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  Constitutional reform and the case for and against codification


   Research School

   Applications accepted all year round  Self-Funded PhD Students Only

About the Project

The idea that the United Kingdom’s constitution is under strain is not new, nor is the belief that the accepted norms of the constitution, which are central to the effective operation of our political system in the United Kingdom, are being disregarded by the executive. Indeed, this was the theme of a recent influential lecture by Professor Endicott, the former Dean of the Oxford Law Faculty. The idea of non-compliance is central to Lord Hennessy and Professor Blick’s account of good chaps-no more governance, with Lord Hennessy being profiled in The Guardian regarding his concerns about the shortcoming in accountability within the Westminster system.

Dr White, the Director of the Institute for Government, which is the leading think tank on the constitution, has warned about the dangers of how the House of Commons is seemingly both not respected and not up to the role of holding the government to account.

In terms of the case for a new constitution and the justifications for reform, Professor Blackburn KC (Hon) was commissioned by the House of Commons to consider reform and he proposed three possible blueprints for how this might happen, including the case for a written constitution.

Aims and Objectives/Research Question/Hypothesis:

  1. Set out the current status of the United Kingdom’s constitution and the issues facing it in terms of accountability and the effective functioning of its institutions. To engage with the argument whether there is a real need for constitutional form and whether this could or should be achieved by way of codification. From this statement of current affairs, the student will then be expected to develop a theory and account of the normative purpose of a constitution and how this fits within the accountability literature, and thus apply this theory and normative purpose to the current status of the United Kingdom’s constitutional arrangements.
  2. Consider the scope for meaningful reform of the United Kingdom’s constitutional arrangements and the underlying concerns about a lack of accountability, and to engage with the substantial scholarship from law and political science, to identify areas of specific reform and test these against the theory and normative purpose that the student has identified.
  3. Engage with the academic community, politicians, and practitioners, to thereby gain invaluable and original feedback on the student’s theory and proposals for reform, or indeed to support the status quo, through empirical interviews with the leading experts.
  4. Develop the academic community within the School of Law and be an active member of the Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group at the University of Worcester.
  5. Produce a high quality and well-argued thesis, that is both informed by current events and original theory but is also original in terms of its contribution to the public debate and academic literature.
  6. Publish significant and impactful research as part of the doctoral study period and to publish the thesis as either a collection of articles or as a monograph.

Application Process

To begin the application process please go to Law MPhil/PhD Webpage and click on ‘How to Apply’ in the top menu. This PhD could be caried out on a part time or full time basis so please select the relevant application link. On the application form, please make it clear that you are applying for one of our advertised projects so we can direct it straight to the relevant people.

The Interview

All successful applicants will be offered an interview with the proposed Supervisory Team. You will be contacted by a member of the Doctoral School Team to find a suitable date. Interviews can be conducted in person or over Microsoft Teams.

Funding your PhD

For more information about Doctoral Loans please visit: https://www.worc.ac.uk/study/fees-and-finance/doctoral-loans.aspx

During your PhD you can access the Research Student Support Scheme to support dissemination costs associated with your research, up to £500 a year.

Research Group

Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group

Established in 2021, the Constitutions, Rights and Justice research group seeks to foster a collaborative approach regarding how to talk about and conduct research on the nature of constitutions, different categories of rights and the importance of justice in its many forms. This innovative group brings together academics at the University of Worcester, external academics, legal practitioners and active and retired judges to work together on a myriad of issues and seek scope for collaboration within the wider academy and legal practice.

The aims of the group are to engage with the public, the academy and legal practice through the dissemination of research and scholarship, the hosting of Public Lectures, workshops and research seminars; foster collaboration between ordinary members, associate members and the wider academy and legal practice and produce innovative research and other scholarly work that advance the work of the group.

Widening Participation:

As part of its mission statement the University is committed to widening participation for its higher degrees. Although most candidates will have an undergraduate and/or a Masters degree, the University is happy to accept applications from candidates with relevant professional qualifications and work related experience.

Supervisory team

Dr Chris Monaghan and Dr Josie Welsh

Director of Studies:

Dr Chris Monaghan is an expert in accountability, executive power and UK constitutional law. He is the co-editor of Routledge Frontiers in Accountability Studies and convened the international conference on Questions of Accountability in 2021. Chris has co-edited Questions of Accountability: Prerogatives, Power and Politics which is being published by Bloomsbury.

Supervisor:

Dr Josie Welsh has research interests which focus on the topic of judicial power, constitutional reform and its effects on the judiciary and political science. Josie has presented papers at national and international conferences, is a member of the Advisory Board for Routledge Frontiers in Accountability Studies. Josie has a forthcoming chapter with Dr Chris Monaghan in Questions of Accountability: Prerogatives, Power and Politics which is being published by Bloomsbury.

Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group

For further information or an informal discussion on this project, please contact Dr Chris Monaghan (Director of Studies) via email at

Law (22) Politics & Government (30)

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