Centre for Law, Gender Sexuality

Introduction to the Centre

The Centre for Law, Gender and Sexuality at Westminster originated as part of a collaborative project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) between the law schools at the University of Kent, University of Keele and the University of Westminster. The Centre adopted a critical, interdisciplinary approach advancing research and scholarship that was theoretically informed and policy relevant. The work of the Centre was focused around three clusters. These were healthcare & bio-ethics, law & culture, and governance & regulation, as well as emergent research streams over the life span of the project such as religion & secularism. The Centre was committed to debating, disseminating scholarship, and networking with non-academics, working in related fields, through our workshops, non-academic associate fellow scheme, and by engaging with policy-makers, NGOs and lawyers over current legal developments and policy reform. The Centre was particularly attentive to developing activities and research programmes for post graduate and early career academics (PECANS).

Centre Members

  1. Caroline Boulby
  2. Julia Chryssostalis
  3. Liz Duff
  4. Seema Kandelia
  5. Dr. Lisa Webley
  6. Daniela Nadji
  7. Professor Danny Nicol
  8. Dr Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos
  9. Dr Oliver Phillips
  10. Harriet Samuels
  11. Emma McClean
  12. Dr. Radha D’Souza
  13. Dorrie Chetty
  14. Virginia Williams
  15. Sylvie Bacquet

News and Events

The Centre members at Westminster have been enthusiastic participants in the centre’s programs and activities. They have continued with their research activities, networking and teaching with the focus on the critical and interdisciplinary approach pioneered by the original collaborative project.  In the year 2009/2010 the University of Westminster has host and organized various events. These include the following: 

  • The Feminism with Fizz seminars. The Feminism with Fizz series began with workshops on feminism and legal practice and feminism and judging. The workshop on judging was made up of four female judges including Baroness Hale. Since then a wide range of themes have been covered. The topics so far have included parenting, ageing, literature, fashion, health and policy making. The speakers have talked from professional and personal perspectives as policy makers, academics and activists. The Fizz audience of students, academics, staff, policy makers and activists listen to several short presentations followed by a discussion connected by the themes of feminism and law. The evening is organized to include an opportunity to share a drink and nibbles and for participants to mingle    informally and network over their shared interests.  In the academic year 2009/10 the topic for Feminism with Fizz was Feminism, Law and Religion.  The participants were Dr Kristin Aune, University of Derby, co-author of Women and Religion in the West: Challenging Secularization,2008 , Rabbi Marcia Plumb, Southgate and District Reform Synagogue and Leo Baeck College, Pragna Patel, Southall Black Sisters and Humera Khan, activist and educator, founder of An-Nisa Society. Further Feminism with Fiss events are planned for the academic year 2010/11.

The Conversations project.

This project facilitates a series of conversations between academics, non- government organisations and practitioners. The purpose is to transfer knowledge through the cross fertilisation of ideas. The conversations find areas of commonality between different communities and encourage the discussion and development of conceptual ideas beyond their usual boundaries. In 2009/10 new further conversations took place. The first Conversation on Regulating Sex took place on 26th November 2009, with Dr Oliver Phillips, Director of Research, University of Westminster, Dr Jo Doezema, University of Sussex; Catherine Stephens, International Union of Sex Workers; Lee Brooker, Terrence Higgins Trust; and James Mannion, SohoBoyz. The second Conversation on Sex, Gender and Religion took place on 27th April with Dr Lucy Vickers, Oxford Brookes University; Suhraiya Jivraj, Oxford Brookes University and Tessa Kendall, National Secular Society , Elizabeth O’Casey, National Secular Society and Harriet Samuels, University of Westminster.

Other Events

  • The PECAN’s Conference, 2010. This lively event took place at the University of Westminster  on 29/30 April and the theme was Transgressing Power. For future events visit the PECANS  website at http://www.clgs-pecans.org.uk/events.php
  • The Human Rights Act: Conundrums and Contradictions. This one day workshop took place at the University of Westminster on 29th June 2010. Papers presented included Questioning the Human Rights Act, The rise of human rights culture. Some implications for politics, A villains’ charter?: Understanding newspapers’ framing of the Human Rights Act, Feminist method and the principle of proportionality, A fine romance?  Performing and managing socio-economic rights in the UK and South Africa. Speakers included Dr Helen Carr, University of Kent, Dr Lieve Gies, University of Keele, Professor Danny Nicol, University of Westminster, Dr Oliver Phillips, University of Westminster, Dr Emma MaClean, University of Westminster, David Roberts, University of Westminster, Dr Paulina Tambakaki and Harriet Samuels, University of Westminster.
  • Future Feminism with Fizz seminars, Conversations and other events will take place in 2010/11 and will be publicised here. If you have suggestions for a conversation please contact H.Samuels@westminster.ac.uk

More conversations are planned for the term. If you have suggestions for a conversation please contact H.Samuels@westminster.ac.uk or  McClean@westminster.ac.uk