Topics

Employment and equality law governs the relationship between the government, trade unions, employers, and employees.  Employment and equality law in the UK is a body of law that prevents bias and negative attitudes towards someone based on their ethnicity or race rather than work skills and experience. Some interesting dissertation topics  in this area of law are below:

• A critical investigation of the right to fair labour practices in the United Kingdom
• To determine the job’s inherent requirements as a defence to unfair discrimination or a claim – A comparison between the United Kingdom and Canada.
• The role of the South African Labour Relations Act in providing unhappy staff sufficient protection against unfair dismissals and discrimination at the workplace
• To investigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on employees’ lives with a focus on unfair dismissal and discrimination.
• To assess ethnic discrimination in the European Union: Derogations from the ban on discrimination – Sexual harassment – Equal pay for equal value work.
• To study the international employment contract – Regulation, perception, and reality.
• To identify and discuss challenges associated with equality at work.
• A study of the legal aspects of the relationship between employer and employee
• How influential is the role of trade unions in English employment law?
• A critical review of discrimination policies in the UK

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Commercial Law Dissertation Topics

Commercial law, also known as business law, is the whole body of substantive jurisprudence applicable to the conduct, relations, and rights of sales, trade, merchandising, and businesses and persons associated with commerce. Important issues of law covered by commercial law include real estate, secured transactions, credit transactions, bankruptcy, banking, and contracts. An intriguing area of law within the UK, specific topics for your law dissertation are listed below:

• The impact of legislation for the regulation of investment services with EU economic area on the EU financial services market
• Handling regulatory involvement incorporates organisational structure and strategy.
• A study of convergence and complementarities concerning international corporate governance
• How drafting and diffusion of uniform norms can help to harmonise the law of international commercial arbitration?
• Convergence and adaption in corporate governance to transnational standards in India
• A critical review of the international commercial arbitration system
• Analysing the international commercial law on risk transfer
• The role of the tripartite financial system in the UK on economic development
• A comparative analysis of European contract law, international commercial contracts law, and English commercial contracts law
• Is the European contracts law meeting the needs of the commercial community?
• A critical review of anti-corruption legislation in the UK
• The problems of director accountability in the UK and the impact of soft and hard law on corporate governance

Criminal and Evidence Law Dissertation Topics

Criminal law  can be defined as a system of law dealing with the punishment of criminals. Criminal evidence, on the other hand, concerns evidence/testimony presented in relation to criminal charges. Evidence can be presented in various forms in order to prove and establish crimes. A wide array of topics can be covered in this subject area. To help you narrow down your research focus, some  interesting topics  are suggested below:

• The politics of criminal law reform with a focus on lower-court decision-making
• To understand and establish the historical relationship between human rights and Islamic criminal law
• Investigating the rights of victims in internal criminal courts
• The efficacy of the law of rape in order to prevent misuse by bogus victims and to protect rightful victims
• To assess the criminal law’s approach to Omissions
• To investigate the issues associated with the identification of the distribution, extent, and nature of the crime
• A critical review of the Bad Samaritan laws and the law of omission liability
• How international criminal law has been significantly influenced by the “war on terrors”?
• The efficacy of modern approaches to the definition of intention in International criminal law
• The efficacy of the law of corporate manslaughter

Company Law Dissertation Topics

Company law, also known as the  law of business associations , is the body of law that deals with business organisations and their formation, registration, incorporation, governance, dissolution, and administration. Some suggestions for company law dissertation topics are listed below:

• Developing equity markets in growing economies and the importance of corporate law
• A critical review of English company law and its effects on member workers and creditors
• To investigate the essential aspects of corporate law.
• To study business responsibilities for human rights.
• Identifying disparities in corporate governance – Theories and Realities
• The external relations of company groups in Zambian Corporate law
• To study corporate governance practices concerning minority stakeholders.
• Establishing and evaluating arguments for and against “stakeholder theory.”
• The importance of non-executive directors in the British corporate legal system
• Investigating the regulation of the UK public company

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Intellectual Property and Tort Law Dissertation topics

All forms of legal injury are dealt with under the subject area of tort law. Essentially, tort law helps to establish the circumstances whereby a person may be held responsible for another person’s injury caused by either accident or intentional acts. On the other hand, intellectual property covers areas of law such as copyright, patents, and trademarks. Trademark dissertation topics trademark directive, trademarks act, infringement of trademarks such as revocation, invalidity, and the use of similar marks. Some interesting dissertation ideas and topics  of tort law and intellectual property are suggested below to help your law studies.

• The efficacy of intellectual property rights in the UK under the influence of European Law
• The efficacy of UK copyright law concerning the needs of rights users and holders
• The impact of intellectual property rights on economic development.
• To investigate the right of confidence in the UK
• Does the trademark law ensure sufficient protection in England?
• The impact of European Law on intellectual property rights in the UK
• The end of the road for loss of a chance?
• To assess the success ratio of psychiatric injury claims in the UK
• Should a no-fault system be implemented into UK law, or should the law of negligence apply to personal injury claims?
• A critical review of economic loss in 21st-century tort law

Human Rights and Immigration Law

The primary objective of human rights and immigration law is to ensure and protect human rights at domestic, regional, and international levels. With the world becoming a global village, human rights and immigration laws have attracted significant attention from academicians and policymakers. Some interesting law dissertation topics in this subject area are suggested below:

• To assess the efficacy of the common European Asylum system in terms of immigration detention.
• A historical analysis of Britain’s immigration and asylum policies
• A critical analysis of immigration policy in Britain since 1990
• A critical analysis of the right of the police and the public right to protest under PACE 1984
• The right of prisoners to vote under the European law of human rights
• Arguments for and against the death penalty in English Law with a focus on human rights treatise
• A critical analysis of the right to private life and family for failed asylum seekers
• The impact of UK immigration policies on the current education industry
• How beneficial the points system has really been in regards to creating a cap in the British immigration system
• To study the impact of privatisation on immigration detention and related functions in the UK.

More Human Rights Law Dissertation Topics

Pandemic Law Dissertation Topics

Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has become the most trending topic in the world since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic that started in China. Here are some interesting Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic Law topics that you can consider for your law dissertation.

• Co-parenting in the coronavirus pandemic: A family law scholar’s advice
• How San Diego law enforcement operated amid Coronavirus pandemic
• Pandemic preparedness in the workplace and the British with disabilities act
• Why, In a pandemic, rumours of martial Law fly despite reassurances
• Investigating About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19
• Resources to support workers in the UK during the Coronavirus pandemic
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic:
• A legal perspective
• Navigating the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) and employment laws in the UK going forward
• Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) and employment laws in the US going forward
• Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) and employment laws in Australia going forward

More Examples of Law Dissertation Topics

• A critical analysis of the employment law of disabled individuals in the UK and what new policies can be integrated to increase its efficiency
• A critical evaluation of racial discrimination laws in developed countries and how it impacts the workplace environment
• A comparative analysis of domestic abuse with the legislation, policy, and domestic abuse guidelines between the UK and USA.
• Analysing the negative impact of technology in protecting the intellectual property rights of corporations.
• A critical assessment of the terrorism act of 2010 and its impact on Muslims living around the Globe.
• Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Legal Practice
• The Rise of Blockchain Technology in Contract Law
• The Legal Implications of Gene Editing Technology
• Data Privacy in the Age of Social Media Surveillance
• The Impact of Automation on Employment Law
• The Regulation of Cryptocurrency and its Legal Challenges
• Cybercrime Investigations and International Cooperation
• Ethical Concerns of The Use of Big Data in Criminal Profiling
• The Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Programs for Young Offenders
• The Legal Challenges of Policing Protests and Demonstrations
• The Rise of Hate Speech and the Limits of Free Expression
• The Protection of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in a Globalised World
• Climate Change Litigation and the Rise of Eco-Justice
• The Regulation of Microplastics and its Environmental Impact
• The Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Protection
• Marine Protected Areas: Balancing Conservation and Economic Interests
• The Legal Challenges of Sustainable Development
• The Role of International Environmental Law in Addressing Climate Change
• The Regulation of Fintech and its Disruptive Potential
• The Rise of Mergers and Acquisitions in a Globalised Economy
• The Legal Challenges of Cross-Border Business Transactions
• Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Age
• The Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Businesses
• The Legal Implications of Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption Rights
• Surrogacy Arrangements and the Rights of All Parties Involved
• The Changing Face of Family Structures and the Law
• Child Custody Agreements in International Parental Disputes
• The Use of Mediation in Family Law Disputes
• The Rise of Populism and its Challenges to Democratic Institutions
• The Role of Judicial Review in Holding Governments Accountable
• The Regulation of Lobbying and its Influence on Policymaking
• National Security Laws and the Balance Between Security and Liberty

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Uk’s best academic support services. how would you know until you try, important notes:.

As a law dissertation student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing law dissertation theories – i.e., to add value and interest to the topic of your research.

The field of law dissertation is vast and interrelated to many other academic disciplines like civil engineering ,  construction ,  project management , engineering management , healthcare , mental health , artificial intelligence , tourism , physiotherapy , sociology , management , project management , and nursing . That is why it is imperative to create a project management dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your fundamental research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your case wrong: your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation as you may end up in a cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best law dissertation topics that fulfils your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalising your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample law dissertation topics to get an idea for your dissertation.

How to Structure Your Law Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths while identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic, and binding terms can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods and data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of the results in this chapter, and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section is establishing the link between the products and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regard to the implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References : Make sure to complete this according to your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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How to find law dissertation topics.

To find law dissertation topics:

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• Consider societal or technological influences.
• Consult professors and peers.
• Select a topic aligning with your passion and career aspirations.

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160+ Outstanding Law Dissertation Topics for Students

If you are a university student studying law, you would know that it is both, exciting and stressful to work on dissertations because law dissertation topics or help with dissertation are not easy to select.

While students can pick a topic that interests them, good thesis topics for law, students would be the ones that offer ample scope for research and study. It is vital to keep in mind that dissertations tend to get lengthy; therefore, your topic should also be a subject you can manage to finish working on within the time you have at hand. Given below are some exciting topics that you can explore for your law school thesis.

Business Law Dissertation Topics

Business law, also known as commercial law, focuses on the legal aspects of the conduct, rights, and relations of individuals or organizations that engage in commerce, trade, and merchandising activities. Therefore, commercial law masters thesis topics have a broad scope as they revolve around important and relatable aspects guiding society and trade. Here are some exciting business law topics to write about. Take a look:

• Business laws against corruption within firms — an in-depth evaluation
• Commercial Law and its effectiveness in supporting commercial transactions.
• Copyright Infringement – Understanding the difference between online and offline law enforcement.
• Business partnerships: Threats, legal remedies, and results
• Commercial laws guiding energy projects within the country and a comparison with top countries globally.
• Online advertising – working within the framework and guidelines of Advertising Law
• US commercial laws: A review on what needs to change
• Legal framework guiding unfair advertising and marketing practices – a case study analysis
• Business wills — application, significance, and role in translations of Business Law
• Domestic vs International commercial laws of five countries
• Pre-incorporation contracts – a thorough analysis
• International commercial law programs: An assessment of their effectiveness as part of the University curriculum
• Importance of investigating a business’s application for Copyright and Trademark
• Arbitration under commercial law: In-depth analysis and evaluation of policy practice
• Evaluating anti-corruption regulations for businesses through a relevant case study
• Laws governing Corporate Social Responsibility for businesses and their evaluation
• Termination agreements — application, significance, and role in business transactions
• The Law of Contracts — Interpretations and Role in Business Transactions
• Director’s Guarantee – Its role in Business law and the Structure of Transactions
• What is the role of a Business Entity concerning Commercial Law – An analysis
• Contract Laws and an evaluation of the application of Verbal or Nonverbal Agreements
• The role of Commercial Law in establishing a business framework within the society
• The legislature and its role in the interpretation and working of contracts
• Commercial Vs RegularLease – Analysing the pros and cons for the businesses
• Commercial lease – Significance, difficulties, and importance for business owners

International Law Thesis Topics

International law is an important area of interest when it comes to thesis writing. You can focus on studying the legal aspects of economic trade, businesses during the war, global pandemics, and more. Ethics and human rights play a significant role in international matters. Here are some excellent international law research topics to explore:

• Hearings on cases in International Human Rights Court — What precedence says
• Challenges faced by parties involved in contracts related to the International Sale of Goods (CISG) when the Vienna Convention is applied.
• What do the future hold for internet legislation and digital laws
• Are International Tribunals effective in taking action against war crimes?
• An in-depth analysis of various conditions under which international intervention in trade or matters of general affairs of a country is permitted by law
• International criminal laws — an assessment of the underlying principles and need for change
• Human rights law: An international perspective on gaps that need to be addressed
• Violation of Laws and Human Rights when the US got involved in matters of Iraq – An analysis
• Enforcement of international laws in developing countries – Issues, justification, and remedies
• Military cooperation between the UK and the US to address terror — A historical perspective and future analysis
• What are the civil liberties in International law and how do they impact public safety
• Post-Brexit era — where does consumer protection stand?
• Laws ensuring the protection of civilians against unlawful communication during armed conflicts between countries
• International laws governing rescue and protection of human rights of refugees at sea
• International civil jurisdiction on transborder disputes related to the infringement of intellectual property rights — a comprehensive study

Criminal law thesis topics

The study of Criminal law comprises understanding the laws that govern the prosecution of individuals who have committed crimes as defined by law. When you select law master thesis topics based on criminal law, you can choose law enforcement topics related to drug dealing, manslaughter, kidnapping, and more. Some examples are shared below:

• Female and male rape legislations: An in-depth evaluation of critical differences
• Using lie detectors _ an assessment of their efficacy in criminal justice
• Are manslaughter laws possible to misuse — what are the remedies to protect such victims?
• A detailed analysis of crime-related factors best not presented in the court of law and why?
• Witness protection – laws, guidelines, and measures against retaliation
• Death Penalty – History, justification, and analysis
• Criminal theory – A thematic review to explore the connection between morality and crime
• Challenges in identification of the nature of crime and its distribution — an in-depth analysis based on a case study
• Is anatomy justified in lawsuits related to sexual offenses — evaluating the rights of the victim and the defendant
• Legal rights — striking a balance between the rights of the victim and the defendant during the lawsuit
• What are the implications of the war against terror — Enforcement of criminal law and its implications
• A case study analysis of the war against terror
• A case study analysis of racial prejudice in prison
• Religious laws and crimes in developing nations
• Police interrogations – Principles, legal framework, and human rights

Child in conflict with the law thesis topics

These topics are related to the study of issues and laws concerning children who conflict with the law due to committing juvenile crimes.

• Legal protection and rights of children in cases of a child in conflict with the law
• Children in conflict with the law in metro cities and the legal framework guiding the handling of such cases
• Improving the legal protection available for children in conflict with the law
• An in-depth study of the measures available to reintegrate children in conflict with the law into the society
• Laws to facilitate the rehabilitation of children in conflict with the law
• Exploitation and abuse of children in conflict with the law and remedies to prevent it
• Procedures in court for children in conflict with the law
• Violence and exploitation leading children into conflict with the law – Case study analysis
• Human rights and laws supporting children affected by illegal migration
• Analyzing children’s rights against harmful work and economic exploitation

Controversial law topics

As a college student, there will be umpteen issues that will spark debates and encourage you to take a stance either for or against. These may include constitutional law paper topics or laws on sensitive matters that have triggered global emotions. Here are some such topics to explore:

• Reviewing the need for the Gun Law
• Abortion – Pro-choice or pro-life the legal angles
• Understanding religious freedom by law and the freedom of choice to deny service based on religion
• Prescription of addictive opioids as legal painkillers — the justification and after effects
• The legal framework guiding animal research
• Vaccine administration from the perspective of legal implications, compliance and non-compliance, herd immunity, and parental duty
• Right to privacy – the conflict between individual privacy Vs public safety
• Freemarket capitalization – government regulations vs free trade
• Environment support policies, government regulations, and economic costs
• Uniform minimum wage system — controversy, legal parameters, and remedies
• White supremacy — a political ideology that affects the legal and economic framework
• Legalizing marijuana for medicinal and recreational usage
• Capital punishment and its legal justification
• The Marriage Equality Act – Rights and responsibilities in same-sex marriages
• Black lives matter — an insight into the lack of political or legal repercussions for death in custody
• Immigration restrictions and reforms – scope for improvement and change
• The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and upholding deportation protection
• Temporary blocking of international students during the Corona Virus Pandemic – Legal implications
• Transgender rights — Remedies against discrimination and injustice caused by inequality
• Islamic Criminal law vis a vis Human Rights — an analysis.

Sports law topics

Sport is an ever-intriguing subject, and it offers some interesting legal topics for dissertation writing. Your topic can cover international sports laws, rules and regulations guiding sports, sporting bodies, their jurisdiction, and more.

• Cheerleading teams — negligence across different case studies
• Sports law implications on cases of doping in international events
• Legal aspects of international sporting events and the role of social media
• The transnational perspective of sports management – an overview
• Bosman Rulings – The EU Sports law and its international implications
• The management of club sports in the UK and related laws
• Match-fixing in football and sports laws governing the same
• Match-fixing in cricket and international sports laws governing the same
• Sportspersons marketing – Reviewing legal issues and influences
• Sports promotion aids in the UK, US, and EU — legal implications
• Legal aspects related to governance and monitoring of sports organizations
• Sports laws on lifestyle sports – a review
• National governing bodies of sports and their legal stance
• The role and impact of labor contracts concerning UK sporting bodies
• Policies and practices of the US sports law
• Visa systems for international sportspersons and problems faced by them
• Constitutional rights of student-athletes
• Sexual harassment in sports and laws against it
• Policies aiding the promotion and protection of rights of transgender athletes
• Coaches’ contract and employment laws

Hot thesis topics in employment law

Employment law offers some very interesting law topics to work on. Under this, you can write your dissertation on labor laws, worker compensation, immigration laws, minimum wages, wrongful termination, and many such research topics in law.

• How employment laws convergence with religion in the US
• UK employment laws — A before and after comparison after exiting the EU
• UK Trade Unions and their impact — challenges and successes
• A review of unfair dismissal laws in the UK
• Employment laws in the UK and US automobile industry — A comparative study
• Employment contracts in the UK manufacturing industry — A comprehensive study of job satisfaction
• Issues with application and enforcement of laws in international firms: A case study
• Agency workers — employment rights and legal status in firms
• US ‘Fire at will’ employment ability and should it be made possible in the UK.
• Social work employment — Reviewing all legal aspects through a case study
• Employee dismissal — a comparison of UK and EU laws.
• Working parents and the benefits of Flexibility Working Regulations 2002
• Gender differences in employment laws and regulations across the US and the UK.
• Analyzing the efficacy of sexual harassment laws in the workplace
• Employee mobility across EU countries — a legal overview.
• Employment laws concerning the disabled in the UK — policies, and practices
• Equality Act 2010 and the rights of disabled
• A comprehensive study of the right to fair labor practices in the UK
• Unfair Vs Wrongful — what offers greater protection under employment laws
• Zero-hour contracts — significance and ways to improve

Medical law and ethics thesis topics

Medical law focuses on the rights and responsibilities of patients and medical professionals. Some exciting areas of medical law that you can focus on include patient confidentiality, patient consent, negligence, professional malpractice, failure in diagnosing, treatment malpractices leading to injury or death, and patient defamation among other topics.

• Laws governing organ retention — pros and cons
• Organ transplantation — A comprehensive study of governing laws in the US.
• Abortion — A comprehensive study of governing laws and stages when abortion is allowed or forbidden in the UK.
• Do judges handling medical disputes need special education to ensure fact-based judgments?
• Forced sterilization — laws, implementation, and who is to be targeted?
• Laws governing medical research — a comprehensive study
• Disputes arising due to medical complications during surgeries — legal implications
• Unregistered medical intervention — Legal implications in the US
• Electronic fetal monitoring and concerning laws.
• Medical ethics in practice concerning medical law
• Assisted suicide — the legal, ethical, and medical perspectives
• Lawsuits and their effect on the commitment and dedication of medical practitioners
• Biobanks — The associated legal and ethical challenges
• Is it possible for medical practitioners to treat mental disorders without bias?
• Laws against animal cruelty during medical research — a case study

Family law thesis topics

Besides marriage, divorce, custody, compensation, and alimony, you can cover several other interesting aspects of family law in your dissertation. Given below are some examples of topics you can explore:

• UK Family Law — Changes over the past five decades.
• Human rights in countries following religious family laws
• Family lawsuits and how they are impacted by culture
• Domestic violence and its effects on men Vs women
• Deciding custody in divorce cases and the importance of the child’s desire in influencing the court’s decision
• Divorce law and how it has impacted the number of divorces
• Child neglect and its legal implications in the US
• Child justice Vs family justice: Evaluating the compatibility
• What are the factors that prevent couples from seeking a divorce?
• US family law — is it due for reforms?
• Family law and its provisions when a divorced parent wishes to move abroad with the child
• Cohabitation Law in the US and is it due for reforms
• Divorce laws — are they gender-biased or is it only a perception
• Custody rights when the child has learning disabilities — a comprehensive overview
• Do Islamic traditions impact family laws of UK-based Muslims
• UK family laws governing financial decisions in cases of dementia and forced separation
• Rights of children to have a family life in non-marital families
• Family laws governing marriage and divorce in transgender people — a comparison of US and UK
• Legal implications of non-consensual adoption in the US
• The role of grandparents in the social fabric and provisions in the Family law

The topics mentioned above are great examples of what you can write on. However, if you are still confused, are running against time, have too much on your platter, or are simply unsure how to proceed to feel free to take law thesis help from some of the best-rated writers we have on board.

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Legal Dissertation: Research and Writing Guide

About this guide, video on choosing a topic, tools on westlaw, lexis and bloomberg, circuit splits, research methodologies, additional methodology resources, conducting a literature review, beginning research, writing style guides, citation guides, ask a librarian.

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Choosing a topic can be one of the most challenging aspects of writing an extensive paper. This page has resources to help you find topics and inspiration, before you get started on the in-depth research process.

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Citation and Writing Resources

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This guide contains resources to help students researching and writing a legal dissertation or other upper-level writing project. Some of the resources in this guide are directed at researching and writing in general, not specifically on legal topics, but the strategies and tips can still be applied.

The Law Library maintains a number of other guides on related skills and topics that may be of interest:

The Wells Library also maintains guides. A few that may be helpful for managing research can be found here:

Choosing a Topic

This video discusses tips and strategies for choosing a dissertation topic.

Note: this video is not specific to legal dissertation topics, but it may still be of interest as an overview generally.

The Bloomberg/BNA publication United States Law Week can be a helpful resource for tracking down the major legal stories of the day.  Log into Bloomberg Law, in the big search box, start typing United States Law Week and the title will appear in the drop down menu beneath the box. This publication provides coverage of top legal news stories, and in-depth "insight" features.

If you have a general idea of the area of law you wish to write about, check out the Practice Centers on Bloomberg. From the homepage, click the Browse link in the top left-hand corner. Then select Practice Centers and look for your area of law. Practice Centers are helpful because they gather cases, statutes, administrative proceedings, news, and more on the selected legal area.

Bloomberg has other news sources available as well. From the homepage, click the Browse link in the top left-hand corner. Then select News and Analysis, then select News or Analysis, and browse the available topics.

If you know what area of law you'd like to write about, you may find the Browse Topics feature in Lexis Advance helpful for narrowing down your topic. 

Log into Lexis Advance, click the Browse Topics tab, and select a topic.  If you don't see your topic listed, try using the provided search bar to see whether your topic is categorized as a sub-topic within this list. 

Once you click on a topic, a box pops up with several options.  If you click on Get Topic Document, you'll see results listed in a number of categories, including Cases, Legislation, and more.  The News and Legal News categories at the right end of the list may help you identify current developments of interest for your note.  Don't forget about the filtering options on the left that will allow you to search within your results, narrow your jurisdiction, and more.

Similar to Lexis Advance, Westlaw Edge has a Topics tab that may be helpful if you know what area of law you'd like to write about.

Log onto Westlaw Edge, and click on the Topics tab.  This time, you won't be able to search within this list, so if you're area is not listed, you should either run a regular search from the main search bar at the top or try out some of the topics listed under this tab - once you click on a topic, you can search within its contents.

What is great about the Topics in Westlaw Edge is the Practitioner Insights page you access by clicking on a topic.  This is an information portal that allows you quick access to cases, legislation, top news, and more on your selected topic.

In United States federal courts, a circuit split occurs whenever two or more circuit courts of appeals issue conflicting rulings on the same legal question. Circuit splits are ripe for legal analysis and commentary because they present a situation in which federal law is being applied in different ways in different parts of the country, even if the underlying litigants themselves are otherwise similarly situated. The Supreme Court also frequently accepts cases on appeal that involve these types of conflicted rulings from various sister circuits.

To find a circuit split on a topic of interest to you, try searching on Lexis and Westlaw using this method:

in the search box, enter the following: (circuit or court w/s split) AND [insert terms or phrases to narrow the search]

You can also browse for circuit splits on Bloomberg. On the Bloomberg homepage, in the "Law School Success" box, Circuit Splits Charts appear listed under Secondary Sources.

Other sources for circuit splits are American Law Reports (ALR) and American Jurisprudence (AmJur). These publications provide summaries of the law, point out circuit splits, and provide references for further research.

"Blawgs" or law-related blogs are often written by scholars or practitioners in the legal field.  Ordinarily covering current events and developments in law, these posts can provide inspiration for note topics.  To help you find blawgs on a specific topic, consider perusing the ABA's Blawg Directory or Justia's Blawg Search .

Research Methodology

Types of research methodologies.

There are different types of research methodologies. Methodology refers to the strategy employed in conducting research. The following methodologies are some of the most commonly used in legal and social science research.

Doctrinal legal research methodology, also called "black letter" methodology, focuses on the letter of the law rather than the law in action. Using this method, a researcher composes a descriptive and detailed analysis of legal rules found in primary sources (cases, statutes, or regulations). The purpose of this method is to gather, organize, and describe the law; provide commentary on the sources used; then, identify and describe the underlying theme or system and how each source of law is connected.

Doctrinal methodology is good for areas of law that are largely black letter law, such as contract or property law. Under this approach, the researcher conducts a critical, qualitative analysis of legal materials to support a hypothesis. The researcher must identify specific legal rules, then discuss the legal meaning of the rule, its underlying principles, and decision-making under the rule (whether cases interpreting the rule fit together in a coherent system or not). The researcher must also identify ambiguities and criticisms of the law, and offer solutions. Sources of data in doctrinal research include the rule itself, cases generated under the rule, legislative history where applicable, and commentaries and literature on the rule.

This approach is beneficial by providing a solid structure for crafting a thesis, organizing the paper, and enabling a thorough definition and explanation of the rule. The drawbacks of this approach are that it may be too formalistic, and may lead to oversimplifying the legal doctrine.

Comparative

Comparative legal research methodology involves critical analysis of different bodies of law to examine how the outcome of a legal issue could be different under each set of laws. Comparisons could be made between different jurisdictions, such as comparing analysis of a legal issue under American law and the laws of another country, or researchers may conduct historical comparisons.

When using a comparative approach be sure to define the reasons for choosing this approach, and identify the benefits of comparing laws from different jurisdictions or time periods, such as finding common ground or determining best practices and solutions. The comparative method can be used by a researcher to better understand their home jurisdiction by analyzing how other jurisdictions handle the same issue. This method can also be used as a critical analytical tool to distinguish particular features of a law. The drawback of this method is that it can be difficult to find material from other jurisdictions. Also, researchers should be sure that the comparisons are relevant to the thesis and not just used for description.

This type of research uses data analysis to study legal systems. A detailed guide on empirical methods can be found here . The process of empirical research involves four steps: design the project, collect and code the data, analyze the data, determine best method of presenting the results. The first step, designing the project, is when researchers define their hypothesis and concepts in concrete terms that can be observed. Next, researchers must collect and code the data by determining the possible sources of information and available collection methods, and then putting the data into a format that can be analyzed. When researchers analyze the data, they are comparing the data to their hypothesis. If the overlap between the two is significant, then their hypothesis is confirmed, but if there is little to no overlap, then their hypothesis is incorrect. Analysis involves summarizing the data and drawing inferences. There are two types of statistical inference in empirical research, descriptive and causal. Descriptive inference is close to summary, but the researcher uses the known data from the sample to draw conclusions about the whole population. Causal inference is the difference between two descriptive inferences.

Two main types of empirical legal research are qualitative and quantitative.

Quantitative, or numerical, empirical legal research involves taking information about cases and courts, translating that information into numbers, and then analyzing those numbers with statistical tools.

Qualitative, or non-numerical, empirical legal research involves extracting  information from the text of court documents, then interpreting and organizing the text into categories, and using that information to identify patterns.

Drafting The Methodology Section

This is the part of your paper that describes the research methodology, or methodologies if you used more than one. This section will contain a detailed description of how the research was conducted and why it was conducted in that way. First, draft an outline of what you must include in this section and gather the information needed.

Generally, a methodology section will contain the following:

• Statement of research objectives
• Reasons for the research methodology used
• Description and rationale of the data collection tools, sampling techniques, and data sources used, including a description of how the data collection tools were administered
• Discussion of the limitations
• Discussion of the data analysis tools used

Be sure that you have clearly defined the reasoning behind the chosen methodology and sources.

• Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing for International Graduate Students Nadia E. Nedzel Aspen (2004) A guide to American legal research and the federal system, written for international students. Includes information on the research process, and tips for writing. Located in the Law Library, 3rd Floor: KF 240 .N43 2004.
• Methodologies of Legal Research: Which Kind of Method for What Kind of Discipline? Mark van Hoecke Oxford (2013) This book examines different methods of legal research including doctrinal, comparative, and interdisciplinary. Located at Lilly Law Library, Indianapolis, 2nd Floor: K 235 .M476 2013. IU students may request item via IUCAT.
• An Introduction to Empirical Legal Research Lee Epstein and Andrew D. Martin Oxford University Press (2014) This book includes information on designing research, collecting and coding data, analyzing data, and drafting the final paper. Located at Lilly Law Library, Indianapolis, 2nd Floor: K 85 .E678 2014. IU students may request item via IUCAT.
• Emplirical Legal Studies Blog The ELS blog was created by several law professors, and focuses on using empirical methods in legal research, theory, and scholarship. Search or browse the blog to find entries on methodology, data sources, software, and other tips and techniques.

Literature Review

The literature review provides an examination of existing pieces of research, and serves as a foundation for further research. It allows the researcher to critically evaluate existing scholarship and research practices, and puts the new thesis in context. When conducting a literature review, one should consider the following: who are the leading scholars in the subject area; what has been published on the subject; what factors or subtopics have these scholars identified as important for further examination; what research methods have others used; what were the pros and cons of using those methods; what other theories have been explored.

The literature review should include a description of coverage. The researcher should describe what material was selected and why, and how those selections are relevant to the thesis. Discuss what has been written on the topic and where the thesis fits in the context of existing scholarship. The researcher should evaluate the sources and methodologies used by other researchers, and describe how the thesis different.

The following video gives an overview of conducting a literature review.

Note: this video is not specific to legal literature, however it may be helpful as a general overview.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few suggestions for digging into sources once you have selected a topic.

Research Guides

Research guides are discovery tools, or gateways of information. They pull together lists of sources on a topic. Some guides even offer brief overviews and additional research steps specifically for that topic. Many law libraries offer guides on a variety of subjects. You can locate guides by visiting library websites, such as this Library's site , the Law Library of Congress , or other schools like Georgetown . Some organizations also compile research guides, such as the American Society of International Law . Utilizing a research guide on your topic to generate an introductory source list can save you valuable time.

Secondary Sources

It is often a good idea to begin research with secondary sources. These resources summarize, explain, and analyze the law. They also provide references to primary sources and other secondary sources. This saves you time and effort, and can help you quickly identify major themes under your topic and help you place your thesis in context.

Encyclopedias provide broad coverage of all areas of the law, but do not go in-depth on narrow topics, or discuss differences by jurisdiction, or  include all of the pertinent cases. American Jurisprudence ( AmJur ) and Corpus Juris Secundum ( CJS ) have nationwide coverage, while the Indiana Law Encyclopedia focuses on Indiana state law. A number of other states also have their own state-specific encyclopedias.

American Law Reports ( ALR ) are annotations that synopsize various cases on narrow legal topics. Each annotation covers a different topic, and provides a leading or typical case on the topic, plus cases from different jurisdictions that follow different rules, or cases where different facts applying the same rule led to different outcomes. The annotations also refer to other secondary sources.  

Legal periodicals include several different types of publications such as law reviews from academic institutions or organizations, bar journals, and commercial journals/newspapers/newsletters. Legal periodicals feature articles that describe the current state of the law and often explore underlying policies. They also critique laws, court decisions, and policies, and often advocate for changes. Articles also discuss emerging issues and notify the profession of new developments. Law reviews can be useful for in-depth coverage on narrow topics, and references to primary and other secondary sources. However, content can become outdated and researchers must be mindful of biases in articles. 

Treatises/Hornbooks/Practice Guides are a type of secondary source that provides comprehensive coverage of a legal subject. It could be broad, such as a treatise covering all of contract law, or very narrow such as a treatise focused only on search and seizure cases. These sources are good when you have some general background on the topic, but you need more in-depth coverage of the legal rules and policies. Treatises are generally well organized, and provide you with finding aids (index, table of contents, etc.) and extensive footnotes or endnotes that will lead you to primary sources like cases, statutes, and regulations. They may also include appendices with supporting material like forms. However, treatises may not be updated as frequently as other sources and may not cover your specific issue or jurisdiction.

Citation and Writing Style

• Legal Writing in Plain English Bryan A. Garner University of Chicago Press, 2001. Call # KF 250 .G373 2001 Location: Law Library, 3rd Floor Provides lawyers, judges, paralegals, law students, and legal scholars with sound advice and practical tools for improving their written work. The leading guide to clear writing in the field, this book offers valuable insights into the writing process: how to organize ideas, create and refine prose, and improve editing skills. This guide uses real-life writing samples that Garner has gathered through decades of teaching experience. Includes sets of basic, intermediate, and advanced exercises in each section.
• The Elements of Legal Style Bryan A. Garner Oxford University Press, 2002. Call # KF 250 .G37 2002 Location: Law Library, 1st Floor, Reference This book explains the full range of what legal writers need to know: mechanics, word choice, structure, and rhetoric, as well as all the special conventions that legal writers should follow in using headings, defined terms, quotations, and many other devices. Garner also provides examples from highly regarded legal writers, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, Clarence Darrow, Frank Easterbrook, and Antonin Scalia.
• Grammarly Blog Blog featuring helpful information about quirks of the English language, for example when to use "affect" or "effect" and other tips. Use the search feature to locate an article relevant to your grammar query.
• Plain English for Lawyers Richard C. Wydick Carolina Academic Press, 2005. Call # KF 250 .W9 2005 Location: Law Library, 3rd Floor Award-winning book that contains guidance to improve the writing of lawyers and law students and to promote the modern trend toward a clear, plain style of legal writing. Includes exercises at the end of each chapter.
• The Chicago Manual of Style University of Chicago Press, 2010. Call # Z 253 .U69 2010 Location: Law Library, 2nd Floor While not addressing legal writing specifically, The Chicago Manual of Style is one of the most widely used and respected style guides in the United States. It focuses on American English and deals with aspects of editorial practice, including grammar and usage, as well as document preparation and formatting.
• The Chicago Manual of Style (Online) Bryan A. Garner and William S. Strong The University of Chicago Press, 2017. Online edition: use the link above to view record in IUCAT, then click the Access link (for IU students only).
• The Bluebook Compiled by the editors of the Columbia Law Review, the Harvard Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal. Harvard Law Review Association, 2015. Call # KF245 .B58 2015 Location: Law Library, 1st Floor, Circulation Desk The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is a style guide that prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the United States. The Bluebook is taught and used at a majority of U.S. law schools, law reviews and journals, and used in a majority of U.S. federal courts.
• User's Guide to the Bluebook Alan L. Dworsky William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2015. Call # KF 245 .D853 2015 Location: Law Library, Circulation Desk "This User's Guide is written for practitioners (law students, law clerks, lawyers, legal secretaries and paralegals), and is designed to make the task of mastering citation form as easy and painless as possible. To help alleviate the obstacles faced when using proper citation form, this text is set up as a how-to manual with a step-by-step approach to learning the basic skills of citation and includes the numbers of the relevant Bluebook rules under most chapter subheadings for easy reference when more information is needed"--Provided by the publisher.
• Legal Citation in a Nutshell Larry L. Teply West Academic Publishing, 2016. Call # KF 245 .T47 2016 Location: Law Library, 1st Floor, Circulation Desk This book is designed to ease the task of learning legal citation. It initially focuses on conventions that underlie all accepted forms and systems of legal citation. Building on that understanding and an explanation of the “process” of using citations in legal writing, the book then discusses and illustrates the basic rules.
• Introduction to Basic Legal Citation (Online) Peter W. Martin Cornell Legal Information Institute, 2017. Free online resource. Includes a thorough review of the relevant rules of appellate practice of federal and state courts. It takes account of the latest edition of The Bluebook, published in 2015, and provides a correlation table between this free online citation guide and the Bluebook.
• Last Updated: Oct 24, 2019 11:00 AM
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How to Write a First Class Law Dissertation – Complete Guide

• November 18, 2010

“Protection of the Right to a Fair Trial and Civil Jurisdiction: Permitting Delay, Restricting Access and Recognising Incompatible Judgments”.

Below is my honours law dissertation together with tips and a very special video from an ex-Cambridge professor at the end. Enjoy!

And if you have any legal blog posts you’d like to share (whether after you have submitted your dissertation or before), please get in touch – our goal is to help share great legal information online to improve legal understanding and access to justice around the world.

And see also our lists of The Best Law Schools in the World and  Top 10 Law Schools in the UK that aspiring law students may find of interest.

How to write a first class legal dissertation: Content and Structure

Three tips can be suggested to get you started on the right foot:

First, research the subject in which you are most interested in writing about for your dissertation, then choose a sufficiently narrow angle to approach the subject or choose something that hasn’t been discussed much before.

Second, collect, or print out or photocopy all relevant materials which discuss that narrow subject.

Third, plan rough headings for sub-topics within the main subject. While the contents below were finalised towards the end of the writing process, the rough structure was formulated at an early point in the writing process. This is how many academics write their books: they provide themselves with lots of headings and subheadings, then chip away at the work, bit by bit until complete.

Examples contents for “Protection of the Right to a Fair Trial and Civil Jurisdiction: Permitting Delay, Restricting Access and Recognising Incompatible Judgments” are as follows:-

1. INTRODUCTION

2. ARTICLE 6: THE RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL

2.1. Substantive Elements 2.2. Procedural Operation: Direct and Indirect Effect 2.3. The Human Rights Act 1998

3. REASONABLE TIME

3.1. Introduction 3.2. Framework under Article 6 3.3. Conflict with Lis Pendens: Erich Gasser 3.3.1. Delay in the Italian Court 3.3.2. A Clash of Treaties 3.3.3. Future Application 3.4. Conflict with Forum non Conveniens 3.4.1. General Operation 3.4.2. First Limb of Spiliada 3.4.3. Second Limb of Spiliada 3.5. Conclusions

4. ACCESS TO A COURT

4.1. Operation in Article 6 4.2. Anti-Suit Injunctions 4.3. Exclusive Jurisdiction Agreements and Waiving Convention Rights 4.4. Limitations on Jurisdiction 4.5. Conflict with Forum non Conveniens 4.6. Owusu v Jackson 4.7. Conclusions

5. RECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT OF FOREIGN JUDGMENTS

5.1. Recognition of Contracting State Judgments 5.2. Recognition of Non-Contracting State Judgments 5.2.1. European Court of Human Rights 5.2.2. House of Lords 5.4. Conclusions

6. CONCLUSIONS

7. BIBILIOGRAPHY

7.1. Table of Cases 7.2. Table of Legislation 7.3. Table of Conventions 7.4. Textbooks 7.5. Articles

Writing your introduction

Together with the conclusion, the introduction is one of the most significant pieces of a dissertation that you have to get right. A well-written introduction can make all the difference between a first class and an upper second.

If you take just one thing away from this series of posts, it is this. You can develop a better stream of communication with your reader, forming a better relationship, if you tell them what you are going to say (introduction), say it (main body), then tell them what you have said (conclusion).

So, to the introduction, set the scene as fast as possible then tell the reader what you are going to say, but don’t be so amateurish as to write “I am going to discuss X, Y and Z”. Be more indirect. Suggest, for instance, that there are problems with the law that need to be resolved.

1. INTRODUCTION Long since inevitable initial encounters, human rights concerns, particularly regarding the right to a fair trial under Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), have been accelerating in today’s civil jurisdiction and judgments arena in the United Kingdom, a notable consequence of the passing of the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998. More than six years from the Act’s coming into force, it is now imperative to reach conclusions which reflect the “importance attaching in today’s world and in current international thinking and jurisprudence to the recognition and effective enforcement of individual human rights,” as Mance LJ (as he then was) has noted. This necessity is reflected in the recent extensive consideration of the right to a fair trial in key works of some of the most authoritative conflict lawyers in the United Kingdom, including Sir Lawrence Collins, Professor Adrian Briggs and, most significantly, Professor James Fawcett. Methods of protecting the right to a fair trial and thus of avoiding a breach of Article 6 are irrelevant to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR); the Court is not concerned with reviewing under the Convention in abstracto the law complained of, but rather the application of that law. There is therefore a large amount of discretion afforded to the courts regarding techniques to avoid infringement of the Convention. In the context of civil jurisdiction and judgments, various methods of avoiding infringement, or indeed enabling protection, of the right to a fair trial exist. However, the extent to which these have been used in practice, both by the UK courts and the ECJ, has been limited, a result of various factors, the most striking of which being the wrongful application of the ECHR and even the conscious decision to ignore it. Before analysing specific fair trial concerns in detail, it is necessary to examine the general structure and operation of Article 6 as it applies to civil jurisdiction and judgments.

Chapter 1: Setting the scene

Depending on the nature of your dissertation, you may need to set the scene further. In a legal dissertation, by “scene” is meant the bits of law that are relevant to set up key arguments in the main body of the dissertation. With this example dissertation, the target readership was, for various reasons, international private law experts. Because human rights law was a key part of the debate, the relevant law had to be set out in such detail that the chapters following it could discuss, for instance, the right to a fair trial and the doctrines of direct and indirect effect without any need for constant repetitive explanation.

2. ARTICLE 6: THE RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL 2.1. Substantive Elements Article 6(1) ECHR provides inter alia that “[i]n the determination of his civil rights and obligations…everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law….” The ECtHR has reverberated that “the right to a fair administration of justice holds such a prominent place” that Article 6 should not be interpreted restrictively. Instead, the seemingly distinct provisions of Article 6 are not discrete, but are “rights which are distinct but stem from the same basic idea and which, taken together, make up a single right not specifically defined in the narrower sense of the term.” This single right is the title of Article 6: the “right to a fair trial.” This right comprises two particularly significant elements important in the context of civil jurisdiction and judgments. First, the right to a trial within a reasonable time. Expressly stated in Article 6(1), this right may be pertinent where proceedings are stayed in favour of a foreign court. Second, access to a court, an inherent element of Article 6(1). This may have relevance where access is denied to the UK courts through, for example, staying proceedings, or restraining foreign proceedings. 2.2 Procedural Operation: Direct and Indirect Effect Article 6 can operate through a number of mechanisms in the civil jurisdiction and judgments context, which must be distinguished for analytical purposes. First, through direct effect, where there is direct protection of a party’s right to a fair trial in the domestic courts themselves. Such protection is strong and somewhat easier to obtain because there is no test for the seriousness of the breach. Such infringement may occur through a refusal of access to the UK courts, which refusal may emanate from, inter alia, an exclusion of jurisdiction or stay of proceedings. Second, through indirect effect, where a person is transferred to another country where his right to a fair trial may be infringed in that country. In Soering v United Kingdom the ECtHR emphasised that it was for Member States to secure Convention rights of persons within their jurisdiction, but that this obligation did not extend to non-Contracting States, nor should it seek to impose ECHR standards on such States. Thus, for example, in respect of deportation of a person to the United States of America from England, there may be an indirect breach of Article 6, but only where the transfer creates or risks creating a flagrant breach of the claimant’s right to a fair trial in that other country. In presenting an argument for the creation of such risk, it is axiomatic that a strong compilation of evidence is essential, with reference to the circumstances of both the case and proceedings of the court in question. The difficulty with such an argument in the civil jurisdiction sphere is that stays of proceedings concern transfers of actions abroad, not persons. Notwithstanding, arguments for the application of the indirect effect doctrine in this context are still applicable because the situations are “essentially the same.” Indeed, it could be argued that staying proceedings amounts to a transfer of persons through effective compulsion. Nevertheless, no authority exists for this argument and indeed the indirect effect doctrine itself has not been successfully relied upon in an Article 6 context before the (former) Commission or ECtHR. Third, through indirect effect where enforcement in a Contracting State of a judgment from a foreign State, whether Contracting or non-Contracting, would breach Article 6 because that judgment itself breached Article 6 standards. It has been stated that such a breach by the foreign court must also be a flagrant one. However, the reasoning underlying this proposition is unclear and, as with many matters in the civil jurisdiction and judgments sphere, there are concerns as to the extent to which the right to a fair trial can be upheld in this respect. 2.3 The Human Rights Act 1998 The Convention rights, including Article 6, now have the force of law in the United Kingdom under the HRA 1998. The Act places two initial express duties on the UK courts: first, the duty to read and give effect to primary and subordinate legislation in a way compatible with the Convention rights, if possible; second, the duty to take into account inter alia any previous judgment of the ECtHR in determining proceedings which have a Convention right element, insofar as it has relevance to those proceedings. Moreover, under Section 6(1) of the HRA 1998, it is unlawful for a public authority, including a court, to act in a way incompatible with a Convention right. This is a significant duty on the courts, which indeed sparked considerable academic debate as to the Act’s impact on private commercial disputes. Thus, the courts have a duty to interpret and apply the common law or any exercise of discretion compatibly with the right to a fair trial under Article 6. Ultimately, this may amount to a positive duty to develop the common law, extending beyond mere interpretation of the common law to conform to the Convention principles. Notwithstanding this rather stringent theoretical framework for the courts upholding the right to a fair trial, there has been a lack of consistency in its practical impact in the field of civil jurisdiction and judgments. Endnotes *Converting c300 footnotes on a Microsoft Word document to a WordPress post is not feasible for this blawgger. They are, therefore, pasted below as endnotes. The full dissertation is available in the Juridical Review, vol 1 of 2008 pp15-31 Delcourt v Belgium (1979-80) 1 EHRR 355, at [25]; indeed, the principles of due process and the rule of law are fundamental to the protection of human rights (Clayton and Tomlinson: 2000, p550,) just as a fair trial is a fundamental element of the rule of law (Ovey and White: 2002, p139.) Golder v. United Kingdom [1975] ECHR 1, at [28]. Ibid., at [36]. Such cases can be labelled “domestic” ones: Government of the United States of America v Montgomery (No 2) [2004] UKHL 37, at [15], per Lord Bingham. R (Razgar) v Special Adjudicator [2004] AC 368, at [42]. Soering v United Kingdom (1989) 11 EHRR 439. Ibid., at [113]; this test has been followed subsequently: e.g. Einhorn v France (no.71555/01, 16 October 2001) at [32], Tomic v United Kingdom (no.17837/03, 14 October 2003) at [3]. Fawcett; 2007, p4. Ibid. Montgomery (n12); Drozd and Janousek v France and Spain (1992) 14 EHRR 745, p795; cf. Pellegrini v Italy [2001] ECHR 480. HRA 1998, s3(1). Ibid., s2(1)(a); such previous decisions are not binding; notwithstanding, as Lord Slynn observed in R (Alconbury Developments Ltd) v Secretary of State for the Environment [2001] 2 WLR 1389 at [26]: “[i]n the absence of some special circumstances it seems to me that the court should follow any clear and constant jurisprudence of the [ECtHR].” Ibid., s6(3)(a). Wade: 2000; Lester and Pannick: 2000. Such discretion should be “exercised with great caution and with close regard to the overall fairness of the proceedings”: R v Jones [2003] AC 1, at [6], per Lord Bingham. HL Deb vol.583, p783 (24 November 1997); Grosz, Beatson and Duffy: 2000, para.4.56; cf.. Derbyshire CC v Times Newspapers Ltd [1992] QB 770. Grosz, Beatson and Duffy: 2000, para.4.59.

Main Body Part 1

Next follows the first main chunk discussing and debating the title of the dissertation. To maintain structure, even this sub-section of the dissertation has its own introduction, some degree of scene-setting with Art 6 in the particular context of the chapter, argument through various levels and conclusions.

3. REASONABLE TIME 3.1. Introduction It has been stated that “excessive delays in the administration of justice constitute an important danger, in particular for the respect of the rule of law” and for the legal certainty of citizens. This importance is reflected in the express protection of the reasonable time requirement in Article 6. There have been recent challenges in the civil jurisdiction context on this ground, the most significant of which being raised in Erich Gasser GmbH v Misat Srl, concerning conflict with lis pendens. A further instance, the common law doctrine of forum non conveniens has been suggested to be so incompatible, which would therefore have implications for the doctrine in its now very limited common law habitat. 3.2. Framework under Article 6 In civil cases, time starts to run when the proceedings are instituted and stops when legal uncertainty has been removed, which normally requires that the final appeal decision has been made or the time for making an appeal has expired. It is generally accepted that the correct approach is to decide whether the overall delay is prima facie “unreasonable” for the type of proceedings concerned and thereafter consider whether the State is able to justify each period of delay. In assessing such justification, the limited guidelines indicate that all the circumstances will be considered, with particular regard to the complexity of the case and the conduct of the applicant and judicial authorities in addition to the behaviour of other parties to the case and what is at stake in the litigation for the applicant. Generally, where proceedings are stayed, there are three stages which must be distinguished for determining delay. First, the proceedings before the domestic court. Any unjustifiable delay at this point would amount to a direct breach of Article 6. Second, the transfer of proceedings to the foreign court. Delay at this stage would be less justifiable where, for instance, there was known to be a heavy backlog of cases. Notwithstanding, the “normal lapses of time stemming from the transfer of the cases” are not to be regarded as unjustified. Third, the proceedings before the foreign court. At the second and third stages, although any unreasonable delay by the foreign court will amount to a direct breach by that court, there could also be an indirect breach by the domestic court, but only to the extent that the party suffered, or risked suffering, a flagrant breach. Endnotes Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Resolution DH (97) 336, 11 July 1997. Fabri and Langbroek: 2003, p3. C-116/02 [2005] QB 1. Opinion of AG Léger in Owusu v Jackson C-281/02 [2005] QB 801 at [270]. A sist by the Scottish courts through forum non conveniens can be made where jurisdiction is founded on Art.4 of the Judgments Regulation or Convention: Collins et al: 2006, para.12-023. Moreover, a sist can be made on the ground that the courts of England or Northern Ireland are the forum conveniens, because intra-UK jurisdiction can be so settled: Cumming v Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd, The Times, 8 June 1995; Collins: 1995. Scopelliti v Italy (1993) 17 EHRR 493, at [18]. Vocaturo v Italy [1991] ECHR 34. E.g. fewer than six years for a reparation action (Huseyin Erturk v Turkey [2005] ECHR 630.) Clayton and Tomlinson: 2000, p654; Harris, O’Boyle and Warbrick: 1995, p229. Eckle v Germany (1983) 5 EHRR 1, at [80]; an obvious consideration being delay in commencing proceedings. Buchholz v Germany [1981] ECHR 2, at [49]. Foti v Italy (1982) 5 EHRR 313, at [61]. Zimmermann and Steiner v Switzerland [1983] ECHR 9; Guincho v Portugal [1984] ECHR 9; cf. Buchholz (n36), at [61], where the backlog was not reasonably foreseeable; exceptional circumstances were taken into account in Foti (n37) as a result of troubles in Reggio Calabria, which impacted proceedings in the courts in Potenza, to which cases had been transferred. Foti (n37), at [61]. Soering (n14) at [113].

Having set the scene, it is time to delve straight into comment and opinion, drawing on relevant facts and law where required. Where possible, suggest ways in which events or decisions could have been improved and do not be afraid to say that commentators, judges or even powerful institutions, like the ECJ, got it wrong.

3.3. Conflict with Lis Pendens: Erich Gasser Erich Gasser v MISAT concerned the validity of a choice-of-court agreement in favour of the Austrian courts where one party had first seised the Italian courts by way of negative declaration. Second seised, the Austrian Court sought a reference from the ECJ on, inter alia, whether it must stay its proceedings under lis pendens where the proceedings in the court first seised generally take an unreasonably long time, such that there may be a breach of Article 6. Both the claimant and the intervening UK Government invoked the ECHR, arguing that Article 21 of the Brussels Convention should be interpreted in conformity with Article 6 ECHR to avoid excessively protracted proceedings, given that proceedings in Italy were likely to take an unreasonably long time. Through this interpretation, it was argued that Article 21 should not be applied if the court first seised had not determined its jurisdiction within a reasonable time. In a very short response, the ECJ effectively said that the ECHR did not apply because first, it is not expressly mentioned in the Brussels Convention and second, there is no room for it in a collection of mandatory rules underpinned by mutual trust between Contracting States. 3.3.1. Delay in the Italian Court However, it may be seen that the stay de facto risked at least a standard breach in the Italian court. The Italian courts have been held in breach of Article 6 a staggering number of times because of unreasonable slowness. The existence of these breaches amounted to a practice incompatible with the ECHR and produced the notoriety of the Italian legal system as “the land that time forgot.” Indeed, the practice of seising the Italian courts first by way of negative declaration has become known as instituting an “Italian torpedo,” which may succeed in delaying proceedings substantially even where the Italian courts have no jurisdiction. It has already been noted that evidence is crucial in determining a real risk of a breach of Article 6. Instead, in Gasser, human rights arguments were based upon a general breach of the reasonable time requirement in Italian courts. Moreover, no ECtHR case law was relied upon when so arguing, nor was mention made of previous breaches. Therefore, a very weak argument, if any, was laid before the ECJ in respect of a risk of a breach. In effect, the ECJ was being asked something tantamount to whether there should be an exception to Article 21 in respect of certain Member States, a question justifiably answered in the negative. However, if the arguments had been more focussed, concentrating on the present case, with evidence to show the likelihood of breach in the Tribunale civile e penale di Roma, then the ECJ may have been more persuaded by Article 6 considerations, as Fawcett suggests. Notwithstanding previous delays, efforts have been made to reduce the backlog of cases. This is somewhat owing to Article 13 ECHR, which requires Contracting States to provide persons with an effective national remedy for breach of a Convention right. Such domestic remedies assist in reducing further breaches and ultimately reduce the need for the indirect effect doctrine. Thus, the Italian “Pinto Act” was passed, providing a domestic legal remedy for excessive length-of-proceedings cases. The existence of this remedy may have gone towards justifying application of Article 21, which indeed was one of the questions referred to the ECJ by the Austrian Court, although unanswered. 3.3.2. A Clash of Treaties Nevertheless, given that the ECJ so held that Article 6 considerations were irrelevant, there may be further legal implications, particularly for the Austrian Court which was required to stay its proceedings under the Brussels Convention. If this stay created or risked creating a flagrant breach of the reasonable time requirement in the Italian Court, Austria may itself have breached Article 6 indirectly. Such an indirect breach is clearly not justifiable on the ground that Austria is party to the Brussels Convention or Regulation made under the European Treaties. Hence, the judgment may lead to a clash between the ECHR and Brussels Convention or Regulation. This in turn raises the questions of how and to what extent the Brussels Convention or Regulation could have been interpreted to give effect to Article 6. Formerly Article 57 of the Brussels Convention, Article 71 of the Brussels Regulation provides inter alia that “(1) [t]his Regulation shall not affect any conventions to which the Member States are parties and which in relation to particular matters, govern jurisdiction or the recognition of judgments.” Although the ECHR is not prima facie a Convention governing jurisdiction, all Member States are party to it and Article 6 contains the inherent right of access to a court. Thus, as Briggs and Rees argue, this may have application where a court with jurisdiction is prevented from exercising that jurisdiction in a manner compatible with the ECHR. Therefore, in Gasser Article 71 may have been applied to allow Austria to act in accordance with its obligations under the ECHR. This approach is complemented by Article 307 (ex 234) EC such that Article 21 or 27 of the Brussels Convention or Regulation respectively can be overridden by a Convention previously entered into, including the ECHR. Further, this conclusion is even more realistic in light of the jurisprudence of the ECJ, which is peppered with notions of protection for fundamental rights, and the express protection of these rights in Article 6(2) EC. Instead of even contemplating such an outcome, the ECJ showed that it was prepared to ignore a significant international convention. Perhaps, in addition to mutual trust between Contracting States, mutual recognition of international conventions should have been considered, especially due to the express provisions permitting such consideration. Endnotes Those having a duration of over three years: Gasser (n28), at [59]. At [71]-[73]. See Ferrari v Italy [1999] ECHR 64, at [21]. Ferrari (n46), at [21]; Article 6 imposes on the Contracting States the duty to organise their judicial systems in such a way that their courts can meet the requirements of the provision (Salesi v Italy [1993] ECHR 14, at [24].) Briggs and Rees: 2005, Preface to the Fourth Edition, p.v. Messier-Dowty v Sabena [2000] 1 WLR 2040. Franzosi: 1997, p384. Transporti Castelletti v Hugo Trumpy, C-159/97, [1999] ECR I-1597. Supra p4. Opinion of A.G. Léger in Gasser, at [88]. When Gasser came before the ECJ, there was already a delay in Italian proceedings of 3½ years in determining jurisdiction. Fawcett: 2007, p15. Kudla v Poland [2000] ECHR 512. Fawcett: 2007, p4. Law no.89 of 24 March 2001. However, even this has breached Article 6(1): Riccardo Pizzati v Italy [2006] ECHR 275, at [66]; Mance suggests that the Act only partially solved if not repatriated the ECtHR’s overwhelming number of claims in this respect (Mance: 2004b, p357.) Notwithstanding, since 1999, there has been a trend of continuous breach, the ECtHR having adopted more than 1,000 judgments against Italy (Riccardo Pizzati, at [66].) As Briggs and Rees note, the ECHR “might as well have been part of the law of Mars for all the impact it had.” (Briggs and Rees:2005, para.2.198.) Soering (n14), at [113]. Matthews v United Kingdom [1999] ECHR 12. Hartley: 2005b, p821 n35; the most important example of a conflict of treaties: Hartley: 2001, p26. Briggs and Rees: 2005, para.2.38. An approach recognised by both Mance (Mance: 2004a, paras.6-7) and Hartley (Hartley: 2005a, p383.) ERT v DEP C-260/89 [1991] ECR I-2925, at [41]; “Bosphorus Airways” v Ireland (2006) 42 EHRR 1,at [73]; particularly for Article 6: Philip Morris International Inc v Commission of the European Communities [2003] ECR II-1, at [121].

Tip: Suggest Improvements for the Future

It may be that, in the course of the research for your dissertation, you discover previous decisions and actions that may happen again in the future. You may want to suggest that there is such a risk in the future and that there are ways in which that risk can be guarded against. You may also want to state challenges with implementing such safeguards. For instance, in the below section, there is comment that the ECJ is, sometimes, so myopic that its stance won’t budge.

3.3.3. Future Application The ECtHR has held that a failure by a national court to make a preliminary reference to the ECJ could be a breach of Article 6 ECHR in certain circumstances. Thus, it is arguable that where similar facts to Gasser arise again, the domestic court may have to make a reference to the ECJ, and in doing so, show cogent evidence of the risk of a flagrant breach, unlike that presented to the ECJ in Gasser. In this context, the ECJ will have another chance to take human rights seriously, with the opportunity to apply Article 307 EC complementing Article 71 of the Brussels Regulation and jurisprudence both of the ECJ and ECtHR. Notwithstanding, given the ECJ’s swift dismissal of human rights concerns in Gasser in favour of the inflexible system of lis pendens, it appears unlikely that it would permit exception in the future. For the ECJ legal certainty under the Brussels regime is clearly more significant than legal certainty either through party autonomy under jurisdiction agreements or through the right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time. As Merrett notes, “[t]he ECJ simply does not see questions of jurisdiction as being concerned with private rights at all,” a stance which will need to change, particularly in light of the pressing atmosphere of today’s human rights culture. Endnotes Soc Divagsa v Spain (1993) 74 DR 274. Legal certainty is perhaps more significant under the Brussels Regulation, particularly illustrated by the addition of Article 30. Cf. A.G. Léger in Gasser, at [70]. Merrett: 2006, p332. Hartley notes that this is perhaps not surprising given that the ECJ is more concerned with public law, and as such, should be expected to give more weight to State interests, rather than the interests of private parties (Hartley: 2005b, pp814-815.)

Take a proposition that has never been discussed and debate it

Another thing that truly separates a first class dissertation from a second class one is discussion of ideas and issues that have never before been discussed. The following is an example of such a proposition and discussion, all of which stemmed from one footnote in an academic article that said a certain proposition “had never been discussed before in the courts of the UK”. Finding this loophole was essential to the dissertation’s success.

3.4. Conflict with Forum non Conveniens An export of Scots law, forum non conveniens was accepted into English law in Spiliada Maritime Corporation v Cansulex Ltd, becoming indistinguishable from Scots law. Under the Spiliada test, there are two stages: first, the defendant must show that there is some other available forum which is clearly more appropriate for the trial of the action, upon which a stay will ordinarily be granted; second, upon the first stage being satisfied, it is for the claimant to show, through cogent evidence, that justice requires that a stay should not be granted. Advocate General Léger has suggested explicitly that the forum non conveniens doctrine, as operating under this Spiliada test, may be incompatible with Article 6, given that the steps involved for the claimant in its application “have a cost and are likely considerably to prolong the time spent in the conduct of proceedings before the claimant finally has his case heard.” Although the UK courts have never discussed this proposition, there is a potential that forum non conveniens is indeed incompatible with the reasonable time requirement in Article 6. 3.4.1. General Operation Since the place of trial is decided through the exercise of judicial discretion, it is axiomatic that additional cost and time will be incurred in the domestic court, which may appear somewhat inappropriate in light of the parties having to “litigate in order to determine where they shall litigate.” Notwithstanding, given that the same forum will rarely be in the best interests of all parties, particularly highlighted by different choice of law rules, choice of forum is of crucial importance and rightfully so contested. In this respect alone, the time and cost involved may be justified. Moreover, it should be noted that it is the defendant who asks for a stay, thus incurring additional expenses, which expenses he might be expected to pay. Application for a stay is usually, and perhaps ought to be, made early. Procedural time-limits are set for such an application, despite the court retaining its discretionary power to stay proceedings. Notwithstanding, the longer an application is left, the greater the threat of the proceedings not being aborted as a matter of judicial reluctance. Moreover, if Lord Templeman’s view that submissions should be measured in hours not days with the rarity of appeals holds true, such time and expense should be contained to a minimum. This can be contrasted with the American experience of the doctrine, where forum non conveniens can produce forum battles that can last for years, such that the doctrine may even be labelled a “delaying tactic.” 3.4.2. First Limb of Spiliada As noted, there are various circumstances which can justify delay under Article 6. In assessing the complexity of a case, consideration is given to the number of witnesses , the need for obtaining expert evidence and the later intervention of other parties. It can be seen that these factors mirror the appropriateness factors considered under the first limb of the Spiliada test. Thus, in Lubbe v Cape Industries Plc the emergence of over 3,000 new claimants gave greater significance to the personal injury issues, the investigation of which would involve a cumbersome factual inquiry and potentially a large body of expert evidence, such that South Africa was rightfully identified as the most appropriate forum under the first limb of Spiliada. Moreover, in Spiliada, similar litigation had already taken place over another vessel, the Cambridgeshire, such that the proceedings would be more appropriate in England. Termed the “Cambridgeshire factor,” it is persuasive where advantages of “efficiency, expedition and economy” would flow naturally from the specialist knowledge gained by the lawyers, experts and judges in the related proceedings. However, successful use of this factor has been extremely rare. Although conveniens means “appropriate”, not “convenient”, considerations of convenience and expense are still relevant. Thus, in both The Lakhta and The Polessk , a stay was granted because the dispute could be resolved more appropriately in the Russian Court at far less expense and far greater convenience for those involved, in light of, inter alia, the availability of witnesses and other evidence. Further, speed of a trial itself may be decisive in balancing appropriateness factors. For example, in Irish Shipping Ltd v Commercial Union, although the courts of both England and Belgium were appropriate, the dispute could be resolved more quickly in the English court given the more complex position of the plaintiff’s title to sue under the governing law in Belgium; therefore a stay of the English proceedings was refused. Moreover, the availability of an early trial date is material in determining the most appropriate forum ; indeed, “speedy justice is usually better justice.” It can therefore be seen that the factors considered in the first limb of the Spiliada test reflect the justifications for delay under the reasonable time requirement of Article 6(1) and indeed consideration of these factors may result in an overall speedier trial. Hence, determining whether or not to apply the forum non conveniens doctrine is more than justifiable. Further, it is worth considering whether delay by the foreign court itself can be avoided. Endnotes Sim v Robinow (1892) 19 R 665. [1987] AC 460. Crawford and Carruthers: 2006, pp157-158. Spiliada (n13), pp474-477. Opinion of A.G. Léger in Owusu (n29), at [270]. Hare perceives that paragraph 42 of Owusu is “strangely reminiscent” of A.G. Léger’s suggestions: Hare: 2006, p172 n.96. Fawcett; 2007, p9. Slater: 1988, p554; Robertson: 1987, p414; Zhenjie: 2001, p157. Cf. Spiliada (n72), p464 per Lord Templeman. Crawford and Carruthers: 2006, p157. Bell: 2002, paras.2.40-2.42, 2.58. Svantesson: 2005, pp411-412. Briggs and Rees: 2002, p220. Despite potential for re-application: Owens Bank Ltd v Bracco [1992] 2 AC 433, p474. E.g. in England, CPR Part 11. Ibid., r.3.1(2)(f). Briggs and Rees: 2005, pp324-325. Spiliada (n72), p465. E.g. Lacey v Cessna Aircraft (1991) 932 F.2d 170. Green: 1956, p494. Supra p8. Andreucci v Italy [1992] ECHR 8. Wemhoff v Germany (1968) 1 EHRR 55. Manieri v Italy [1992] ECHR 26. [2000] 1 WLR 1545. [2000] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 383, p391; however, a stay was not granted because substantial justice could and would not be done in the South African forum under the second limb of Spiliada, see infra p25. Spiliada (n72), p469. Ibid., p486. Collins et al: 2006, para.12-030 n.34. The Atlantic Star [1974] AC 436, p475; Spiliada (n72), pp474-475. Hill: 2005, para.9.2.23; wastage of cost is an important consideration in granting a stay, whether under forum non conveniens or not (Carel Johannes Steven Bentinck v Lisa Bentinck [2007] EWCA Civ 175.) [1992] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 269. [1996] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 40. [1991] 2 QB 206. Ibid., p246. Xn Corporation Ltd v Point of Sale Ltd [2001] I.L.Pr. 35. Ibid., at [14]

Develop that new debate and get creative

As noted in the previous post, one of the most important breakthroughs in writing your dissertation can come from spotting a gap where something has not yet been discussed. Once writing to fill that gap, it may be helpful to ask yourself what other angles there are to the debate. Or think about if the matter went to an official debate or, for law dissertations, to court. Think about creative arguments that an advocate might run and try to develop them yourself. Such development can lead to your getting a first rather than a 2:1.

3.4.3. Second Limb of Spiliada Delay in the foreign forum is a fundamental consideration when determining the interests of justice at the second limb of the Spiliada test and may even be decisive if the anticipated delay is excessive. An example pertinent to justification under Article 6(1) is The Jalakrishna, where a delay of five years was anticipated if the case was tried in India, such that the claimant would be prejudiced given his need for financial assistance in light of his critical injuries in an accident. Thus, a stay was not granted, showing respect for both a potential delay itself and what was at stake for the claimant. Notwithstanding, such cases are rare. For example, in Konamaneni v Rolls-Royce Industrial Power (India) Ltd, Collins J (as he then was) recognised that the Indian legal system had made attempts to reduce its backlog of cases, such that in the absence of sufficient evidence of an anticipated delay, it would indeed be a “substantial breach of comity to stigmatise the Indian legal system in that way,” somewhat reflecting the principle that the claimant must “take [the appropriate] forum as he finds it.” Indeed, one of the major advantages of the forum non conveniens doctrine is that it offsets the judge’s tendency to grab as many cases as he can and it respects the valuable international private law principle of comity. As Lord Diplock stated in The Abidin Daver, “judicial chauvinism has been replaced by judicial comity.” However, the interests of States cannot always be reconciled with private party rights. When considering whether to stay proceedings, in light of Article 6, the interests of States should yield to the interests of private parties. Thus, if evidence is sufficient to show a real risk of a flagrant breach in the foreign forum, as was not presented in Gasser, a stay should not be permitted. Again mirroring reasonable time justifications under Article 6, additional considerations of what is at stake in the litigation may arise and authorities may have to exercise exceptional diligence in the conduct of certain cases. An ECtHR case, X v France shows that where a person sought compensation following infection with the AIDS virus, what was at stake was of crucial importance in determining the reasonableness of the length of proceedings. What is at stake will be relevant and probably decisive following a stay of proceedings under forum non conveniens, as The Jalakrishna shows. Notably, in Owusu v Jackson, where forum non conveniens was not permitted, what was at stake for Owusu was significant as he was rendered tetraplegic through his accident. It can therefore be seen that forum non conveniens takes a pragmatic approach to preventing foreseeable unreasonable delays under the second limb of Spiliada. Not only does this further justify operation of the doctrine under Article 6(1) through direct effect, it also greatly restricts, if not eliminates, the possibility of an indirect breach by the domestic court, given that the risk of a flagrant breach of the right to a fair trial is a fundamental factor of the interests of justice. Notwithstanding, herein there are still concerns in light of Professor Fawcett’s suggestion that a hybrid human rights/international private law approach should be taken such that Article 6 concerns should be identified first, taking into account ECtHR jurisprudence, and thereafter it should be for the flexible second limb of Spiliada to apply to resolve these issues. Fawcett concedes that the same result will be achieved in most cases, yet suggests that there may be borderline cases where this solution would work better and human rights concerns will have been taken more seriously. However, this need for procedural restructuring of judicial reasoning is arguably not wholly convincing, particularly given that the indirect effect doctrine under Soering requires a flagrant breach of Article 6, not merely a standard breach; it is therefore difficult to imagine the existence of any “borderline” cases as such. Moreover, in the cases of potential flagrant breaches, the interests of justice principle has been shown to be flexible enough to prevent stays which may breach Article 6 indirectly, regardless of the classification of the delay as a breach of human rights or otherwise. In this respect, it is arguable that the international private law case law could be adequately relied upon. Nevertheless, initial consideration of ECtHR jurisprudence may have more importance than in providing a mere procedurally attractive measure; it may guide and influence those who fail to see the pressing importance of human rights today and will at least effect compliance with the Section 2 of the HRA 1998 which demands that such jurisprudence be considered wherever Convention rights are in issue. Endnotes The Vishva Ajay [1989] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 558, p560; Chellaram v Chellaram [1985] 1 Ch 409, pp435-436; cf. The Nile Rhapsody [1992] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 399,pp413-414, where Hirst J gave “minimal weight to the delay factor” upon direction by the appellate courts. [1983] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 628. Hill: 2005, para.9.2.38. [2002] 1 WLR 1269. Ibid., at [177]. Connelly v RTZ Corpn plc [1998] AC 854, p872. [1984] AC 398. Ibid., p411. A and others v Denmark [1996] ECHR 2, at [78]. [1992] ECHR 45. [1983] 2 Lloyd’s Rep.628. (n29). Notwithstanding, the ECJ’s taking 2¾ years to produce its judgment did not go towards acknowledging the express request by the English Court of Appeal to provide reasonably quick compensation. Of course, time taken for a required preliminary reference from the ECJ is entirely justified under Article 6 (Pafitis v Greece (1999) 27 EHRR 566, at [95].) Fawcett: 2007, pp36-37. Such that length-of-proceedings cases (see supra pp.7-8) should be consulted in the context of unreasonable delay. (n14).

Put your foot in the icy water: Don’t be afraid to come to powerful conclusions

A dissertation that is written with balanced conclusions is a boring one. Reasoned opinion is important. Nothing would get done in this world if we said “X is right, but Y is equally right, so let’s just leave things the way they are”. Sitting on the fence may well get you a good upper second class award but there is little chance of it getting you a first. A certain English teacher, Sandra MacCallum, at Kyle Academy once taught that, sometimes, “you’ve got to put your foot into the icy water”. Don’t be afraid to come to powerful conclusions. Hopefully the below example, with a reasonable, opinionated attack on the ECJ’s lack of respect for the common law principles of the Scottish export doctrine forum non conveniens, illustrates the significance of this suggestion.

3.5. Conclusions It is perplexing that in Owusu Advocate General Léger, and perhaps indirectly the ECJ, suggested that applying forum non conveniens may be incompatible with the “reasonable time” requirement of the right to a fair trial under Article 6(1), whereas analysis of its proper operation shows that it is compatible and may even be a useful tool in providing faster and more economic litigation. Although it is at least somewhat refreshing to see ECHR arguments being acknowledged in an international private law context without encouragement, it is nevertheless peculiar that Article 6 concerns have been identified in relation to forum non conveniens, “one of the most civilised of legal principles” as Lord Goff of Chieveley put it, when the ECJ did not properly apply or even consider Article 6 in Gasser, where the need for its recognition was much more significant. The ECHR is not an optional instrument that can be applied to justify a course of reasoning, however misguided, on the one hand and dismissed when apparently greater considerations require it on the other; careful legal analysis is required for its operation, which analysis does not appear to have been applied or even respected by the ECJ.

A fresh perspective

Separating a dissertation into manageable chunks from the initial stages of structural planning gives you freedom to start afresh to write about a different but related topic once concluding another section. Access to a court, for instance, is a separate right from the right for a trial to be heard and decided within a reasonable time. It, thus, merits a separate chapter with its own introduction, subsections and conclusions.

4. ACCESS TO A COURT 4.1. Operation in Article 6 The fair, public and expeditious characteristics of judicial proceedings expressed in Article 6 would be of no value at all if there were no judicial proceedings. Thus, referring to the rule of law and avoidance of arbitrary power, principles which underlie much of the ECHR, the ECtHR has held that the right of access to a court is an element inherent in Article 6(1). Although this right is not absolute, any limitation must not restrict access to such an extent that the very essence of the right is impaired, provided that a legitimate aim is pursued with proportionality between the limitation and that aim. The potential for this right to arise in the civil jurisdiction context is high, given the intrinsic nature of the operation of jurisdiction rules. 4.2. Anti-Suit Injunctions A denial of access to a foreign court and, therefore, a potential Article 6 violation will occur through the grant of an anti-suit injunction, which seeks to restrain foreign proceedings. This issue arose in The Kribi, where the claimants sought an anti-suit injunction to restrain Belgian proceedings brought in contravention of an exclusive jurisdiction agreement. Aikens J held that “Article 6…does not provide that a person is to have an unfettered choice of tribunal in which to pursue or defend his civil rights” . Moreover, “Article 6…does not deal at all with where the right to a [fair trial] is to be exercised by a litigant. The crucial point is that civil rights must be determined somewhere by a hearing and before a tribunal in accordance with the provisions of Article 6.” Therefore, a court granting an anti-suit injunction, in the very limited circumstances in which it can now do so, would not be in breach of Section 6 of the HRA 1988 where another available forum exists. Contrastingly, Article 6 challenges remain for the “single forum” cases, where there is only one forum of competent jurisdiction to determine the merits of the claim, despite the cases already being treated differently. In such a case, the exemplary approach of Aikens J would easily resolve such human rights issues. Ultimately, in a commercially welcome judgment, human rights arguments were made and received properly. Moreover, Aikens J “logically” dealt with the human rights points first. Hence the case is a working model for Fawcett’s hybrid approach where human rights should be considered first before international private law principles. Contrasting with stays producing concerns of unreasonable delays, in this context of access to a court there is more impetus to follow Fawcett’s model, particularly given that such denial of access can constitute a direct breach of Article 6, thus producing a more realistic threat of contravention of Section 6 of the HRA 1998. 4.3. Exclusive Jurisdiction Agreements and Waiving Convention Rights Another instance pertinent to Article 6 is where a person has no access to the courts of the UK because of the enforcement of an exclusive jurisdiction agreement. Convention rights can, in general, be waived, including the right of access to a court under Article 6, which can occur where a jurisdiction agreement or agreement to arbitrate is valid and enforceable, but not where a person entered into the agreement without voluntary consensus. Generally, rights will be waived under a jurisdiction agreement meeting the requirements of Article 23 of the Brussels Regulation. However, as Briggs and Rees note, there may be instances, somewhat unattractive, where a party is bound by such a jurisdiction agreement without voluntary consensus as such, such that his right of access to a court may not have been waived, reflecting the more prudent stance taken towards compulsory alternative dispute resolution. Notwithstanding, Article 6 will be upheld provided there is another available court. 4.4. Limitations on Jurisdiction It is axiomatic that limitations on jurisdiction may restrict access to a court. The ECtHR has held that limitation periods are generally compatible with Article 6, particularly for reasons of legal certainty, provided that they are not applied inflexibly. This compatibility should encompass a stay under forum non conveniens for a forum barred by limitation, which is granted only where the claimant was at fault by acting unreasonably in failing to commence proceedings in the foreign court within the applicable limitation period. Contrastingly, blanket limitations are a more difficult species. An example of a blanket exclusion on jurisdiction is the English common law Moçambique rule, which provides that title to foreign land should be determined only at the situs of the land. This may conflict with Article 6 because of a denial of access to an English court. Although this proposition may be unfounded, particularly where access to a court is available somewhere, the exclusion on jurisdiction may still be challenged on Article 6 grounds if disproportionate its aim. Such proportionality concerns were considered in Jones v Ministry of the Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Following Al-Adsani v United Kingdom , a blanket limitation on jurisdiction was accepted because the grant of sovereign immunity, which restricted access to a court, pursued the legitimate aim of comity through compliance with international law and was proportionate. Notwithstanding, underpinning this reasoning is an inevitable tension between the interests of States and private parties, such that Mance LJ (as he then was) in the Court of Appeal produced his judgment in light of ECHR considerations, taking a more flexible approach supportive of human rights. Mark v Mark also illustrates such inflexibility and proportionality considerations. The limitation in that case prevented access to the English courts, which may have been the only available courts, through a particular rule of public policy. This rule was therefore seen by Thorpe LJ to be incompatible with Article 6 and hence the HRA 1998. Contrastingly, in the House of Lords, Baroness Hale affirmed the decision on different grounds, dismissing ECHR considerations, such that she perhaps did not take human rights concerns entirely seriously. Although access to some court will be available following most limitations, the few cases where access would be denied to the only available court under a limitation warrant special attention in light of protection of the right to a fair trial. Such attention has been properly given on occasion, as demonstrated by both Mance and Thorpe LJJ. However, this approach is not consistently followed, shown by the dangerous approach of Baroness Hale. 4.5. Interaction with Forum non Conveniens In Lubbe v Cape Industries Plc, the defendant asked for a stay of proceedings. After identifying South Africa as the natural forum, the Court was faced with the argument that the stay would breach Article 6 because the complexity of the case and lack of funding were such that the claimant could not sue in that foreign court. After applying the Spiliada principles, which provided that a stay should be refused because the claimant could not obtain justice in the foreign court, Lord Bingham then turned to the Article 6 arguments and noted simply that “I do not think article 6 supports any conclusion which is not already reached on application of Spiliada principles.” Although the right to a fair trial was acknowledged and indeed protected under the refusal to grant a stay, the procedure in reasoning lowered the importance of human rights as the Spiliada principles took precedence to application of Article 6. Thus, if the Lubbe approach was followed in the future and a stay was granted to a foreign court in which there was a risk of a flagrant breach, the court may indirectly breach Article 6 in addition to Sections 2 and 6 of the HRA 1998. Similar techniques to that employed by Lord Bingham have been used in other forum non conveniens cases. For example, in The Polessk, the extent to which evidence showed the right to a fair trial in the St. Petersberg Court was considered under the second limb of the Spiliada test. Moreover, as discussed, reasonable delay has been considered consistently, although somewhat effectively, within this second stage of Spiliada. As noted, these latter instances show a sufficient degree of reconciliation with at least the indirect effect of Article 6, regardless of the characterisation of the breach as one of Article 6 or otherwise, particularly because it is difficult to imagine “borderline” cases amounting to flagrant breaches of Article 6, as Fawcett suggests. This analysis can be applied equally to the facts of Lubbe where access to the foreign court clearly did not exist, such that a stay would unequivocally produce a flagrant breach. It may be suggested that other cases are not so easy to evaluate, such as in determining whether access to a court exists through lack of legal aid, as Santambrogio v Italy illustrates. Nevertheless, surely if the decision is a difficult one to make, then the breach cannot be flagrant and, as such, there cannot be an indirect breach of Article 6. However, as noted, a procedural shift in judicial reasoning will have undoubted procedural benefits, if at the very least it effects compliance with Section 2 of the HRA 1998. Endnotes Golder v. United Kingdom [1975] ECHR 1, at [35]. Ibid., at [34]-[35]. Ibid., at [36]; this includes the right to a determination of proceedings on the merits (Gorbachev v Russia, No. 3354/02, 15 February 2007.) Ibid., at [38]. Winterwerp v The Netherlands [1979] ECHR 4, at [60], [75]. Ashingdane v United Kingdom [1985] ECHR 8, at [57]. OT Africa Line Ltd v Hijazy (The Kribi) [2001] Lloyd’s Rep 76; now overruled on the specific point for decision (Turner v Grovit and Others [2005] AC 101). The Kribi (n131), at [42]. Ibid., at [42]. Following Turner v Grovit (n131), a court cannot grant an anti-suit injunction against a party who has commenced an action in a Brussels Convention State. British Airways v Laker Airways [1983] AC 58,at [80]. The Kribi, (n131),at [41]. Fawcett: 2007, pp36-37. Pfeiffer and Plankl v Austria (1992) 14 EHRR 692; cf. Loucaides: 2003, pp48-50. Deweer v Belgium (1979-80) 2 EHRR 439; indeed, this is a “natural consequence of [the parties’] right to regulate their mutual relations as they see fit.” (Axelsson v. Sweden, no.11960/86, 13 July 1990.) Malmstrom v Sweden (1983) 38 DR 18. Cf. under the common law (The Pioneer Container [1994] 2 AC 324); Briggs and Rees: 2005, p19. E.g. a person not party to a bill of lading bound by a jurisdiction agreement between shipper and carrier. Briggs and Rees: 2005, pp18-19. See generally Schiavetta: 2004, paras.4.2-4.21. Stubbings v United Kingdom [1996] ECHR 44, at [51]. Briggs and Rees: 2005, p20 n.101. Spiliada (n72), pp483-484. British South Africa Co v Companhia de Moçambique [1893] AC 602; for Scotland, Hewit’s Trs v Lawson (1891) 18 R 793. Briggs and Rees: 2005, para.4.06. [2006] UKHL 26. 34 EHRR 273. Cf. Markovic v Italy [2006] ECHR 1141, which held that although there was no blanket limitation on jurisdiction through sovereign immunity and that access to a court had been afforded, access was nevertheless limited in scope, such that the applicants could not receive a decision on the merits. [2005] QB 699. [2004] EWCA Civ 168, at [40]. [2006] AC 98. Fawcett: 2007, p34. [2000] 1 WLR 1545. (n72). Lubbe (n157), p1561. Further, no relevant decisions of the ECtHR were relied upon in the judgment e.g. Airey v Ireland [1979] ECHR 3 where representation costs were “very high” and the procedure was too complex and would evoke emotions too great for the applicant to present her case. Cf. Santambrogio v Italy [2004] ECHR 430 (post-Lubbe), where legal aid was deemed unnecessary in the circumstances. Fawcett: 2007, p.11. (n102), p51. Supra pp.17-19. Supra p.19. (n160).

Get creative!

Creative argument is essential if you’re going to get a first. Perhaps only unless your tutor or professor doesn’t know the topic well can you get away rehashing old argument and ideas that have been discussed thousands of times before. Having worked with academia in trying to commercialise intellectual property rights (IP), through, for instance, spin-off companies, it is clear that innovation is crucial for the business models of universities. It goes something like this: University teaches its students; Students produce research in which they and/or the university have IP, such as copyrights or patents; Student and/or university commercialises that IP by selling or licensing it to journals or other entities, such as companies. Money, then, gets reinvested into the system or society, which gets to work with the new innovation or improvement. The below argument is example of how such creativity can light up your dissertation, add value to your University and get you a better mark overall.

4.6. Owusu v Jackson Further relevance of Article 6 can be seen in the context of the ECJ’s analysis of forum non conveniens in Owusu v Jackson. Fundamentally wrong, the ECJ believed that a defendant “would not be able…reasonably to foresee before which other court he may be sued.” However, it is the defendant who asks for a stay and thus his foreseeability of a stay in this respect is secured. Article 6 is underpinned by the principle of legal certainty. Although legal certainty has specific provision in some articles of the ECHR, it is not confined to those articles; the specific provisions require domestic law “to be compatible with the rule of law, a concept inherent in all the articles of the Convention.” Legal certainty comprises the particularly significant aspect of foreseeability. In this regard, the ECtHR has noted that: “a norm cannot be regarded as a ‘law’ unless it is formulated with sufficient precision to enable the citizen to regulate his conduct: he must be able…to foresee, to a degree that is reasonable in the circumstances, the consequences which a given action may entail.” It is at least arguable that this would encompass procedural certainty emanating from rules of jurisdiction. If the forum non conveniens doctrine permitted stays without the defendant’s asking, the defendant would have such little legal certainty that there may even be an arguable infringement of his right to a fair trial under Article 6, not only incompatible with the higher test of legal certainty of jurisdictional rules under the Brussels regime. This would result from the defendant’s lack of foreseeability as to where proceedings against him would take place. Contrastingly, cogent arguments can be made against forum non conveniens, inter alia, because of the uncertainty for the claimant. Notwithstanding, it could be said that his rights under Article 6(1) are upheld through his right of access to a court somewhere else. Moreover, he would have much more legal certainty than that of the defendant under the ECJ’s interpretation of forum non conveniens because stays under proper operation of forum non conveniens are granted, to some extent, within the confines of regulated and foreseeable discretion. It can therefore be seen that the ECJ had analysed something which would be incompatible not only with Scottish and English law, but also with the ECHR and HRA 1998. Although a proper analysis of forum non conveniens would probably not have altered the outcome of Owusu, it would have been much more respectable to the common law, already set to be dismantled through an inevitable course of Europeanization, not to knock down, to some extent, a “straw man.” 4.7. Conclusions It is clear that there are disparate approaches to the right of access to a court, perhaps emanating in part from varying attitudes to the importance of human rights. Most civil jurisdiction cases will involve access being denied to one court, while access to another is still available. These will generally not breach Article 6 since there is no right of preference of court under Article 6 as Aikens J held in The Kribi, a judgment fully respectable of human rights. Contrastingly, in the limited number of cases which do yield Article 6 concerns, respect for human rights has been inconsistent, a worrying position particularly in light of the recognition of new, potential Article 6 challenges, such as in the areas of exclusive jurisdiction agreements and limitations on jurisdiction. Notwithstanding, such concerns may be unfounded, given the flexibility of international private law rules, such as the demands of justice under the second limb of Spiliada, which can effectively prevent indirect breaches of Article 6. Endnotes Except in exceptional circumstances: Collins et al: 2006, para.12-006 n.20. E.g. Articles 5 and 7. Reed and Murdoch: 2001, para.3.33. Amuur v France [1996] ECHR 20, at [50]. Reed and Murdoch: 2001, para.3.36. Sunday Times (No1) v United Kingdom [1979] ECHR 1, at [49]. Harris: 2005, p939; despite a lack of express mention by the ECJ in Owusu (n29); cf. Opinion of AG Leger in Owusu, at [160]. Hartley: 2005b, pp824-828; cf. Mance: 2007. (n72).

Add Another New Topic

The following is a different slant on the fundamental theme of the dissertation.

5. RECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT OF FOREIGN JUDGMENTS 5.1. Recognition of Contracting State Judgments An indirect breach of Article 6 may occur where a court recognises and thus enforces a judgment obtained in foreign proceedings contrary to the requirements of Article 6. Little challenge is presented where that judgment is obtained in a court of a State party to the ECHR; in such a case, recognition can be refused through Article 6 which is a facet of public policy under Article 27(1) of the Brussels Convention. Notably, Article 34(1) of the Brussels Regulation provides that the recognition must be “manifestly” contrary to public policy, implying a higher threshold than in Article 27(1). The difference in wording is uncertain, but it is hoped that it will not be used to “sweep mere procedural defects under the rug.” Indeed, the importance of the right to a fair trial to the rule of law cannot be underestimated and thus it is arguable that any breach of Article 6 will be manifestly contrary to public policy. Notwithstanding, if the phrases “manifestly contrary to public policy” and a “flagrant breach of the ECHR” were to be compared, it may be just as arguable that a manifest breach of Article 6, not a standard one, is required for the operation of Article 34(1) of the Brussels Regulation. However, this may not be unwarranted in the context of judgments of Contracting States, as noted. Through Krombach v Bamberski , the housing of Article 6 under public policy effectively creates a hierarchical system, whereby EC rules have precedence over human rights rules, particularly because of the ignorance of the indirect effect doctrine. However, this may not be wholly unwelcome in light of the potential existence of a common EC public policy, somewhat emanating from the harmonisation through the ECHR in 1950. Moreover, as Meidanis suggests, the ECJ appears to see the protection of human rights as the common core of the European public policy and is prepared to sacrifice the basic principle of the free movement of judgments of the Brussels Convention to ensure protection of human rights. Notwithstanding, as noted, in other contexts, the ECJ does not so respect human rights, particularly highlighted by its emphatic rejection of Article 6 in Gasser. Although the flexibility through the public policy exception does not extend to the rules relating to jurisdiction, there are other mechanisms for protecting human rights within the Brussels Convention and, especially, the Brussels Regulation. 5.2. Recognition of Non-Contracting State Judgments More difficulty arises with recognition of a judgment obtained in a non-Contracting State. 5.2.1. European Court of Human Rights Such recognition was permitted without reference to Article 6 in Drozd and Janousek. However, in Pellegrini v Italy, the ECtHR held that the Italian court could not recognise a judgment obtained in a Vatican City court in contravention of Article 6 standards. This was so despite a Concordat between Italy and the Vatican requiring such recognition. Pellegrini can be considerably demarcated from the Soering/Drozd line of cases, which requires a flagrant breach to have occurred in the non-Contracting State, the underpinning theory being the “reduced effect of public policy.” Instead, Pellegrini requires full compliance with Article 6 standards as if the foreign court were party to the ECHR, such that failure to review a judgment against which standards is a risky practice. Notwithstanding, the actual breach of Article 6 standards in Pellegrini was flagrant, despite the court’s omission of this, and therefore the judgment may not represent such a large departure from Drozd. Moreover, the “reduced effect of public policy” approach of Drozd was followed eight days prior to Pellegrini in Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein v Germany. However, it is difficult to distinguish Hans-Adam II on its facts particularly given the sweeping reasoning in Pellegrini. Thus, as it stands, Pellegrini is the leading authority, prescribing the need for a review of foreign judgments against full Article 6 standards, ensuring full protection for the right to a fair trial. It is nevertheless hoped by some that the case will be revisited, perhaps with the preference of a variable standard. Further, a dictum in Pellegrini may have the effect of requiring such review only where the judgment emanates from the courts of a State not party to the Convention. Hence, as Kinsch submits, an a contrario reading may be imputed, such that review of Article 6 standards is optional where the judgment emanates from a Contracting State. However, this may not be wholly unwelcome given that the Member States of the EU are party to the ECHR in addition to the Brussels Convention and Regulation, which seek to limit the power of public policy from preventing recognition of judgments. 5.2.2. House of Lords In stark contrast to Pellegrini, the House of Lords in Montgomery required a “flagrant” breach in the United States, a non-Contracting State, for the judgment not to be recognised. Such a flagrant breach was not created in the United States and hence recognition of a judgment breaching regular Article 6 standards was permitted. In its judgment, the House of Lords attempted to distinguish Pellegrini through the existence of the Concordat between Italy and the Vatican City, which required Italy to ensure that the Vatican court’s procedure complied with the fundamental principles of Italian legal system, one being Article 6. However, this is hard, if not impossible, to understand, particularly since it assumes that the Concordat of 1929, as amended, could incorporate ECHR standards, when the Vatican City deliberately refused to subscribe to the ECHR. Further, the ECtHR in Pellegrini did not suggest in its judgment that the relationship between Italy and the Vatican was material to its decision. Therefore, Montgomery is seen to be wrong in so distinguishing Pellegrini. Briggs and Rees further suggest that the House of Lords applied the wrong test in Montgomery because of the analysis of deportation cases, such as Soering. In such a case, a prediction is required, whereas in Montgomery, or indeed in any case concerning recognition, there was no need for such a prediction as the foreign judgment could already be seen to have breached Article 6. However, Soering requires that the person “has suffered or risks suffering a flagrant denial of a fair trial (emphasis added.)” If he has already suffered a breach, there is no need for a prediction to be made; instead, the reason for the standard of flagrancy is based on the “reduced effect of public policy” theory, an approach followed in Drozd, as noted. The reasoning of Briggs and Rees in this respect is akin to that of the Court of Appeal in Montgomery where Lord Woolf CJ stated that “the reference in [Soering at [113]] to a future flagrant breach of Article 6 was no more than a dicta which should not be applied to the enforcement of a court order of a non-Contracting State.” However, Drozd, which was not cited to, or considered by, the Court of Appeal, expressly requires such a flagrant breach of Article 6 if enforcement of a court order of a non-Contracting State is to be denied, which clearly has nothing to do with making predictions. Instead, as Briggs and Rees indeed note, the reason why the House of Lords applied the wrong test in Montgomery is that Pellegrini, the leading ECtHR authority which overrides Drozd, was wrongly distinguished and therefore permitted recognition of a judgment in contravention of ECHR jurisprudence. It may be argued that this was not a case of human rights not being taken seriously, but was merely a case of wrongful interpretation of human rights law, yet this could only be accepted upon an assumption of the incompetence of the House of Lords. 5.3. Conclusions The leading authority of the ECtHR on operation of the indirect effect doctrine with respect to recognising foreign judgments, Pellegrini demands a review of full compliance with Article 6 standards of foreign judgments, perhaps limited to those emanating from non-Contracting State courts. Through this, the right to a fair trial can be fully upheld in national courts and, in the UK, breach of Section 6 of the HRA 1998 can be avoided. Notwithstanding, the House of Lords effectively got human rights wrong, thus paving the way forward for reduced protection of Article 6 in the UK. However, this area is not devoid of hope; to effect compliance with this framework, Montgomery must be overturned, which does not appear too remote a possibility given the extensive criticism of the case.

How to conclude a first class law dissertation

The conclusion to your dissertation is, arguably, the most important part and is, therefore, potentially a major differentiator between a first class dissertation and a second class one.

There are three things which you should bear in mind:-

1. A well-written dissertation, thesis, essay or, indeed, any story should have three main parts to it: an introduction; a main body; and a conclusion. It reflects any good piece of oratory: say what you’re going to say, say it, then say what you’ve said. In your conclusion, you are, thus, trying to tell the audience what you’ve said throughout your dissertation. If the word limit is 10,000 words, 800-1000 words should, ideally, be used on your conclusion;

2. Don’t be afraid to put your foot into the icy water. As stated in an earlier section you should not be afraid to come to powerful conclusions even if they challenge the views of other academics, practitioners or even the general public, provided that your views can be fairly and reasonably supported. Which brings us to the third and most important aspect of any conclusion;

3. A well drafted conclusion should refer back to your analysis throughout your dissertation to support your suggested conclusions; it should not allow you to raise new arguments or thoughts which you haven’t already considered. Think about it like a civil proof in court: you conduct an examination-in-chief in which you ask open questions to get evidence from your witness; your opponent then cross-examines your witness to test their evidence; you then get a chance to re-examine the witness but you do NOT get a chance to raise anything new that was not covered in cross.

The conclusion to my dissertation, different from my Juridical Review version, is as below. Given the recent Supreme Court criminal law decision of Cadder v HMA, for which see the ScotsLawBlog Cadder article , the final words on getting human rights right attract even greater significance.

6. CONCLUSIONS The right to a fair trial has produced much concern in the conflict of laws arena today, a particular result of the evolution of a more stringent human rights culture in the United Kingdom. In the field of civil jurisdiction, the right to a trial within reasonable time and the right of access to a court, two of the most fundamental substantive rights of Article 6 ECHR, have emerged; in the sphere of recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, the indirect effect doctrine, a key procedural element of the ECHR, which protects the right to a fair trial indirectly but nevertheless just as significantly, has arisen. International private law mechanisms exist for the reconciliation of Article 6 with the sphere of civil jurisdiction and judgments. The extent to which these can be utilised to protect the right to a fair trial is undoubtedly immense. At the most extreme end of protection, Fawcett’s hybrid model could provide great procedural legal certainty, such that human rights concerns will be identified first, using ECtHR jurisprudence, following which international private law mechanisms can resolve these concerns with their inherent flexibility. This strict approach is not unwarranted, particularly where judges fail to see the function or even importance of human rights. Pertinent examples include the misapplication of human rights by the House of Lords in Montgomery , which indeed must be rectified, and other approaches not confined to the courts of the United Kingdom; for instance, the embarrassingly misguided approach of the ECJ in Gasser , where it refused to recognise human rights concerns in its myopic pursuit of the objectives of the Brussels regime, unyielding with respect for concerns of private parties, when there were measures available for reconciliation. This appears even more inadequate in light of Advocate General Léger’s later suggestions that forum non conveniens may actually be incompatible with Article 6, when the doctrine is more than justifiable as it seeks to produce faster and more economic litigation, through both the first and second limbs of Spiliada. Notwithstanding, the need for Fawcett’s model is more questionable in other situations; for instance, in those cases involving potential indirect breaches of Article 6 when transferring actions abroad, flexible international private law mechanisms appear to have been applied in a manner sufficiently compliant with the ECHR, regardless of the characterisation of the breach as one of Article 6 or simply of the demands of justice. For example, the second limb of Spiliada has effectively prevented stays where there is a real risk of a flagrant breach abroad, as is the Soering threshold for such an indirect breach, whether regarding unreasonable delay or lack of access to a court. Fawcett concedes that the overall result of many cases will remain unchanged but suggests that “borderline” cases may exist which pose as pitfalls for the courts. However, the requirement of flagrancy, as he correctly applied at the beginning of his analysis, makes the existence of such cases difficult, if not impossible, to imagine in practice. In this respect, Fawcett appears to be advocating an approach extending beyond avoiding breaching Article 6; instead, he is actively aiming at protection of a fair trial beyond the Article 6 threshold. However, this is not unwelcome; the importance of Article 6 is so great that it is worth adopting the strict approach. The consistent use of ECHR jurisprudence at the outset will, at the very least, prevent a breach of Section 2 of the HRA 1998; further, it may assist those judges who are misguided or fail to see the importance of human rights today. Ultimately, a strict approach may provide for considerable legal certainty in a fast and growing area of law which demands firm, human rights orientated answers.

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How to write a bibliography to conclude your first-class dissertation

There are three stages for completing an abundant and competent bibliography. First, go into the footnotes on your document, select all, copy and paste to the foot of your article, then separate into different categories. Then, second, go back through the materials which you have read and add them. Finally, third, sort alphabetically using Word or Excel.

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY 7.1. TABLE OF CASES A and others v Denmark [1996] ECHR 2 AG of Zambia v Meer Care and Desai [2005] EWHC 2102 (Ch), appeals dismissed [2006] EWCA Civ 390 Airbus Industrie GIE v Patel [1999] 1 AC 119 Airey v Ireland [1979] ECHR 3 Al-Bassam v Al-Bassam [2004] EWCA Civ 857 Amuur v France (1996) 22 E.H.R.R. 533 Andreucci v Italy [1992] ECHR 8 Ashingdane v United Kingdom [1985] ECHR 8 Att. Gen. v Arthur Anderson & Co [1989] ECC 224 Axelsson v. Sweden, no.11960/86, 13 July 1990 Bensaid v United Kingdom (2001) 33 EHRR 10 Berghofer v. ASA SA Case 221/84 [1985] ECR 2699 Berisford Plc v New Hampshire Insurance [1990] 2 QB 631 Bock v. Germany [1989] ECHR 3 Boddaert v Belgium (1993) 16 EHRR 242 Bosphorus Hava Yollari Turizm Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi(“Bosphorus Airways“) v Ireland (2006) 42 EHRR 1 Bottazzi v. Italy [1999] ECHR 62 Brazilian Loans (PCIJ Publications, Series A, Nos. 20-21, p.122) Bristow Heliocopters v Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation [2004] 2 Ll Rep 150 British Airways v Laker Airways [1983] AC 58 British South Africa Co v Companhia de Moçambique [1893] AC 602 Buchholz v Germany [1981] ECHR 2 Carel Johannes Steven Bentinck v Lisa Bentinck [2007] EWCA Civ 175 Ceskoslovenska Obchodni Banka AS v Nomura International Plc [2003] IL Pr 20 Chellaram v Chellaram [1985] 1 Ch 409 Connelly v RTZ Corpn plc [1998] AC 854 Credit Agricole Indosuez v Unicof Ltd [2004] 1 Lloyd.s Rep 196 Cumming v Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd, The Times June 8, 1995 Darnell v United Kingdom (1993) 18 EHRR 205 Delcourt v Belgium (1979-80) 1 EHRR 355 Derbyshire CC v Times Newspapers Ltd [1992] QB 770 Deweer v Belgium (1979-80) 2 EHRR 439 Di Mauro v. Italy ECHR 1999-V Drozd and Janousek v France and Spain (1992) 14 EHRR 745 Eckle v Germany (1983) 5 EHRR 1 Elderslie Steamship Company v Burrell (1895) 22 R 389 Elefanten Schuh GmbH v Jacqmain (Case 150/80) [1981] ECR 1671 Erich Gasser GmbH v Misat Srl, C-116/02 [2005] QB 1 ERT v DEP C-260/89 [1991] ECR I-2925 F v Switzerland [1987] ECHR 32 Ferrari v Italy [1999] ECHR 64 Foti v Italy (1982) EHRR 313 Fritz and Nana v France, 75 DR 39 Golder v. United Kingdom [1975] ECHR 1 Gorbachev v Russia, No. 3354/02, Judgment of 15 February 2007. Government of the United States of America v Montgomery (No 2) [2004] UKHL 37 Guincho v Portugal (1984) 7 EHRR 223 H v France (1990) 12 EHRR 74 Hesperides Hotels Ltd v Aegan Turkish Holidays Ltd [1979] AC 508 Hewit’s Trs v Lawson (1891) 18 R 793. Huseyin Erturk v Turkey [2005] ECHR 630. Irish Shipping Ltd v Commercial Union [1991] 2 QB 206. Iveco Fiat v Van Hool Case 313/85 [1986] ECR 3337 Jones v Saudi Arabia [2004] EWCA Civ 1394 JP Morgan Europe Ltd v Primacom [2005] EWHC 508 Katte Klitsche de la Grange v Italy (1994) 19 EHRR 368 Klockner Holdings GmbH v Klockner Beteiligungs GmbH [2005] EWHC 1453 Konamaneni v Rolls-Royce Industrial Power (India) Ltd [2002] 1 WLR 1269 Konig v Federal Republic of Germany (1978) 2 EHRR 170 Krombach v Bamberski Case C-7/98 [2001] QB 709 Kudla v Poland [2000] ECHR 512 Lacey v Cessna Aircraft (1991) 932 F.2d 170 Ledra Fisheries Ltd v Turner [2003] EWHC 1049 Lubbe v Cape Industries Plc [2000] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 383 Malone v United Kingdom (1985) 7 EHRR 1 Malstrom v Sweden (1983) 38 Decisions and Reports 18 Manieri v Italy [1992] ECHR 26 Margareta and Roger Andersson v Sweden (1992) 14 EHRR 615. Markovic v Italy [2006] ECHR 1141 Maronier v Larmer [2003] QB 620 Matthews v United Kingdom [1999] ECHR 12. Messier-Dowty v Sabena [2000] 1 WLR 2040 Netherlands 6202/73 1975 1 DR 66 OT Africa Line Ltd v Hijazy (The Kribi) [2001] Lloyd’s Rep 76 Owens Bank Ltd v Bracco [1992] 2 AC 433 Owners of the Atlantic Star v Owners of the Bona Spes (The Atlantic Star and The Bona Spes) [1974] AC 436 Owusu v Jackson and Others C-281/02 [2005] QB 801 Pafitis v Greece (1999) 27 EHRR 566 Pfeiffer and Plankl v Austria (1992) 14 EHRR 692 Philip Morris International Inc v Commission of the European Communities [2003] ECR II-1 Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein v Germany ECHR 2001-VIII. R (Razgar) v Special Adjudicator [2004] 1 AC 368 R v Jones [2003] 1 AC 1 R. (Alconbury Developments Ltd) v Secretary of State for the Environment [2001] 2 WLR 1389 R. (on the application of Ullah) v Special Adjudicator [2004] UKHL 26 Riccardo Pizzati v Italy [2006] ECHR 275 Robins v United Kingdom (1998) 26 EHRR 527 Salesi v Italy [1993] ECHR 14 Salotti v RUWA Case 23/76 [1976] ECR 1831 Santambrogio v Italy [2004] ECHR 430 Scopelliti v Italy (1993) 17 EHRR 493 Sim v Robinow (1892) 19 R 665 Soc Divagsa v Spain (1993) 74 DR 274. Soering v United Kingdom (1989) 11 EHRR 439 Spiliada Maritime Corporation v Cansulex Lid [1987] 1 AC 460 Standard Steamship Owners Protection and Indemnity Association v Gann [1992] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 528 Stogmuller v Austria (1979) 2 EHRR 155 Stubbings v United Kingdom [1996] ECHR 44 Sunday Times v United Kingdom (1979-80) 2 EHRR 245 The Al Battani [1993] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 219 The Benarty [1984] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 244 The Fehmarn [1958] 1 WLR 159 The Jalakrishna [1983] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 628 The Lakhta [1992] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 269 The Nile Rhapsody [1992] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 399 The Pioneer Container [1994] 2 AC 324 The Polessk [1996] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 40 The Vishva Ajay [1989] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 558 Toepfer International G.M.B.H. v. Molino Boschi Srl [1996] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 510 Trendex v Credit Suisse [1982] AC 679 Turner v Grovit and Others [2005] 1 AC 101 Union Alimentaria SA v Spain (1990) 12 EHRR 24 Vocaturo v Italy [1991] ECHR 34. Wemhoff v Germany (1968) 1 EHRR 55 Winterwerp v The Netherlands [1979] ECHR 4 X v France [1992] ECHR 45 Xn Corporation Ltd v Point of Sale Ltd [2001] I.L.Pr. 35 Z and Others v. United Kingdom (2002) 34 EHRR 3 Zimmermann and Steiner v Switzerland [1983] ECHR 9 7.2. TABLE OF LEGISLATION European Union EC Treaty Art 6(2) Art 307 Council Regulation 44/2001 (Brussels Regulation) Art 2 Art 4 Art 27 Art 28 Art 30 Art 34(1) Art 34(2) Art 35(3) Art 71 Italy Law no.89 of 24 March 2001 (the “Pinto Act”). United Kingdom Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982 Civil Procedure Rules 1998 Part 11 r 3.1(2)(f) Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998) s1(1)(a) s2(1)(a) s3(1) s6(3)(a) 7.3. TABLE OF CONVENTIONS Brussels Convention on Jurisdiction and Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (Brussels Convention) Art 21 Art 22 Art 57 European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) Art 5 Art 6 Art 7 Art 13 7.4. TEXTBOOKS Anton, A.E., and Beaumont, P., 1995. Anton & Beaumont’s Civil Jurisdiction in Scotland: Brussels and Lugano Conventions. 2nd ed ., Edinburgh: Greens Bell, A., 2003. Forum Shopping and Venue in Transnational Litigation. Oxford: OUP Briggs, A., 2002. The Conflict of Laws, Oxford: OUP. Briggs, A., and Rees, P., 2002. Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments. 3rd ed., London: LLP Briggs, A., and Rees, P., 2005. Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments. 4rd ed., London: LLP Clarkson, C.M.V., and Hill, J., 2002. Jaffey on the Conflict of Laws. 2nd ed., Oxford: OUP Clarkson, C.M.V., and Hill, J., 2006. The Conflict of Laws. New York: OUP Clayton, R. and Tomlinson, H., 2000. The Law of Human Rights. Oxford: OUP Collier, J.C., 2001. Conflict of Laws. 3rd ed., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Collins, L., et al (eds), 2006. Dicey Morris and Collins on the Conflict of Laws. 14th ed. London: Sweet and Maxwell Crawford, E.B., and Carruthers, J.M., 2006. International Private Law in Scotland. 2nd ed, Edinburgh: Greens Einhorn, T. and Siehr, K., 2004. Intercontinental Cooperation Through Private International Law – Essays in Memory of Peter E. Nygh. The Hague, The Netherlands: T.M.C. Asser Press. Fawcett, J.J., 1995. Declining jurisdiction in private international law: reports to the XIVth congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law, Athens, August 1994. Oxford: Clarendon Press Fawcett, J.J., Harris, J. and Bridge, M., 2005. International Sale of Goods in the Conflict of Laws. Oxford: OUP Grosz, S., Beatson, J. and Duffy, P., 2000. Human Rights: The 1998 Act and the European Convention,.London: Sweet and Maxwell Harris, D.J., O’Boyle, M., Warbrick, C., 1995. Law of the European Convention on Human Rights. London: Butterworth Hill, J., 2005. International Commercial Disputes in English Courts. 3rd ed Portland: Hart Publishing McClean, D. and Beevers, K., 2005. Morris on the Conflict of Laws. 6th ed., London: Sweet and Maxwell North, P.M. and Fawcett, J.J., 2004. Cheshire and North’s Private International Law. 13th ed. Oxford: OUP Ovey, C. and White, R., 2002. The European Convention on Human Rights. New York: OUP Raitio, J., 2003. The Principle of Legal Certainty in EC Law. The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers Reed, R. and Murdoch, J., 2001. A Guide to Human Rights Law in Scotland. Edinburgh: Butterworths Scotland Starmer, K., 1999. European Human Rights Law. London: Legal Action Group 7.5. ARTICLES Baldwin, J., and Cunnington, R., 2004. “The Crisis in Enforcement of Civil Judgments in England and Wales.” 2004 PL (SUM) 305-328 Briggs, A., 2005a. “Foreign Judgments and Human Rights.” 121(APR) L.Q.R. 185-189 Briggs, A., 2005b. “The Death of Harrods: Forum non Conveniens and the European Court.” 121(OCT) L.Q.R. 535-540 Clarke, A., 2007. “The Differing Approach to Commercial Litigation in the European Court of Justice and the Courts of England and Wales” 18 E.B.L.Rev. 101-129 Collins, L., 1995. “The Brussels Convention Within the United Kingdom”, 111 LQR 541 Costa, J-P., 2002, Rivista internazionale dei diritti dell’uomo, 435, cited in Kinsch, P., 2004. “The Impact of Human Rights on the Application of Foreign Law and on the Recognition of Foreign Judgments – A Survey of the Cases Decided by the European Human Rights Institutions,” in Einhorn, T. and Siehr, K., 2004. Intercontinental Cooperation Through Private International Law – Essays in Memory of Peter E. Nygh, The Hague, The Netherlands: T.M.C. Asser Press, pp197-228, p228 n100 Crawford, E.B., 2005. “The Uses of Putativity and Negativity in the Conflict of Laws.” 54 ICLQ 829-854 Crifo, C., 2005. “First Steps Towards the Harmonisation of Civil procedure: The Regulation Creating a European Enforcement Order for Uncontested Claims.” C.J.Q. 2005, 24(APR), 200-223 Eardley, A., 2006. “Libel Tourism in England: Now the Welcome is Even Warmer.” 17(1) Ent. L.R. 35-38 Fabri, M., and Langbroek, P.M., 2003. “Preliminary draft report: Delay in Judicial Proceedings: A preliminary Inquiry into the Relation Between the Demands of the Reasonable Time Requirements of Article 6(1) ECHR and Their Consequences for Judges and Judicial Administration in the Civil, Criminal and Administrative Justice Chains”, CEPEJ (2003) 20 Rev Farran, S., 2007. “Conflicts of Laws in Human Rights: Consequences for Colonies”, (2007) 1 EdinLR 121 Fawcett, J.J., 2007. “The Impact of Article 6(1) of the ECHR on Private International Law.” 56 ICLQ 1-48 Fentiman, R., 2005. “English Domicile and the Staying of Actions” [2005] 64 CLJ 303 Flannery, L., 2004. “The End of Anti-Suit Injunctions?” New Law Journal, 28 May 2004, 798 Franzosi, M., 2002. “Torpedoes are here to stay” [2002] 2 International Review of Industrial Property and Copyright Law 154 Franzosi, M., 1997. “Worldwide Patent Litigation and the Italian Torpedo” 19 (7) EIPR 382 Green, L., 1956. “Jury Trial and Mr. Justice Black,” 65 Yale LJ 482 Halkerston, G., 2005. “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” 155 NLJ 436 Hare, C., “Forum non Conveniens in Europe: Game Over or Time for ‘Reflexion’” JBL 2006, Mar, 157-179 Harris, J., 2001. “The Brussels Regulation.” 20 Civil Justice Quarterly 218 Harris, J., 2005. “Stays of Proceedings and the Brussels Convention.,” 54 ICLQ 933 Hartley, T.C., 1994. “Brussels Jurisdiction and Judgments Convention: Agreement and Lis Alibi Pendens.” 19(5) E.L.Rev 549-552 Hartley, T.C., 2001. “International Law and the Law of the European Union – A Reassessment”, 72 BYBIL 1 Hartley, T.C., 2005a. “Choice-of-court agreements, lis pendens, human rights and the realities of international business: reflection on the Gasser case” in Le droit international privé: mélanges en l’honneur de Paul Lagarde, (Dalloz, Paris, 2005), pp383-391 Hartley, T.C., 2005b. “The European Union and the Systematic Dismantling of the Common Law Conflict of Laws”, 54 ICLQ 813 Higgins, R., 2006. “A Babel of Judicial Voices? Ruminations From the Bench.” 55 ICLQ 791-804. Hogan, G., 1995. “The Brussels Convention, Forum non Conveniens and the Connecting Factors Problem.” 20(5) E.L. Rev. 471-493 Hood, K.J., 2006. “Drawing Inspiration? Reconsidering the Procedural Treatment of Foreign Law.” 2(1) JPrIL 181-193. Hunt, M., 1998. “The “Horizontal Effect” of the Human Rights Act”. 1998 Public Law 423-443 Hunter-Henin, M., 2006. “Droit des personnes et droits de l’homme: combinaison ou confrontation? (Family Law and Human Rights: Can They Go Along or Do They Exclude Each Other?),” 95(4) Revue critique de droit international privé pp743-775. Kennett, W., 1998. “Service of Documents in Europe.” 17(JUL) C.J.Q. 284-307 Kennett, W., 2001. “The Brussels I Regulation.” 50 ICLQ 725 -737 Kennett, W., 2001. “The Enforcement Review: A Progress Report.” 20(Jan) CJQ 36-57 Kennett, W., and McEleavy, P., 2002. “(Current Development): Civil and Commercial Litigation” 51 ICLQ 463 Kinsch, P., 2004. “The Impact of Human Rights on the Application of Foreign Law and on the Recognition of Foreign Judgments – A Survey of the Cases Decided by the European Human Rights Institutions,” in Einhorn, T. and Siehr, K., 2004. Intercontinental Cooperation Through Private International Law – Essays in Memory of Peter E. Nygh, The Hague, The Netherlands: T.M.C. Asser Press, pp197-228. Lester, A., and Pannick, D., 2000. “The Impact of the Human Rights Act on Private Law: The Knight’s Move.” 116 LQR 380-385 Loucaides, L.G., 2003. “Questions of a Fair Trial Under the European Convention on Human Rights.” (2003) HRLR 3(1), pp27-51. Lowenfield, A.F., 2004. “Jurisdiction, Enforcement, Public Policy and Res Judicata: The Krombach Case,” in in Einhorn, T. and Siehr, K., 2004. Intercontinental Cooperation Through Private International Law – Essays in Memory of Peter E. Nygh, The Hague, The Netherlands: T.M.C. Asser Press, pp229-248 Mance, J., 2004a. “Civil Jurisdiction in Europe – Choice of Court Clauses, Competing Litigation and Anti-Suit Injunctions – Erich Gasser v. Misat and Turner v. Grovit: Address to Second Conference of European Commercial Judges, (“Problems of enforcement of european law”)” Paris – 14th October 2004; http://www.courdecassation.fr/formation_br_4/2004_2034/jonathan_mance_8239.html, (Accessed 10 March 2007) Mance, J., 2004b. “Exclusive Jurisdiction Agreements and European Ideals.” 120 LQR 357 Mance, J., 2005. “The Future of Private International Law.” 1(2) JPrIL 185-195 Mance, J., 2007. “Is Europe Aiming to Civilise the Common Law?” 18 EBLRev 77-99 McLachlan, C., 2004. “International Litigation and the Reworking of the Conflict of Laws” 120(OCT) LQR 580-616 Meidanis, H.P., 2005. “Public Policy and Ordre Public in the Private International Law of the EU: Traditional Positions and Moderns Trends.” 30(1), ELRev, 95-110 Merrett, L., 2006. “The Enforcement of Jurisdiction Agreements within the Brussels Regime,” 55 ICLQ 315 Muir Watt, H., 2001. “Evidence of an Emergent European Legal Culture: Public Policy Requirements of Procedural Fairness Under the Brussels and Lugano Conventions.” 36 Tex. ILJ, p. 539. North, P., 2001. “Private International Law: Change or Decay?” 50 ICLQ 477-508 Orakhelashvili, A., 2006. “The Idea of European International Law.” 17 Eur. J. Int’l L. 315 Peel, E., 2001. “Forum non Conveniens Revisited.” 117(APR) L.Q.R. 187-194 Robertson, D.W., 1987. “Forum Non Conveniens in America and England: ‘A rather fantastic fiction’.” 103 LQR 398 Robert-Tissot, S., and Smith, D., 2005. “The Battle for Forum”, New Law Journal, 7 October 2005, p1496 Robert-Tissot, S., 2005. “The Battle for Forum.” 155 NLJ 1496 Rodger, B.J., 2006. “Forum non Conveniens: Post Owusu.” 2(1) JPrIL 71 Schiavetta, S., 2004. “The Relationship Between e-ADR and Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights pursuant to the Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights.” 2004 (1) The Journal of Information, Law and Technology (JILT). http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/elj/jilt/2004_1/schiavetta/ (Accessed 28 February 2007) Sinopoli, L., 2000. Le droit au procès équitable dans les rapports privés internationaux (doctoral dissertation, University of Paris-I, 2000) Slater, A.G., 1988. “Forum Non Conveniens: A View From the Shop Floor.” 104 LQR 554 Svantesson, D.J.B., 2005. “In Defence of the Doctrine of Forum Non Conveniens.” (2005) HKLJ 395 Van Hoek: 2001. “Case note on Krombach v Bamberski” (2001) 38 CMLR 1011. Wade, H.W.R., 2000. “Horizons of Horizontality.” 116 LQR 217-224 Williams, J.M., 2001. “Forum non Conveniens, Lubbe v Cape and Group Josi v Universal General Insurance.” J.P.I. Law 2001, 1, 72-77 Zhenjie, H., 2001. “Forum Non Conveniens: An Unjustified Doctrine.” 48 NILR 143

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Sep 20, 2019

Written By Billy Sexton

LLB Law Dissertation

So, you've picked your final modules, consolidated your favourite library seat, and are finally feeling like a big fish in the university pond. But you've got one more challenge on the horizon—the dissertation... 

The final year of your LLB is here, which means it’s time to put together a lovely 10,000 or so word law dissertation.

Gone are the days of first year where a casual 2,000-word essay would be enough to secure 50% of your module marks. Even the tougher second-year essays, where word counts were raised up to 3,500 words, now seem like a walk in the park when faced with the mammoth dissertation.

Many law students before you have faced this, so don’t worry. If they do it, you can too!

A dissertation is a marathon, not a sprint (so no last minute late nights) and working on your dissertation should be treated like eating salami (bear with us on this). You wouldn’t eat a whole salami at once as it’s much tastier in thinner slices.

Therefore, you shouldn’t do your whole dissertation at once. Put it together bit-by-bit, and it will be a much stronger piece of work!

Law dissertation ideas

What you base your law dissertation on is entirely your choice… to a certain extent. You will need to find a supervisor for your dissertation so you won’t be able to do a dissertation on a specific issue if there’s no lecturer at your university who specialises in that topic!

However, presuming there is a lecturer to guide you along the long and bumpy dissertation path, you have free choice over what you’d like to study. Usually, first class dissertations carry originality and research depth.

If you’re stuck for ideas or broad topic areas, let us help you out. We can’t cover every individual area of law  but here are ideas for some of the core areas:

Contract Law – The influence of the EU on contract law, including anti-discrimination directives, a comparison of contract law in different jurisdictions or penalty clauses in contracts.

Criminal Law – Philosophical issues surrounding criminal law, human rights in criminal procedure or social dimensions of crime.

EU Law – Immigration and the law, the law of the European Convention for Human Rights and how this affects human rights within national borders or the impact of the EU on environmental legislation.

Public Law – Public understanding or law and education, state responsibility or historical developments in public law.

These are just a handful of suggestion and may or may not tickle your fancy. It’s best to talk to a range of potential supervisors to get a feel for how they could help you. Start looking early though, as supervisors get snapped up pretty quickly!

Law dissertation structure

Your university should tell you how to structure your dissertation, but usually an introduction highlighting the objectives of the dissertation should also put forward any issues or knowledge the reader will need to be aware of in order when they progress.

Next up is your methodology and literature review. This basically means pointing out what you’re going to research and how and summarising the key arguments already out there.

Then comes the juicy bit—the evidence. This should be what you discovered from your research and a detailed analysis of this.

Finally, the conclusion should outline what you discovered and your conclusion of this.

Writing a law dissertation can be stressful and it’s highly likely you might lose a bit of sleep over it. But at the same time it’s a great opportunity to stick your teeth into a subject you’re really passionate about and gain some good marks that will contribute significantly toward your overall degree mark. 

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Home » Blog » Dissertation » Topics » Law » 99 Law Dissertation Topics | Research Ideas

99 Law Dissertation Topics | Research Ideas

By Adam in Law , Topics

In this first of our series of law dissertation topics lists, we focus on giving you currently interesting topics related to four areas of law research: criminal law, business law, employment law, and EU law. We also tell you how to go about picking out a successful law dissertation title.

Law, often called legal studies or jurisprudence, forms the bedrock of societies worldwide, shaping norms, upholding justice, and safeguarding the rights and responsibilities of individuals and institutions. Synonyms such as legal studies and jurisprudence underscore the breadth and significance of this field, encompassing everything from criminal justice and human rights to international law and environmental regulations. For students embarking on a scholarly journey at the undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral levels, law dissertation topics offer a vast landscape of possibilities, each a gateway to unraveling the complexities of legal systems, principles, and policies. Whether you’re captivated by the intricacies of constitutional law, the ethical challenges of corporate governance, the difficulties of intellectual property rights, or the dynamics of international relations, the realm of law provides an array of captivating subjects to explore.

In this blog post, we’ll guide aspiring legal scholars through an extensive array of law dissertation topics, each offering a chance to contribute to the ongoing discourse about the evolving and multifaceted world of law. As the synonyms suggest, the study of law is vital and dynamic, touching every aspect of society and human interaction. Your dissertation journey in this field promises intellectual growth, practical relevance, and an opportunity to shape the future of legal thought and practice.

Download law Dissertation Example Pdf

Law dissertation topics of different fields:.

This post on Law topics is a mixture of topics from different fields of Law. By keeping the need for topics in a particular field of Law, we have drafted posts on each field separately. Following is the list of posts on different fields of law to find the research topics in the specific law field.

• Agriculture Law
• Banking Law
• Business Law
• Competition Law
• Construction Law
• Contract Law
• Corporate Law
• Criminal Law
• Employment Law
• Environmental Law
• Human Rights Law
• International Commercial Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Immigration Law
• Maritime Law
• Medical Law
• Property Law

List of Law Dissertation Topics:

The topics given in this list are examples. If you want to use any of these, make sure you make improvements in them to turn them into titles that are closer to your area of interest and seem original. If you copy these titles as they are, you’ll be running the risk of coming across other dissertations with the exact same research question, and that can’t be a good thing.

Abuse at the workplace and what is being done about it?

Tracing the historical components of common law.

Law of omissions liability and its evolution: A literature review.

Terrorism and human rights: How can security measures be balanced with civil liberties?

Understanding the relationship between employment laws and criminal offenses in the UK.

How important is it for SME managers to be cognizant of local business laws? An investigation.

Are current antitrust laws adequate to address monopolistic practices in the tech industry?

Establishing a relationship between criminal law and domestic violence.

Application of employment laws and factors for dismissal in the UK.

The role of international courts in resolving territorial disputes: A case-based analysis.

The legal implications of genetic testing in employment: Privacy and discrimination concerns.

International humanitarian law: Does it adequately address non-state armed groups?

Legal implications of artificial intelligence in healthcare: Balancing innovation and patient rights.

The importance of burden of proof in a Court of Law.

Exploring the legal dimensions of environmental migration: Protecting climate refugees.

An evaluation of the requirements for causation in different situations.

Artificial intelligence in legal practice: Implications for the legal profession’s future.

International laws in relation to loot boxes- an extended essay.

Maritime piracy and international law: Strategies for combating modern piracy.

Understanding international business transactions and implications for national laws.

To what extent does family law protect the rights and interests of children in custody disputes?

The employment contract and its unique features in the English banking sector.

Legal aspects of refugee protection: Assessing the efficacy of international agreements.

Benefits to international business contracts: A comparison of English sales law and the CISG.

Valuation of ethics by bankers in business law?

Developing an understanding for employment protection legislation in the UK.

Influence of unions on employment contracts: A critical study of the Britain.

A poison called Brexit: Critical analysis of the UK’s separation from the EU.

Corporate liability for environmental damage: Strengthening legal accountability.

Environmental justice and minority communities: Does the law offer adequate protection?

Data privacy regulations in the digital age: Are they effective in safeguarding individual rights?

An exploration of the important ethical considerations in Business law in the UK.

Environmental compliance in international trade: Ensuring sustainable practices.

Legal aspects of cultural heritage preservation: Protecting artifacts in conflict zones.

Legal challenges in protecting cultural heritage in post-conflict reconstruction.

The right to education for refugees: Legal challenges and access barriers.

Economic sanctions and international law: Do they achieve their intended objectives?

Legal aspects of copyright in the digital age: Balancing protection and access.

Mental health and employment laws across Europe- generating a rationalised understanding.

Climate change adaptation and legal obligations: Evaluating the Paris Agreement.

Examining the role of intellectual property laws in fostering innovation and creativity.

Exploring legal mechanisms for addressing police brutality: Accountability and reform.

The legal framework of indigenous land rights: A comparative study of nations.

Legal implications of cybersecurity threats on corporate governance: A comprehensive analysis?

Legal challenges in protecting endangered species: Balancing conservation and development.

An exploration of substantive laws in the EU.

Cross-border data transfers: Legal and ethical considerations in a globalized world.

Legal aspects of food safety and consumer protection: Ensuring quality and transparency.

Legal challenges in ensuring fair and equal access to healthcare services.

Legal aspects of sustainable fisheries management: Protecting marine ecosystems.

Consumer rights, cartels and the EU- an evaluation.

The legal framework of disaster response and recovery: Ensuring effective aid delivery.

What types of economic crises have influenced EU law modifications? An investigation.

Mapping the structural changes for business ethics in EU law.

A study of dismissal laws in the UK and business practices.

Legal aspects of blockchain technology: Challenges and opportunities.

Can environmental laws keep pace with the challenges of climate change? A critical evaluation.

How has digital technology impacted domestic violence?

Regulating artificial intelligence in autonomous vehicles: Who bears legal responsibility in accidents?

Gender equality laws: Are they effective in combating discrimination in the workplace?

The need for and importance of international law and procedure- a review.

How is EU law rationalizing employee rights to privacy in the digital environment?

Investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms: Do they undermine national sovereignty?

An analysis of criminal and business law in the EU context, international law and national law.

Is international law sufficient to address transboundary water conflicts?

Brexit and EU economy: How has the UK’s decision affected EU trade.

Human rights and multinational corporations: Corporate accountability under international law.

The legal framework of internet freedom: Can it protect against online censorship?

Privacy laws and biometric data: Can they safeguard personal information in the age of technology?

What does the law in the UK guide about employees’ rights to wellbeing in the workplace?

Regulating e-waste management: Legal approaches to tackling electronic waste.

A critical analysis of discrimination policies in English firms.

Global effects of the War on Terror on criminal law.

Defamation laws in the age of social media: Protecting reputations in the digital sphere.

Climate change litigation: Can courts effectively address environmental challenges?

The legal impacts of British colonial rule on local administration within the colonies.

Legal nudges and SME managers- an exploration.

The language of causation and implications for the layman.

The role of international law in combating cyberattacks: Attribution and accountability.

Burden of proof in Quarantine- is there a difference?

Corporate social responsibility and the law: Can it be enforced effectively?

Animal rights and the law: Do current regulations ensure ethical treatment of animals?

Legal challenges in regulating cryptocurrencies: A comparative analysis.

An exploration of opportunities in international laws for business corruption.

Legal challenges in combating cyberterrorism: Strategies and international cooperation.

Legal implications of genetic privacy: Balancing research and individual rights.

Freedom of the press and national security: Balancing journalistic rights and government interests.

Regulating autonomous weapons: Can international law keep up with technological advancements?

Legal implications of genetic editing: Ethical concerns and regulatory frameworks.

The legal framework of human rights in armed conflict: Does it ensure accountability for perpetrators?

Citizenship law and the EU- clearing out ambiguities.

The right to privacy vs. national security: Striking a balance in surveillance laws.

Uniting for Division: Effects of EU formation on member states’ parliaments.

The role of international criminal law in prosecuting war crimes: A critical analysis.

Exploring the legal framework for space mining: Rights, regulations, and responsibilities.

The impact of international trade agreements on labor laws: A comparative analysis.

The right to privacy in the workplace: Balancing employee rights and employer interests.

Exploring the role of international law in addressing global cybersecurity concerns.

Exploring legal frameworks for space debris remediation and cleanup.

There you go. Use the list on law dissertation topics well and let us know if you have any comments or suggestions for our topics-related blog posts for the future or want help with dissertation writing;  send us an email at [email protected] .

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Collection Description

This collection contains Stanford Law School Students’ theses and dissertations written to fulfill the academic requirements for advanced degrees.   Historically, the collection of Theses and Dissertations were produced as part of the requirement coursework for receiving a Master of Laws (1933-1969), a Juris Doctor (1906-1932), or a Doctor of Jurisprudence.  

Currently, works received from students are produced under two different graduate programs.  Thesis are works were produced as part of the requirement for the Stanford Program in International Legal Studies (SPILS). SPILS was established in 1995 by Professors Lawrence Friedman and Thomas C. Heller, to educate international students, lawyers, judges, public officials, and other professionals trained in the study of law outside the United States.  Students in the SPILS Program are required to do interdisciplinary research that affects the global community.  The culmination of this program is a research project that each individual student develops over the course of the year under a faculty advisor, after which the earns a Master of the Science of Law degree.  The research project must demonstrate the student's ability to employ empirical methods of investigation and must addresses issues in the international community or within a specific country.  These can cover a large range of topics that analyze legal cultures, legal reforms, or public policy.  

Dissertations are produced under Doctor of Science of Law program or JSD.  The JSD program as we know it was revised for the Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1969 is designed for students who are interested in pursuing an academic career. Doctor of Science of Law Students are selected from the Stanford Program in International Legal Studies and those who have a postgraduate degree in Legal Studies.

All materials in this collection were donated by individual authors to the Stanford Law Library's Special Collections.

Collection Identity Number: LAW-3781

Finding Aid prepared by

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Access to theses and dissertations from other institutions and from the University of Cambridge

This guide provides information on searching for theses of Cambridge PhDs and for theses of UK universities and universities abroad. 

For information and guidance on depositing your thesis as a cambridge phd, visit the cambridge office of scholarly communication pages on theses here ., this guide gives essential information on how to obtain theses using the british library's ethos service. .

On the last weekend of October, the British Library became the victim of a major cyber-attack. Essential digital services including the BL catalogue, website and online learning resources went dark, with research services like the EThOS collection of more than 600,000 doctoral theses suddenly unavailable. The BL state that they anticipate restoring more services in the next few weeks, but disruption to certain services is now expected to persist for several months. For the latest news on the attack and information on the restoration of services, please follow the BL blog here:  Knowledge Matters blog  and access the LibGuide page here:  British Library Outage Update - Electronic Legal Deposit - LibGuides at University of Cambridge Subject Libraries

A full list of resources for searching theses online is provided by the Cambridge A-Z, available here .

University of Cambridge theses

Finding a cambridge phd thesis online via the institutional repository.

The University's institutional repository, Apollo , holds full-text digital versions of over 11,000 Cambridge PhD theses and is a rapidly growing collection deposited by Cambridge Ph.D. graduates. Theses in Apollo can be browsed via this link . More information on how to access theses by University of Cambridge students can be found on the access to Cambridge theses webpage.   The requirement for impending PhD graduates to deposit a digital version in order to graduate means the repository will be increasing at a rate of approximately 1,000 per year from this source.   About 200 theses are added annually through requests to make theses Open Access or via requests to digitize a thesis in printed format.

Locating and obtaining a copy of a Cambridge PhD thesis (not yet available via the repository)

Theses can be searched in iDiscover .  Guidance on searching for theses in iDiscover can be found here .   Requests for consultation of printed theses, not available online, should be made at the Manuscripts Reading Room (Email:  [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0)1223 333143).   Further information on the University Library's theses, dissertations and prize essays collections can be consulted at this link .

Researchers can order a copy of an unpublished thesis which was deposited in print form either through the Library’s  Digital Content Unit via the image request form , or, if the thesis has been digitised, it may be available in the Apollo repository. Copies of theses may be provided to researchers in accordance with the  law  and in a manner that is common across UK libraries.  The law allows us to provide whole copies of unpublished theses to individuals as long as they sign a declaration saying that it is for non-commercial research or private study.

How to make your thesis available online through Cambridge's institutional repository

Are you a Cambridge alumni and wish to make your Ph.D. thesis available online? You can do this by depositing it in Apollo the University's institutional repository. Click here for further information on how to proceed.    Current Ph.D students at the University of Cambridge can find further information about the requirements to deposit theses on the Office of Scholarly Communication theses webpages.

UK Theses and Dissertations

Electronic copies of Ph.D. theses submitted at over 100 UK universities are obtainable from EThOS , a service set up to provide access to all theses from participating institutions. It achieves this by harvesting e-theses from Institutional Repositories and by digitising print theses as they are ordered by researchers using the system. Over 250,000 theses are already available in this way. Please note that it does not supply theses submitted at the universities of Cambridge or Oxford although they are listed on EThOS.

Registration with EThOS is not required to search for a thesis but is necessary to download or order one unless it is stored in the university repository rather than the British Library (in which case a link to the repository will be displayed). Many theses are available without charge on an Open Access basis but in all other cases, if you are requesting a thesis that has not yet been digitised you will be asked to meet the cost. Once a thesis has been digitised it is available for free download thereafter.

When you order a thesis it will either be immediately available for download or writing to hard copy or it will need to be digitised. If you order a thesis for digitisation, the system will manage the process and you will be informed when the thesis is available for download/preparation to hard copy.

See the Search results section of the  help page for full information on interpreting search results in EThOS.

EThOS is managed by the British Library and can be found at http://ethos.bl.uk . For more information see About EThOS .

World-wide (incl. UK) theses and dissertations

Electronic versions of non-UK theses may be available from the institution at which they were submitted, sometimes on an open access basis from the institutional repository. A good starting point for discovering freely available electronic theses and dissertations beyond the UK is the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) , which facilitates searching across institutions. Information can also usually be found on the library web pages of the relevant institution.

The DART Europe etheses portal lists several thousand full-text theses from a group of European universities.

The University Library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses  (PQDT) database which from August 31 2023 is accessed on the Web of Science platform.  To search this index select it from the Web of Science "Search in" drop-down list of databases (available on the Documents tab on WoS home page)

PQDT includes 2.4 million dissertation and theses citations, representing 700 leading academic institutions worldwide from 1861 to the present day. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works. Each dissertation published since July 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The University Library only subscribes to the abstracting & indexing version of the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database and NOT the full text version.  A fee is payable for ordering a dissertation from this source.   To obtain the full text of a dissertation as a downloadable PDF you can submit your request via the University Library Inter-Library Loans department (see contact details below). NB this service is only available to full and current members of the University of Cambridge.

Alternatively you can pay yourself for the dissertation PDF on the PQDT platform. Link from Web of Science record display of any thesis to PQDT by clicking on "View Details on ProQuest".  On the "Preview" page you will see an option "Order a copy" top right.  This will allow you to order your own copy from ProQuest directly.

Dissertations and theses submitted at non-UK universities may also be requested on Inter-Library Loan through the Inter-Library Loans department (01223 333039 or 333080, [email protected] )

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Dissertation examples

Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

• Undergraduate examples
• Taught Masters examples

A research paper may be taken as part of a Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, Master of Financial Management and Law or Master of International Law and Diplomacy. Completion of LAWS8301 Postgraduate Law Dissertation is required. The course is worth 12 units and is undertaken over a single semester, culminating in completion of an 12,000-16,000 word research thesis.

Further information can be located within the Research Paper Guidelines .

Ensure you meet minimum program requirements

Juris Doctor:

• enrolled in the Juris Doctor program; and
• have completed or be completing five 1000 or 6100 level LAWS courses; and
• have completed LAWS8800 Advanced Introduction to Legal Methods and Legal Writing 1 ; and
• have a distinction (70%) average across 24 units including a minimum of two 8000-level LAWS courses.

Master of Laws, Master of Financial Management and Law, and Master of International Law and Diplomacy:

• enrolled in a Master of Laws or Master of Financial Management and Law or Master of International Law and Diplomacy program; and
• have completed or be completing or exempt from completing LAWS8586 Law and Legal Institutions ; and
• have a distinction (70%) average across 24 units of 8000-level LAWS courses.

Begin thinking about a topic and prepare an outline

The outline should comprise of;

• the proposed research topic and its boundaries;
• the key issues to be addressed;
• the methodology adopted to address the issues;
• a timetable proposal for writing the dissertation;
• a preliminary literature review and a bibliography; and
• the list of literature consulted.

The purpose of the outline is to persuade a potential supervisor that the topic is sufficiently developed and refined and that the paper can be successfully completed within the semester. The outline should be a maximum of 2000 words in length.

If empirical research is to be conducted, students must indicate that any relevant ethics approval has been sought. In practice, ethics clearance is required at least six to eight weeks before the research is scheduled to occur. Feasibility of completing the research in time to enable on-time submission must be a primary consideration.

Topics and supervision

Students are required to nominate at least one academic staff member as a potential supervisor for the course.

Approaching a potential supervisor

The proposed research topic/s must be discussed with at least one ANU College of Law academic staff member. Students should approach supervisors that have the appropriate knowledge in the relevant field of research. The Law Research Paper Supervisor List document provides a list of potential supervisors' availability and their field/s of expertise. Whilst every effort will be made to assign students with their preferred supervisor, circumstances may require the allocation of another supervisor.

Application Dates and How to apply

Once your supervisor/s have confirmed that they are willing to supervise you, please obtain an approval email from them and upload it when you submit your online application. Please note that the allocation of supervisors is based on academic availability. Whilst every effort will be made to assign you to the supervisor you have nominated, circumstances may require you to be allocated to another supervisor.

• Applications Open: Monday 29 Jul 2024, 9am
• Applications Close: Thursday 10 October 2024, 11:45pm
• Expected decision (Outcome): Prior to Semester One 2025

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• Best History Dissertation Topics and Unique Ideas

Finding compelling history dissertation topics is vital for your research success. Focusing on one area can be challenging, considering various potential historical events, themes, and perspectives. This article guides you in choosing a suitable theme that meets your academic goals and stands out to the audience.

Expert Advice on Selecting History Topics

Choosing good topics for history dissertation projects may be challenging, but fortunately, there are a few valuable tips that can make the process smoother:

• Choose a theme that sparks your curiosity to stay motivated during the writing process.
• Ensure the topic you select is narrow enough and broad enough.
• Check the availability of resources to have enough material to support your research.
• Consider topic originality and avoid well-researched areas.
• Consult your advisor to meet academic requirements.

With careful consideration, you can find a theme that interests you and leads to success. If you need help with dissertation writing or topic selection, buy a dissertation online from expert authors. Professional writing services provide high-quality support tailored to your needs. This way, you can excel in your studies without stress.

Ultimate Compilation of Exceptional History Dissertation Topics

The right history dissertation theme is essential for effective research. This list includes various topic examples for undergraduate, master’s, and postgraduate students.

History Dissertation Topics for Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate history dissertation themes are more accessible and well-researched. These ten ideas will help you get started:

• The impact of World War I on women's rights in Europe
• The significance of the Magna Carta in medieval politics
• The causes and effects of the American Civil War
• The role of propaganda during the Cold War
• The British Empire’s influence on global trade
• The French Revolution: Causes and Consequences
• The role of religion in shaping medieval European societies
• The Industrial Revolution and its impact on working-class communities
• Colonialism in Africa: A study of resistance movements
• The role of the British monarchy during the Second World War

Masters History Dissertation Topics

In master’s dissertations, you should conduct more specialised and detailed research. Explore ten history dissertation ideas for students for a deeper level of study:

• The fall of the Ottoman Empire and its impact on the Middle East
• The role of women in the Russian Revolution
• The effect of the Treaty of Versailles on European politics
• Nazi Germany’s rise to power: An analysis of social and economic factors
• The decolonisation of India: Key political movements
• The history of British intelligence during World War II
• The Suez Crisis and its effects on British foreign policy
• Post-colonialism and identity formation in the Caribbean
• The Spanish Civil War: International intervention and its outcomes
• The role of espionage in the Cold War

Postgraduate History Dissertation Ideas

These dissertations require detailed analysis of specific historical phenomena. Discover history dissertation topic examples for postgraduate students:

• The role of climate change in the fall of the Roman Empire
• A comparative study of medieval European and Chinese economies
• The political implications of the Protestant Reformation
• The history of international human rights laws post-World War II
• The evolution of European diplomatic relations during the Renaissance
• The Cultural Impact of the African Diaspora in the Americas
• An analysis of slavery abolition movements in the 18th and 19th centuries
• The geopolitical consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis
• The development of modern warfare during the Napoleonic Wars
• Gender roles in ancient Mesopotamian societies

Good Art History Dissertation Topics

Consider these ten themes related to cultural movements and their historical context. However, if writing a dissertation causes you much stress and challenge, search “ write my dissertation StateOfWriting ” to get a high-quality paper on the requested subject.

• The influence of Ancient Roman architecture on modern design
• The Renaissance and its transformation of art in Europe
• The symbolism of death in Medieval European art
• Impressionism: A movement born from political and social change
• The role of women artists in the 20th century
• The impact of World War I on European avant-garde art
• Art under dictatorship: A study of Nazi Germany’s art policies
• The Rise of modernism in post-war America
• The development of landscape painting in 18th-century Britain
• The influence of African art on 20th-century European modernism

Modern History Topics for Dissertation

Modern history focuses on recent events that have shaped today's world. These best history dissertation ideas will make your research stand out:

• The Cold War: Its global influence and critical turning points
• The rise and fall of communism in Eastern Europe
• The influence of globalisation on national identities
• The role of the United Nations in global conflicts
• The Vietnam War: Its impact on American foreign policy
• The Arab Spring: Causes and Consequences
• The evolution of human rights movements post-World War II
• The effect of the 2008 financial crisis on global economies
• The fall of the Berlin Wall and its impact on European politics
• The history of the European Union’s formation and expansion

Creative Early Modern History Dissertation Topic Ideas

Early modern history covers the late Middle Ages to the early 18th century. Explore ten potential ideas

• The role of the printing press in the Protestant Reformation
• The expansion of European empires in the New World
• The political impact of the Thirty Years' War
• The development of constitutional monarchy in England
• The influence of the Enlightenment on European society
• The rise of mercantilism and its impact on global trade
• The witch hunts in early modern Europe
• The Spanish Armada and its defeat
• The cultural and political implications of the Scientific Revolution
• The power of the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century

Economic History Dissertation Ideas

Discover these history dissertation topic ideas connected to changes in economies over time:

• The economic causes of the Great Depression
• The rise of capitalism in post-medieval Europe
• The history of global trade during the colonial era
• The role of the gold standard in 19th-century financial crises
• The industrialisation of Japan in the late 19th century
• The economic impact of World War I on Europe
• The history of labour movements in the United States
• The development of free trade agreements in the 20th century
• The economic impact of the Marshall Plan on post-war Europe
• The role of agriculture in early modern European economies

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Unique Legal History Dissertation Topics

Legal history explores the development of laws and legal systems. Here are ten potential topics for research:

• The history of common law in England
• The evolution of human rights law after World War II
• The development of constitutional law in the United States
• The role of international law in colonialism
• The Magna Carta and its legacy in modern legal systems
• The impact of the Nuremberg Trials on international justice.
• The history of civil rights law in the U.S.
• The legal framework behind the Abolition of slavery
• The development of labour laws during the Industrial Revolution
• The role of women in shaping family law

If you can’t find a proper theme for your research in this list, consider a top dissertation proposal writing agency . Expert writers can help you brainstorm unique ideas, refine your topic, and craft an engaging proposal.

Interesting Cultural Historical Dissertation Topics

Cultural history examines the role of culture in shaping societies. Here’s a list of ten unusual history dissertation topics related to culture and history:

• The influence of jazz on 20th-century American culture
• The role of theatre in shaping public opinion during the Renaissance
• The cultural impact of the British Invasion in the 1960s
• The history of festivals in medieval Europe
• The effect of colonialism on Indigenous cultures
• The role of religion in shaping European art and architecture
• The cultural significance of folk traditions in Eastern Europe
• The influence of the Enlightenment on popular culture
• The evolution of fashion in 19th-century France
• The cultural role of sports in shaping national identity

British History Topics for Dissertation

In British history, you can find various themes for your research, including these unique history dissertation topics:

• The impact of the Industrial Revolution on British society
• The role of the British Empire in global conflicts
• The development of parliamentary democracy in Britain
• The history of the British labour movement
• The impact of the Victorian era on British morals and values
• The role of Britain in the Napoleonic Wars
• The cultural significance of the Beatles in the 1960s
• The history of the British monarchy and its changing role
• The role of Britain in the formation of the United Nations
• The impact of the Brexit vote on British politics

American History Ideas for Dissertation

American history covers a broad spectrum, from colonisation to modern politics. Here are dissertation topics for history research in this field:

• The American Revolution: Causes and Consequences
• The history of the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.
• The impact of the Vietnam War on American society
• The rise of the American political system post-independence
• The role of women in shaping U.S. history
• The Great Depression and its impact on American society
• The history of Native American resistance movements
• The evolution of U.S. foreign policy in the 20th century
• The effects of World War II on American industry
• The cultural significance of Hollywood in shaping global perceptions of America

Original Irish History Dissertation Topic Ideas

Irish history is known for political movements, cultural shifts, and international impacts. Explore these ten compelling topic ideas:

• The Irish War of Independence and its consequences
• The effect of the Great Famine on Irish emigration
• The role of women in the Irish nationalist movement
• The influence of the Gaelic Revival on Irish identity
• The history of Irish-American relations in the 19th century
• The Easter Rising: Causes and Aftermath
• The role of religion in shaping Irish society
• The History of the Troubles in Northern Ireland
• The impact of British rule on Irish cultural identity
• The influence of Irish literature on global perspectives

Recent Trends and Data

Historical research continues to develop. Current trends focus on global history, interdisciplinary approaches, and digital humanities. Studies are shifting towards environmental history, technology, and recent discoveries, such as satellite imagery, newly declassified documents, and more. Numerous academic databases, including JSTOR, the British Library, government archives, and online materials, are invaluable for high-quality dissertation writing.

Choosing the right history dissertation ideas is essential for impactful research. Get inspiration from various dissertation topics presented in this article. You can get the necessary guidance and resources to build a strong foundation for your work.

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