Changing Society – Changing Law?

Members of the conference organising committee L-R (back row) Manon Chrigwin, Megan Talbot, Pierre Wiltshere, Linda Thompson, (front) Engobo Emeseh, Lloyd Hole, Debbie Kobani and Gareth Evans

Members of the conference organising committee L-R (back row) Manon Chrigwin, Megan Talbot, Pierre Wiltshere, Linda Thompson, (front) Engobo Emeseh, Lloyd Hole, Debbie Kobani and Gareth Evans

17 March 2016

Society is changing faster today than at any other point in human history, but how is the law responding to this change?

This is the theme for a two day postgraduate conference being hosted by the Department of Law and Criminology at Aberystwyth University today and tomorrow, 17 and 18 March.

Is the law driving change or reacting to a changing society? How relevant is the law to date and is it up-to-date? Is the law able to reflect society’s changing needs?

Engobo Emeseh, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Law and Criminology said: “The conference provides an opportunity for critical engagement by the research community on these issues. It is particularly targeted at postgraduate students to contribute towards developing, strengthening and enhancing the future researcher workforce by giving postgraduate students the opportunity to organise an event of this nature, develop confidence in presenting their research, test ideas, and network.” 

Participants will also be able to learn about some of the pioneering research being conducted at Aberystwyth’s Department of Law and Criminology.

Emeseh added: “Our changing society and its interface with the law poses challenging questions for many fields of study: from internet crimes to homosexuality; from climate change and sustainable development to immigration and more. In completing our aim, we are providing various panel discussions on both days of the conference, combined with presentations from experts in their field/ discipline thereby facilitating a stimulating forum”.

This includes a presentation by guest speaker Sir Paul Silk, a former clerk in the British House of Commons and the appointed chair of the Commission on Devolution in Wales from 2011-2014.

Other speakers include Professor John Williams, who, with Professor Alan Clarke and Ms Sarah Wydall, were  awarded a £890,000 Lottery Fund research grant as part of a £1.3m research project on justice and elder abuse, Professor Ryszard Piotrowicz, who will discuss international law in relation to immigration and migration, and Dr Engobo Emeseh on climate change and the Paris Cop21 2015.

The conference will also feature postgraduate student skills sessions held by Dr Ian Archer and Hannah Payne.

The Conference is being held in the Elystan Morgan Building, Llanbadarn Campus on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th March.

Full conference programme details are available online here .

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