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Supreme Court’s Lord Reed lectures LSBU law students
Justice of the Supreme Court Lord Reed last week shared his insight into cases of the greatest public and constitutional importance with LSBU law studentsThe Right Honourable Lord Reed, one of twelve Justices of the UK Supreme Court, last week shared his insight into cases of the greatest public and constitutional importance with law students at London South Bank University.
One of two Scottish Justices, Lord Reed's self-described "old-fashioned talk" centred on the role of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Union's Court of Justice in UK law.
Lord Reed's keynote was the third visit to LSBU by a Supreme Court Justice organised by the LSBU Student Law Society, following two lectures given by deputy president Baroness Hale last year.
"It is a real privilege to have a Supreme Court Justice lecture at LSBU," commented Andy Unger, head of the law department.
"Judicial reasoning is at the heart of our legal system and this is an opportunity for our law students, currently working on their final dissertations, to glean a rare insight into the workings of UK and European law at the very highest level."
Lord Reed's talk centred on the ECHR and EU law and their application to matters of public and constitutional importance in the UK. High-profile cases cited by Lord Reed included those relating to prisoner voting, parole board hearings, assisted suicide and High Speed 2—providing a fascinating insight for LSBU law students into Europe's most profound legal dilemmas.
"It's an honour for us and our students to hear from you this evening," said Cherry James, senior law lecturer in thanking Lord Reed. "Your lecture has given our students some very interesting food-for-thought just as they work on their final projects."
Lord Reed served as a senior judge in Scotland for thirteen years. During 1999 he sat as an ad hoc judge of the European Court of Human Rights and was sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court in 2012.
In his lecture Lord Reed also commended LSBU's Legal Advice Clinic, a free drop-in service staffed by law students working under the supervision of practising solicitors. As well as providing a vital community function, it gives LSBU law students real-world legal experience before they graduate.