Dr Chris Monaghan

chris monaghan

Head of Law and Principal Lecturer in Law

School of Humanities

School of Law

Contact Details

email: c.monaghan@worc.ac.uk

Chris Monaghan is the Head of Law and a Principal Lecturer in Law at the University of Worcester. He has taught at the University of Worcester since the School of Law opened in 2016. He has published in journals such as the Criminal Law Review, Judicial Review, European Human Rights Law Review, Public Law, and Legal Studies.

Chris has a PhD in Law from the Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London. His thesis set out the case for a new impeachment process for the United Kingdom, arguing that it would have a valuable role to play in the future development of the United Kingdom’s system of politics and government.

He is happy to supervise PhD students and welcomes expressions of interest.

Current MPhil/PhD Students

  • Felicity Miles, “Surrogacy Law in the UK: Should the law put children’s rights first in gestational surrogacy agreements?”

Qualifications

  • PhD in Law (King’s College London)   
  • LLM (Anglia Ruskin University)
  • Legal Practice Course (College of Law)
  • Graduate Diploma in Law (University of Hertfordshire)
  • BA (Hons) History (University of Liverpool)

Teaching & Research

Teaching Interests

Chris has been teaching law at UK universities since 2009. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (since 2012) and was nominated for the University of Worcester’s Student Union’s Students’ Choice Award – Outstanding Lecturer Award in 2017 and 2020, Exceptional Personal Academic Tutor in 2023 and for Lecturing Public Law in 2023. He was shortlisted for the Student Union’s Students’ Choice Award – Exceptional Personal Academic Tutor in 2020.

In particular, Chris enjoys teaching Public Law has previously presented on the teaching of Public Law at several conferences and workshops. He has published textbooks on Public Law (2022), Constitutional Administrative Law (2015), Business Law (2015) and Contract Law (2013).

Research Interests

Chris has a keen interest in Constitutional Law, the role of Parliament (with an emphasis on accountability), broader notions of executive accountability, and the global use of impeachment. He also researches on the Chagos Islands legal dispute and co-convened an international on the Chagos Islands in 2023. Chris recently co-edited Questions of Accountability: Prerogatives, Power and Politics (Hart Publishing 2023) and the British Origins and American Practice of Impeachment (Routledge 2023). He is currently working on an edited collection that looks at Leading Works in the History of the Constitution that will be published by Routledge in 2025.

Research Leadership

Chris established and is the director of Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group at the University of Worcester. The Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group has held three international conferences and two workshops since it was established. In 2023 Sir Robert Buckland KC MP delivered the inaugural annual public lecture, and the 2024 lecture will be delivered by Sir John Saunders.

Chris is the editor of Routledge Studies in Law, Rights and Justice, a new book series that strives to break down existing disciplinary silos and encourage collaboration, which offers the opportunity to publish thought provoking, original and cutting-edge work. He is also the co-editor of the Routledge Frontiers in Accountability Studies book series.

Professional Bodies

  • Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Member of the Political Studies Association
  • Member of the UK Constitutional Law Association
  • Member of the International Society of Public Law
  • Member of the Study of Parliament Group
  • Member of the Legal Education Research Network
  • Member of the Society of Legal Scholars
  • Member of the Selden Society

Publications

Upcoming Publications

  • Monaghan, C. ‘Review of the United Kingdom’ in Albert R et al (eds) (2023) The 2022 International Review of Constitutional Reform.
  • Monaghan, C. ‘Review of the United Kingdom’ in Albert R et al (eds) (2023) The I·CONnect- 2022 Global Review of Constitutional Law.
  • Monaghan, C and Jeffery, L (eds) Challenges and Prospects for the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean (Routledge 2024).
  • Monaghan, C. ‘Impeachment in the UK’ in Barbosa Gouve C at al (eds), Democracy, Constitutionalism and Crises (Casa do Direito 2023).
  • Monaghan C, Flinders M and Huq A (eds), Impeachment in a Global Context: Law, Politics and Comparative Practice (To be published: Routledge 2023)
  • Monaghan, C. ‘A New Impeachment Act for the United Kingdom: The Procedure, Application and Analysis’ in Monaghan C, Flinders M and Huq A (eds), Impeachment in a Global Context: Law, Politics and Comparative Practice (To be published: Routledge 2023).
  • Monaghan C and Flinders M (eds), British Origins and American Practice of Impeachment (To be published: Routledge 2023)
  • Monaghan, C. ‘The Nineteenth Century and Beyond: The Existence of the Threat of Impeachment’ in Monaghan, C and Flinders (eds), M. British Origins and American Practice of Impeachment (To be published: Routledge 2023/24).
  • Monaghan, C. ‘Impeachment during the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries’ in Monaghan, C and Flinders (eds), M. British Origins and American Practice of Impeachment (To be published: Routledge 2023/24).

 

Recent Publications

 

Previous Publications

 

Conference Papers

  • ‘So, you want to safeguard the constitution? Rethinking accountability and the role of academics’, presented at the UKCLA Constitutional Accountability conference, University of Liverpool, September 2023.
  • ‘The Rule of Law and the Protection of Constitutional Rights: Magna Carta, Begum, Unison and beyond’, presented at the Rights and Justice: In Theory and Practice conference, University of Worcester, September 2023.
  • ‘Justice in a Changing Constitutional Landscape’ (with Dr Josie Welsh), presented at the Rights and Justice: In Theory and Practice conference, University of Worcester, September 2023.
  • ‘UK politics and Human Rights: From New Labour’s Human Rights Act 1998 to the Conservative’s Bill of Rights Bill’ (with Dr Josie Welsh), presented at the Teaching of Rights and Justice in the Law School: Challenges and Opportunities for Research Led Teaching workshop, University of Worcester, June 2023.
  • ‘Embedding human rights as part of the Law Degree: Challenges, opportunities and promoting social responsibility’ presented at the University of Worcester Student Experience Conference, June 2023.
  • ‘The “British” Courts and the Chagos Story: British Justice, Colonial Mindsets, and Finding a Voice (Dr Chris Monaghan and Professor Satvinder Juss)’ presented at the Challenges and Prospects for the Chagos Archipelago Conference, University of Worcester and University of Edinburgh, May 2023.
  • ‘The changing experience of teaching Public Law since 2010’ presented at Reimagining Public Law: Teaching the constitution in a permacrisis, University of Birmingham, May 2023 (invited speaker).
  • ‘Moral Accountability’ (Dr Chris Monaghan and Professor Matthew Flinders) presented at the Accountability with Adjectives Workshop, University of Sheffield and University of Worcester, April 2023.
  • ‘Reflecting on a constitutional controversy: new perspectives on the House of Lords’ decision in R (on the application of Bancoult) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (No.2) [2008] UKHL 61’ presented at the ICON Society Annual Conference, University of Wroclaw, July 2022.
  • ‘Power and the Constitution’, ICON Great Britain and Ireland Chapter Conference, Trinity College Dublin, April 2022 (with Josie Welsh)
  • ‘Checking Executive Power: The Possible Role for Impeachment and the Constitution’ presented at the Political Studies Association Annual Conference, University of York, April 2022.
  • ‘What ever happened to impeachment in the United Kingdom? Accountability, history and the decline of parliamentary impeachment’ PSA Parliaments Annual Conference, University of Birmingham, November 2021.
  • ‘Questions of Control: Accountability in the Shadow of Prorogation’ Questions of Accountability Conference, University of Worcester and University of Sheffield, November 2021 (with Josie Welsh).
  • ‘Looking again at Miller No.2’ presented the 25th Anniversary of the Coventry Law Journal Conference, Coventry University, October 2021.
  • ‘What are the comparative lessons for how a reformed version of impeachment might operate in the United Kingdom?’ presented at the Global Constitutional Forum, University of Texas, January 2021.
  • ‘A proposal for reviving impeachment within the United Kingdom's constitution: an accountability mechanism or a historical relic?’ presented at the Society of Legal Scholars Conference, University of Exeter, September 2020.
  • ‘University of Worcester’s Women’s Legal History Project’ (with Professor Sarah Greer, Daniel Maiden, Mollie Sheehy and Georgie Cooper), presented at the Association of Law Teachers Conference, Keele University, March 2018
  • ‘Beyond the appropriate boundaries of criminalisation. An empirical review of the use of the Fraud Act 2006 and other criminal offences within the school application system’, presented at The Fraud Act 2006 – Ten Years On workshop, University of Worcester, January 2017
  • ‘Peacham’s Case and the Case of Commendams: Sir Edward Coke CJ’s defence of judicial independence and ultimate dismissal’, presented at the British Legal History Conference, University of Reading, July 2015
  • ‘Revisiting Lord Mance’s dissent in R (Bancoult) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (No.2) in the 800th year of Magna Carta’, presented at the Chagos Litigation: A Socio-Legal Dialogue Conference, June 2015
  • ‘Public Law beyond the classroom: exploring opportunities for engagement and interaction – how can we prepare for the next fifty years of legal education?’, presented at the Association of Law Teachers Conference, Cardiff, March 2015
  • ‘Public Law in Context – practical approaches to teaching and engaging students in the classroom’, presented at the Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Greenwich, January 2015
  • ‘Twitter and Higher Education – How to engage with fellow academics and students?’ (with Zoe Swan), presented at the Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Greenwich, January 2015
  • ‘The socio-legal legacy of the Chagos litigation’, presented at the Socio-Legal Studies Association Conference, Robert Gordon University, April 2014
  • ‘Salvaging impeachment - is there any merit in reviving impeachment for the United Kingdom's Constitution?’, presented at the Society of Legal Scholars Conference, University of Bristol, September 2012
  • ‘Coalition Government, The Spending Cuts and Executive Accountability under the UK Constitution’, presented at the Socio-Legal Studies Association Conference, De Montfort University, April 2012
  • ‘The seven year long Impeachment Trial of Warren Hasting, Governor-General of Bengal and complicit facilitator-in-chief’, presented at the Society of Legal Scholars Conference, University of Southampton, September 2010
  • ‘Once More unto the Breach, Dear Friends, Once More; the Continuing Saga of Anti-Doping and Strict Liability’ (with John O’Leary), presented at the Socio-Legal Studies Association Conference, University of the West of England, April 2010

 

Public Lectures, Panel Discussions and Research Seminars

  • ‘Impeachment, the Stuarts, and the road to the English Civil War: what can the seventeenth century tell us about how impeachment might operate today’ The Battle of Worcester Society, The Commandery, Worcester, August 2022
  • ‘Colonial Mindsets and the Legacy of Empire: The United Kingdom, Mauritius and the Chagos Islands’ The Hive, Worcester, June 2022.
  • ‘Wargaming a hypothetical impeachment under the proposed Impeachment Act’, Research Seminar, King’s College London, February 2022.
  • ‘Ukraine Discission Panel’ University of Worcester, March 2022 (with Nicoleta Cinpoes and Dr Paddy McNally).
  • ‘How might a modern impeachment process work in the United Kingdom? Exploring the blueprint for a revised procedure’ Study of Parliament Group Annual Conference, University of Oxford, January 2022 (Poster presentation).
  • ‘Presidential Accountability – the problems and use of impeachment’, Questions of Accountability Conference, University of Worcester, November 2021 (panel discussion) (with Frank Bowman, Karen Popp, Richard Albert and Joshua Matz).
  • ‘Impeachment reimagined: Drawing upon history to empower the UK House of Commons’, Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, University of Toronto, October 2021.
  • ‘Using oral history to add new perspectives to the Bancoult litigation’, Summer Research Workshop, University of Worcester, July 2021.
  • ‘Re-imagining Impeachment within the United Kingdom’s Constitutional System’ School of Humanities Research Seminar, University of Worcester, September 2020.
  • ‘Women’s Legal History – A Centenary of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919’ (with Professor Rosemary Auchmuty, Professor Sarah Greer, Georgie Cooper and Samuel Evans), University of Worcester, February 2020

 

Before 2020

  • ‘The Chagos Litigation: Panel Discussion’ (Convener) University of Worcester, November 2019
  • ‘Impeachment within a medieval context’ School of Humanities Research Seminar, University of Worcester, October 2019
  • ‘The United Kingdom’s constitution in flux – can the courts resolve this ‘constitutional crisis’?’ Democracy Day (with HH Toby Hooper QC, Bill Davies, Samuel Evans and Josie Kemeys) University of Worcester, September 2019
  • ‘The Bancoult litigation at the UK Supreme Court’ School of Law Research Seminar, University of Worcester, November 2017
  • ‘Access to Justice as a fundamental legal principle and Tribunal Fees: panel discussion on the UK Supreme Court’s decision in the UNISON case (R (on the application of UNISON) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51)’ (with HH Toby Hooper QC and Stephen Hurley), University of Worcester, October 2017
  • ‘The Chagos Archipelago: International Law, Human Rights and the Legacy of Colonialism’ delivered a guest lecture for the Open University’s LLM programme, 30 June 2017
  • ‘Enemies of the People?’ Hay International Festival (30 May 2017) (with HH Toby Hooper QC, Professor Penny Darbyshire, David Shaw and Bill Davies)
  • ‘An analysis of the decision in R (on the application of Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2016] EWHC 2768 (Admin) (The Article 50 Case)’ (with HH Toby Hooper QC), University of Worcester, December 2016
  • ‘The 400th Anniversary of the Dismissal of Sir Edward Coke – a Reappraisal’, School of Law Research Seminar, University of Worcester, November 2016
  • ‘The implications of BREXIT’ Panel Discussion, University of Worcester, November 2016
  • ‘The Future of the United Kingdom – Constitutional Revolution, Devolution and Scope for Confusion?’, Staff Research Seminar, University of Greenwich, November 2014
  • ‘Using Twitter as part of your professional practice’ (with Zoe Swan), University of Greenwich, September 2014
  • ‘Dissenting Judgments – the importance of dissent in English Law’ (with Professor Ian Loveland, Professor Catharine MacMillan, Neal Geach), Fresh Perspectives on the Law, BPP University, June 2013
  • ‘The Chagos Islands – the Ultimate Stretching on the Prerogative’, Fresh Perspectives on the Law, BPP University, October 2012
  • November 2012 (Doughty Street Chambers & Urban Lawyers) – panel discussion on Commercial Law and practice
  • ‘The proposed new Common European Sales Law – a first step towards a compulsory European Contract Law or a positive step in protecting consumers and small businesses?’, BPP University, March 2012

Responsibilities

Current responsibilities

  • Head of the School of Law
  • School of Law’s Research Lead.
  • Director of Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group at the University of Worcester.
  • Chair – Education, Culture and Society Proportionate Review Panel.
  • Deputy Chair – Education, Culture and Society Research Ethics Panel.
  • Member of the University of Worcester’s Research, Integrity & Governance Committee.
  • Co-convenor (with Dr Lucy Arnold and Dr Wendy Toon) of the School of Humanities Research Seminar Series.

Previous responsibilities

  • Co-led (with Professor Sarah Greer) the Women’s Legal History Project from 2017-2020 which trained and supported students in carrying out research and publishing it in the form of high-profile blog posts (with the First Hundred Years Project). I have also worked on a Students as Academic Partners project in 2017/2018 which saw collaboration between law and paramedic student and was praised by the university as the ‘first truly interdisciplinary project”.
  • Course Leader for the LLM programmes and Course Leader for the LLB programmes.
  • Member of the Research Committee for the Institute of Arts and Humanities at the University of Worcester.

External Roles

Current responsibilities

  • External examiner at Lancaster University.
  • External examiner at the University of Stirling.
  • Editor of the Routledge Studies in Law, Rights and Justice book series.
  • Co-editor of the book series Routledge Frontiers in Accountability Studies, the other co-editors being Professor Matthew Flinders, Dr Ellen Rock and Professor Thomas Schillemans.

Previous responsibilities

  • Communications Officer (2021-23) for the PSA Parliaments Specialist Group, which won the award for the best specialist group in 2022.
  • External examiner at the University of Wolverhampton.
  • External examiner at Birmingham City University.
  • Critical reviewer for the Open University.
  • External consultant work for King’s College London as part of the creation of a new postgraduate master’s programme.
  • External for the validation of degree programmes for Birmingham City University.
  • External for the validation of degree programmes for University of Greenwich.
  • External consultant for the British Library’s National Life Stories: Legal Lives Project and awarded £3,000.
  • Reviewer for Hart Publishing, Oxford University Press, University of Kansas Press, International Relations, Journal of Legislative Studies, Kansas University Press, Edinburgh University Press, Routledge, and Heliyon.