University of Aberdeen School of Law

Last updated

University of Aberdeen
School of Law
Sgoil Lagha Oilthigh Obar Dheathain
Taylor Building, University of Aberdeen - geograph.org.uk - 1626778.jpg
The Taylor Building (2009)
Type Law school
Establishedc. 1495;528 years ago (1495)
Parent institution
 University of Aberdeen
HeadGreg Gordon
Academic staff
60 faculty members
Students1200 approx.
Undergraduates 900 [1]
Postgraduates 350
60
Location
Aberdeen
,
Scotland

57°09′55″N2°06′04″W / 57.16528°N 2.10111°W / 57.16528; -2.10111
Campus Old Aberdeen
Colours
                  
Website abdn.ac.uk/law

The University of Aberdeen School of Law (Scottish Gaelic : Sgoil Lagha Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is the law school of University of Aberdeen, located in Aberdeen, Scotland. Established in 1495, it is consistently ranked among the top 10 law schools in the United Kingdom. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Today, it is one of the oldest, largest, selective and prestigious law schools in Scotland, admitting some two hundred and fifty students each year, as well as over forty international exchange students. [5] The 2021 Complete University Guide league rankings placed Aberdeen at 6th in the UK. [6] [7] The 2019 The Times league rankings also placed Aberdeen at 7th in the UK. [8]

The School offers both undergraduate (LL.B.) and taught and research postgraduate degrees (LL.M.), as well as the Diploma in Legal Practice and Professional Competence Course. [9] The current Head of the School of Law is Greg Gordon. [10]

History and tradition

Founding

William Elphinstone (1431-1514) was a Scottish statesman, first Professor of Law at the university (1505-14), Bishop of Aberdeen and founder of the University of Aberdeen. ElphinstoneOriginal.jpg
William Elphinstone (1431–1514) was a Scottish statesman, first Professor of Law at the university (1505–14), Bishop of Aberdeen and founder of the University of Aberdeen.

The history of the School of Law began with the establishment in 1495 of King's College, Aberdeen, the original university in Aberdeen, by William Elphinstone, then Bishop of Aberdeen and himself a former lawyer. From 1505 onwards, King's College endowed two professors of law- one for Canon law, another for Civil Law. Canon law ceased to be taught at King's College due to the Reformation which saw a purging of King's professors. The latter, Civil Law, would continue to be taught at King's College, subsequently in the United University, until today. [11]

In 1860, King's College merged with Aberdeen's other university, Marischal College, to form the current University. However, it was not until 1895 that John Dove Wilson revived Scots Law at Aberdeen as a B.L. (Bachelor of Laws) and 1910 as the LL.B. degree. [12]

Professorships

Traditionally there are four statutory professorships at the University of Aberdeen's School of Law: Professor of Jurisprudence, Professor of Scots Law, Professor of Civil Law, Professor of Public Law.

The tradition have produced scholars such as: Neil Kennedy, Lord Kennedy, who was a professor of Law and served as the first chairman of the Scottish Land Court (1912−18); Sir Thomas Broun Smith who became Professor of Scots Law (1949) and was Dean of the Faculty of Law between 1950−53 and 1956−58; or Peter Stein who was Professor of Jurisprudence from 1956 to 1968 and later became the Regius Professor of Civil Law at the University of Cambridge.

Academic dress

Academic dress has been worn in the University of Aberdeen since mediaeval times. [13] Academic dress is usually worn only at formal occasions, such as at graduation, Founder's Day, or academic processions which take place for ceremonial reasons.

Academics

Reputation and rankings

Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2024) [16] 6
Guardian (2023) [17] 9
Times / Sunday Times (2023) [18] 7

The School has been consistently ranked among the top 10 law schools in the United Kingdom. [2] [3] [4] [5] The 2021 Complete University Guide league rankings placed Aberdeen at 6th in the UK. [6] [7] The 2019 The Times league rankings also placed Aberdeen at 7th in the UK. [8]

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), the School submitted 35.7 FTE staff, the third-highest number of legal research staff in Scotland, after Glasgow (37.95) and Edinburgh (48.74). Five of the School's research submissions were rated the highest 4*, the same number as Dundee and Stirling, but behind Glasgow's fifteen, Strathclyde's twenty and Edinburgh's thirty. The School achieved thirty 3*, forty-five 2* and twenty 1* submissions. [19]

Research Centres

School of Law has developed five Research Centres: [20]

Aberdeen Summer Program

In addition, the School of Law plays host to the annual Aberdeen Summer Program in co-operation with the University of Baltimore School of Law and University of Maryland School of Law. The course examines comparison of U.S. and U.K. law, and is taught by Scottish and American tutors. Twenty American law students participated in the 2008 program, and thirty-two American law students were enrolled in the 2009 program. [21]

International Exchange

In between years 2 and 3 of the LLB (with a language or European Legal Studies) course, students are given the opportunity to spend time studying in another country, learning its respective legal system and possibly its language. Current options open to students include the Université Libre de Bruxelles and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, Aarhus Universitet in Denmark, the University of Helsinki in Finland, the University of Auvergne, Pierre Mendès-France University and Lumière University Lyon 2 in France, the Universities of Freiburg, Marburg and Regensburg in Germany, Maastricht University in the Netherlands, the University of Bergen in Norway, Universidad de Deusto and Universidad de Sevilla in Spain, and the Universities of Stellenbosch and Cape Town in South Africa.

Aberdeen Student Law Review

The Aberdeen Student Law Review (ASLR) [22] is a student run academic law review founded in 2010. [23] The ASLR is entirely managed, written, edited and peer-reviewed by Students and Alumni of the University of Aberdeen. It is sponsored by Stronachs LLP who also provide a prize for the best submission to the review. [24] The Hon. Lord Woolman acts as Honorary Editor and Patron of the ASLR.

Facilities

Before the completion of Taylor Building, the entire Law Faculty occupied the top floor of St Mary's. St Mary's (University of Aberdeen) - geograph.org.uk - 1627100.jpg
Before the completion of Taylor Building, the entire Law Faculty occupied the top floor of St Mary's.

The Taylor Building and Taylor Library at the School of Law are named in honour of Professor Thomas Murray Taylor (1897–1962), Scottish advocate and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen. [26]

Taylor Building

Courtyard of the Taylor Building (2009) Courtyard of the Taylor Building (University of Aberdeen) - geograph.org.uk - 1627125.jpg
Courtyard of the Taylor Building (2009)

The university taught law at Marischal College until the expansion of King's College. The School of Law and its Library subsequently moved to St. Mary's buildings until once again, was moved to its current accommodation in the Taylor Building.

Taylor Library

The School of Law maintains its own Library located in the Taylor Building at King's College campus. It occupies two floors and play host to the university's European Documentation Centre. It currently holds over 30,000 books and is equipped with over 190 study spaces along with collaborative rooms for both staff and students. [27]

Notable people

Alumni

Faculty

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Aberdeen</span> Public research university in Scotland

The University of Aberdeen is a public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland, petitioned Pope Alexander VI on behalf of James IV, King of Scots to establish King's College, making it one of Scotland's four ancient universities and the fifth-oldest university in the English-speaking world. Along with the universities of St Andrews, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, the university was part of the Scottish Enlightenment during the 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Court of Session</span> Supreme civil court of Scotland

The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland and constitutes part of the College of Justice; the supreme criminal court of Scotland is the High Court of Justiciary. The Court of Session sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a trial court and a court of appeal. Decisions of the court can be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, with the permission of either the Inner House or the Supreme Court. The Court of Session and the local sheriff courts of Scotland have concurrent jurisdiction for all cases with a monetary value in excess of £100,000; the plaintiff is given first choice of court. However, the majority of complex, important, or high value cases are brought in the Court of Session. Cases can be remitted to the Court of Session from the sheriff courts, including the Sheriff Personal Injury Court, at the request of the presiding sheriff. Legal aid, administered by the Scottish Legal Aid Board, is available to persons with little disposable income for cases in the Court of Session.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynda Clark, Baroness Clark of Calton</span>

Lynda Margaret Clark, Baroness Clark of Calton, known as Lady Clark of Calton, is a Scottish judge. She was formerly the Labour Member of Parliament for Edinburgh Pentlands. She was Advocate General for Scotland from the creation of that position in 1999 until 2006, whereupon she became a Judge of the Court of Session in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Court of Justiciary</span> Supreme criminal court in Scotland

The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court in Scotland. The High Court is both a trial court and a court of appeal. As a trial court, the High Court sits on circuit at Parliament House or in the adjacent former Sheriff Court building in the Old Town in Edinburgh, or in dedicated buildings in Glasgow and Aberdeen. The High Court sometimes sits in various smaller towns in Scotland, where it uses the local sheriff court building. As an appeal court, the High Court sits only in Edinburgh. On one occasion the High Court of Justiciary sat outside Scotland, at Zeist in the Netherlands during the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, as the Scottish Court in the Netherlands. At Zeist the High Court sat both as a trial court, and an appeal court for the initial appeal by Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.

Edinburgh Law School

Edinburgh Law School, founded in 1707, is a school within the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom dedicated to research and teaching in law. It is located in the historic Old College, the original site of the University. Two of the twelve currently sitting Supreme Court of the United Kingdom justices are graduates of Edinburgh, including the current President and Deputy President.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Rodger, Baron Rodger of Earlsferry</span> Scottish judge (1944-2011)

Alan Ferguson Rodger, Baron Rodger of Earlsferry was a Scottish academic, lawyer, and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead</span> British judge (born 1938)

James Arthur David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead, is a retired Scottish judge who served as the Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General, Scotland's most senior judge, and later as first Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom from 2009 until his retirement in 2013, having previously been the Second Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. He served as Convenor of the Crossbench peers in the House of Lords from 2015 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High School of Glasgow</span> Private school in Glasgow, Scotland

The High School of Glasgow is a private, co-educational day school in Glasgow, Scotland. The original High School of Glasgow was founded as the choir school of Glasgow Cathedral in around 1124, and is the oldest school in Scotland, and the twelfth oldest in the United Kingdom. On its closure as a selective grammar school by Glasgow City Corporation in 1976, it immediately continued as a co-educational independent school as a result of fundraising activity by its Former Pupil Club and via a merge by the Club with Drewsteignton School. The school maintains a relationship with the Cathedral, where it holds an annual service of commemoration and thanksgiving in September. It counts two British Prime Ministers, two Lords President and the founder of the University of Aberdeen among its alumni.

Alexander John ("Jack") Mackenzie Stuart, Baron Mackenzie-Stuart was a Scottish advocate and judge. He was the first judge from a United Kingdom jurisdiction to sit on the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, later becoming its president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Mulholland, Lord Mulholland</span> Scottish lawyer, Lord Advocate

Francis Mulholland, Lord Mulholland, is a Scottish judge who has been a Senator of the College of Justice since 2016. He previously served from 2011 to 2016 as Lord Advocate, one of the Great Officers of State of Scotland and the country's chief Law Officer, and as Solicitor General, the junior Law Officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dundee Law School</span>

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Sutherland, Lord Carloway</span>

Colin John MacLean Sutherland, Lord Carloway, is a Scottish advocate and judge who has served as the Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General since 2015. He was previously Lord Justice Clerk from 2012 to 2015 and has been a Senator of the College of Justice since 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Glasgow School of Law</span>

The School of Law at the University of Glasgow provides undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Law, and awards the degrees of Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, LLM by Research, Master of Research (MRes) and Doctor of Philosophy, the degree of Doctor of Laws being awarded generally only as an honorary degree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scots law</span> Legal system of Scotland

Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is a hybrid or mixed legal system containing civil law and common law elements, that traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. Together with English law and Northern Ireland law, it is one of the three legal systems of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judiciary of Scotland</span>

The judiciary of Scotland are the judicial office holders who sit in the courts of Scotland and make decisions in both civil and criminal cases. Judges make sure that cases and verdicts are within the parameters set by Scots law, and they must hand down appropriate judgments and sentences. Judicial independence is guaranteed in law, with a legal duty on Scottish Ministers, the Lord Advocate and the Members of the Scottish Parliament to uphold judicial independence, and barring them from influencing the judges through any form of special access.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Wolffe</span> Former Lord Advocate; 2016–2021

Walter James WolffeFSAScotFRIAS is a Scottish advocate who served as Lord Advocate from 2016 to 2021. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 2014 to 2016, and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 2013 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Murray Taylor</span>

Sir Thomas Murray Taylor (1897–1962) was a 20th-century Scottish advocate and university administrator. He was a devout Christian and active member of the United Free Church of Scotland. When this amalgamated with the Church of Scotland in 1929 he adopted the latter faith, becoming a church elder in 1936. From 1945 he served on the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches.

Aidan O'Neill, (Scot) KC is a Scottish advocate, barrister, and King's Counsel.

David Chalmers, Lord Ormond was a 16th-century Scottish landowner, historian, judge, and Senator of the College of Justice. His name also appears as David Chambre and David Chambers and is title occasionally appears as Lord Ormand. He was a major figure in Edinburgh law and politics. His most notable contribution in history is as one of those accused of the murder of Lord Darnley and one of the persons organising the escape of Mary Queen of Scots from Loch Leven Castle.

References

  1. ↑ Research Study at Aberdeen. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Coimiseanair Gàidhlig "a dhìth"". Naidheachdan a' BhBC (in Scottish Gaelic). 7 December 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  3. 1 2 Advisor, Law School (18 January 2019). "University of Aberdeen School of Law". Best Law Schools in the World. Retrieved 7 December 2020.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. 1 2 "Law Subject League Table 2021". www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 "About the School of Law". University of Aberdeen School of Law. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  6. 1 2 "Law - Top UK University Subject Tables and Rankings 2019" . Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  7. 1 2 "University league tables 2019". the Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  8. 1 2 "University Guide 2016 - The Times". nuk-tnl-editorial-prod-staticassets.s3.amazonaws.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "Prospective Students". University of Aberdeen School of Law. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  10. ↑ "Professor Greg Gordon | Staff Profile | People | The University of Aberdeen". www.abdn.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  11. ↑ Aberdeen University Review LIV (Aberdeen, 1991), 162
  12. ↑ Studies in the History and Development of the University of Aberdeen, A Quatercentenary Tribute, (Aberdeen, 1906), 239
  13. ↑ Cooper, J. C., 'Academical Dress in Late Medieval and Renaissance Scotland', Medieval Clothing and Textiles, 12 (2016), pp. 109-30. (Available here)
  14. ↑ "Robe hire and photography | Students | The University of Aberdeen". www.abdn.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  15. ↑ "University of Aberdeen: Graduation hoods 2019" (PDF). University of Aberdeen.
  16. ↑ "Complete University Guide 2024". The Complete University Guide. 7 June 2023.
  17. ↑ "Guardian University Guide 2023". The Guardian. 24 September 2022.
  18. ↑ "Good University Guide 2023". The Times. 17 September 2022.
  19. ↑ "RAE 2008 : Quality profiles - Law". Research Assessment Exercise. Archived from the original on 22 February 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  20. ↑ "Research Study at Aberdeen | School of Law | The University of Aberdeen". www.abdn.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  21. ↑ "University of Baltimore School of Law » Aberdeen Summer Program". University of Baltimore School of Law. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  22. ↑ "Aberdeen Student Law Review - School of Law - The University of Aberdeen". www.abdn.ac.uk.
  23. ↑ "About Us - School of Law - The University of Aberdeen". www.abdn.ac.uk.
  24. ↑ "Sponsorship - School of Law - The University of Aberdeen". www.abdn.ac.uk.
  25. ↑ "A short history of Taylor Library | Library, Special Collections and Museums | The University of Aberdeen". www.abdn.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  26. ↑ "Taylor Building | About | The University of Aberdeen". www.abdn.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  27. ↑ "History of Taylor Library". University of Aberdeen School of Law. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.