"What is the position of judges in the operation of English law?" The 2019 lecture series on the international rule of law titled "Found a High-end International Law Lecture Hall, Discuss Law and Morality with a Top-ranking Professor" kicked off in our institute on March 14, 2019. The wonderful lecture content triggered positive interaction among students.
The speaker of this lecture was Keith Hawkins, honorary professor of law and society at Oxford University. Hawkins told teachers and students how to distinguish legal concepts from laws in social reality, and analyzed the unique meaning, language and methods of law. In the lecture, he pointed out that fairness and justice as legal objectives are related to judicial decisions, and introduced several ways to resolve disputes. According to Hawkins, judges play a core role in the operation of common law represented in the form of precedent, and judges can carry out the "creation" of law. However, in the parliamentary-centered power-building system in Britain, Parliament can, in the form of legislation, amend the "creation" of law by judges. The substantive reasoning of common law can indeed make up for some of the defects of legal reality, but it is also difficult to avoid the structural defects of legal procedure, such as huge cost, time-consuming, and risk of losing a lawsuit.
Before the opening of the lecture, Liu Jiuming, Director of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nie Qingbin, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Law, HUST, President Wang Xigen, Vice-President Xiong Qi, made in-depth exchanges with Professor Hawkins on issues related to discipline construction and international training.
The 2019 lecture series on the international rule of law is an international academic exchange event organized by the School of Law to build an international academic exchange platform and cultivate international legal talents. In this event, five internationally renowned scholars with rich professional backgrounds from well-known universities such as Oxford University were invited to give lectures on academic topics. In near future, four other masters will bring academic feasts for you. Please keep your concern about it.
Introduction to Professor Keith Hawkins
Professor Keith Owen Hawkins, Ph.D., graduated from Cambridge University. He is the honorary professor of Law and Society at Oxford University, honorary member of Oriel College at Oxford University, and visiting professor of Risk and Regulation Center, London School of Economics and Political Science. Professor Keith Hawkins mainly studies law and sociology, legal procedures, governance rules, especially legal decision-making. His research focuses on criminal justice and government regulation, especially environmental protection as well as occupational health and safety.
