Statutory Interpretation and the Devolution Statutes
A Statute Law Society event hosted by UCL Laws
About the talk
The dominant approach to interpretation of the devolution statutes has been to treat
them as ordinary statutes, to be interpreted like any other, rather than as
“constitutional statutes”. This lecture will discuss the justifications for the ordinary
statutes approach, the problems to which it gives rise, and how these problems may
be resolved. It will be argued that the difference between the two approaches is less
stark than it may appear. The ordinary statutes approach does make assumptions
about the constitutional context in which interpretation takes place, but ones which
are relatively insensitive to the specific needs and challenges of effective devolved
governance.
About the speaker
Aileen McHarg has been Professor of Public Law and Human Rights at Durham
University since 2019, prior to which she held a Chair in Public Law at Strathclyde
University and before that posts at Glasgow and Bristol Universities. She has
published widely in the fields of constitutional and administrative law, but has
particular expertise in devolution and the UK’s territorial constitution. Amongst other
things, she is joint General Editor of the journal Public Law, and a member of the
United Kingdom Constitution Monitoring Group.
Fees
Online and In-person Ticket price: £8
Lectures are free of charge for individal and institutional members of the Statute Law Society (SLS) and UCL Staff & Students.
Join the Statute Law Society
The Statute Law Society is a charity which aims to promote knowledge and understanding about legislation and the legislative process. Join via www.statutelawsociety.co.uk
A Statute Law Society event hosted by UCL Laws
About the talk
The dominant approach to interpretation of the devolution statutes has been to treat
them as ordinary statutes, to be interpreted like any other, rather than as
“constitutional statutes”. This lecture will discuss the justifications for the ordinary
statutes approach, the problems to which it gives rise, and how these problems may
be resolved. It will be argued that the difference between the two approaches is less
stark than it may appear. The ordinary statutes approach does make assumptions
about the constitutional context in which interpretation takes place, but ones which
are relatively insensitive to the specific needs and challenges of effective devolved
governance.
About the speaker
Aileen McHarg has been Professor of Public Law and Human Rights at Durham
University since 2019, prior to which she held a Chair in Public Law at Strathclyde
University and before that posts at Glasgow and Bristol Universities. She has
published widely in the fields of constitutional and administrative law, but has
particular expertise in devolution and the UK’s territorial constitution. Amongst other
things, she is joint General Editor of the journal Public Law, and a member of the
United Kingdom Constitution Monitoring Group.
Fees
Online and In-person Ticket price: £8
Lectures are free of charge for individal and institutional members of the Statute Law Society (SLS) and UCL Staff & Students.
Join the Statute Law Society
The Statute Law Society is a charity which aims to promote knowledge and understanding about legislation and the legislative process. Join via www.statutelawsociety.co.uk
Good to know
Highlights
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- In-person
Refund Policy
Location
UCL Laws
Bentham House
Endsleigh Gards London WC1H 0EG
How would you like to get there?
