Dr Michael Lane
Senior Lecturer in Law
Institute of Arts and Humanities
School of Law
email: m.lane@worc.ac.uk
Michael joined the University of Worcester as a Lecturer in Law in August 2023, having previously worked as a Lecturer at Newman University and visiting lecturer at Birmingham City University. He was appointed as Senior Lecturer in Law in July 2026. He is also an AdvanceHE Fellow (FHEA).
Michael teaches across the University’s LLB and LLM programmes and is the supervisor of three PhD students. He is the Course Leader for the LLM in Legal Practice course (since January 2026) and was formerly the ‘Research Lead’ for the Law School (2024 – 2026). He is an elected co-convenor of the Public Law Section of the Society of Legal Scholars, along with his colleague Dr Chris Monaghan, University of Worcester.
Michael has an LLB in Law and an LLM in International Human Rights. His PhD, undertaken at Birmingham City University between 2019-2023, was funded by UK Research and Innovation via the Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership. He has also trained at the Geneva Academy for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in Switzerland, and at the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights.
Michael’s research is concerned with the relationship between international human rights law and institutions, and domestic legal systems. He is particularly interested in the United Nations bodies, notably the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Michael’s research has been published in the Journal of Human Rights Practice, Human Rights Law Review, the Nordic Journal of Human Rights, and Legal Studies, among others. He regularly contributes written reports to United Nations bodies and has given evidence to delegations in Geneva to inform the states' reviews before at UPR. He also submits evidence to domestic inquiries in the UK and has appeared before select committees in Parliament.
Michael’s most notable work is his monograph, The Universal Periodic Review and the UK (BUP 2026), which analyses the impact of the UPR process through a case study of the UK. It advances a dual-perspective assessment of the UPR: the ‘external’ perspective, which focuses on a state’s practice at the UPR, and the ‘internal’ perspective, which examines the influence of the UPR on the executive, legislature and judiciary. His book can be read free, open access, here.
Michael is currently working on several projects including two chapters for a forthcoming collection on the UPR to be published as part of Brill’s ‘UN Human Rights in Practice’ series edited by Gudmundur Alfredsson and Gianni Magazzeni. He is also the co-editor of two forthcoming collections with Routledge on the UK’s relationship with international law (with Nina Hart & Dane Luo) and the UN Human Rights Council (with Amna Nazir).
Michael can provide training, capacity building and consultancy for individuals and organisations seeking to engage with the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. He is also welcoming PhD applications on projects related to his areas of expertise.
Research Interests
Michael’s research concerns the relationship between international human rights law and institutions and domestic legal systems, primarily that of the United Kingdom. He is especially interested in the United Nations human rights mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and the treaty bodies. Michael’s research is empirical and interdisciplinary, drawing on theory from constitutional law, sociology, and international relations to interrogate state behaviour.
Michael’s research can be viewed on the University of Worcester Open Access repository.
Publications
Monographs:
Lane, M. ‘The Universal Periodic Review and the UK: State Practice and Constitutional Actors’ (Bristol University Press, 2026)
Edited Collections:
Nazir, A. and Lane, M. (eds) ‘A Critical Analysis of the UN Human Rights Council: Charting the Council’s Future’ (Routledge, forthcoming 2027)
Lane, M., Hart, N., and Luo, D. (eds) ‘International Law and the United Kingdom: Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities’ (Routledge, forthcoming 2026)
Book Chapters:
Lane, M and Storey, A. ‘Achieving Universal Accountability for Human Rights: Opportunities and Challenges for the UPR’ in Magazzeni, G. and Alfredsson, G. ‘The Universal Periodic Review: A Misunderstood and Under-Utilised Mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council’ (De Gruyter Brill, forthcoming 2027)
Storey, A., Yorke, J. and Lane, M. ‘Bringing the UPR to Parliament: Academic Engagement with the UK Parliament on the Universal Periodic Review’ in Magazzeni, G. and Alfredsson, G. ‘The Universal Periodic Review: A Misunderstood and Under-Utilised Mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council’ (De Gruyter Brill, forthcoming 2027)
Lane, M. and Hopton-Jones, D. ‘Human Rights Council Instruments in the European Court of Human Rights’ in Nazir, A. and Lane, M. ‘A Critical Analysis of the UN Human Rights Council: Charting the Council’s Future’ (Routledge, forthcoming 2027)
Lane, M. ‘Asylum Seekers and Refugees at the Universal Periodic Review’ in Khan, B. Hossain Bhuiyan, J. and Alam, J. Routledge Handbook of International Refugee Law (Routledge, forthcoming 2027)
Lane, M. ‘Navigating Devolution at the UPR – The Case of the United Kingdom’ forthcoming in Etone, D., Nazir, A. and Storey, A. ‘Human Rights and The UN Universal Periodic Review Mechanism: A Research Companion’ (Routledge 2024)
Journal Articles:
Lane, M. and Monaghan, C. ‘The margin of appreciation in play: Parliamentary privilege and the European Court of Human Rights’ (2025) 4 European Human Rights Law Review 514
Lane, M. and Cowell, F. ‘Using UPR Recommendations in UK Courts’ (2024) 29 Judicial Review 119
Lane, M. ‘The Universal Periodic Review: A Catalyst for Domestic Mobilisation’ (2023) 40 Nordic Journal of Human Rights 507
Lane, M. ‘The UK Joint Committee on Human Rights and the United Nations Universal Periodic Review’ (2022) 14 Journal of Human Rights Practice 928
Book Reviews:
Lane, M. ‘Book Review: Aileen Kavanagh, The Collaborative Constitution (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024, xvi + 492pp, £120.00) ISBN 9781108493260 (h/b)”’ (2024) 45 Legal Studies 161
Lane, M. ‘Book Review: Damian Etone, The Human Rights Council: The Impact of the Universal Periodic Review in Africa (Routledge, 2021, xv + 215pp, £36.99) ISBN 9781032175317 (pb)’ (2022) 22 Human Rights Law Review 1
Blog Posts:
Lane, M. and Storey, A. ‘Opting Out of Accountability: The United States and the Implications of Withdrawal from the Universal Periodic Review’ (2025) EJIL:Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law [link]
Lane, M. and Cowell, F. ‘Human rights in English and Welsh courts – the Universal Periodic Review’ (2025) Law Society of England and Wales Blog [link]
Lane, M. ‘“Administrative Clutter” or a Case for Centralising Human Rights? UN Human Rights Mechanisms and the UK Government’ (2024) UK Constitutional Law Association [link]
Lane, M. ‘Am I an Imposter? Overcoming Doubt and Self-disbelief as an Early Career Researcher’ (2022) Symposium on Early Career International Law Academia [link]
Lane, M. ‘The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s ‘Human Rights Tracker’: An Innovation in Progress Monitoring’ (2021) LinkedIn Blog [link]
Lane, M. ‘Enhancing the UK Parliament’s Scrutiny of Human Rights: A Case for Improved Government Reporting’ (2021) Oxford Human Rights Hub [link]
Expert Submissions:
Storey, A. Lane, M. et al. ‘Joint Stakeholder Submission to the Universal Periodic Review: Forth Cycle, 50th Session of the UPR Working Group (United States of America)’ (2025) Submission to the UN Human Rights Council [link]
Adeleye, N., Lane, M. and Monaghan, C. ‘Written Evidence to the International Agreements Committee Inquiry, Review of Treaty Scrutiny’ (2025) [link]
Monaghan, M., Smith, C., Lane, M. and Jarvis, S. ‘Written Evidence to the Justice Committee Inquiry, Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending’ (2025) [link]
Lane, M., Yorke J. and Storey, A. ‘Briefing: United Kingdom Universal Periodic Review: Responses to Fourth Cycle Recommendations’ (2023) Equality and Human Rights Commission Civil Society Project [link]
Lane, M. ‘Written Evidence, Bill of Rights Bill’ (2022) UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights [link]
Yorke, J. Wood, J. and Lane, M. ‘Joint Stakeholder Submission to the Universal Periodic Review: Forth Cycle, 41st Session of the UPR Working Group (United Kingdom)’ (2022) Submission to the UN Human Rights Council [link]
Conference Presentations
Lane, M. ‘The (Quiet) Influence of UN Treaty Bodies on Parliamentary Deliberation and Human Rights: The Case of Westminster’ (2026) Socio-Legal Association Annual Conference, University of Sussex
Lane, M. ‘The Role of Judges in the Universal Periodic Review: Insights from England and Wales’ (2025) Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, University of Leeds
Lane, M. ‘The Universal Periodic Review in the UK: Conceptualising the Role of the Judiciary’ (2024) Invited Contribution at the Scottish International Law Conference, University of Stirling.
Lane, M. ‘The Universal Periodic Review in UK Courts: The Domestic Legal Significance of Human Rights Recommendations’ (2024) University of Worcester Constitutions Rights and Justice Research Group Spring Workshop
Lane, M. ‘Rethinking Human Rights Recommendations in Whitehall: A Case for a National Mechanism For Implementation, Reporting & Follow-up (NMIRF)?’ (2024) Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference, Portsmouth
Lane, M. ‘UN Treaty Body Findings in Parliamentary Deliberation: The Case of the United Kingdom Parliament’ (2023) Rights and Justice: In Theory and Practice Conference, University of Worcester
Lane, M. ‘The United Kingdom human rights obligations and the 2022 Universal Periodic Review’ (2023) Invited Contribution at University of Leicester, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ 75th Anniversary: Making Human Rights Real in the UK
Lane, M. ‘UK and the UPR’ (2023) UK UPR Civil Society Conference, Birmingham City University
Lane, M. ‘The United Kingdom’s receptivity to the United Nations human rights standards: the example of “Universal Periodic Review”’ (2022) Invited Contribution at University of Leicester, Workshop on the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The UK Human Rights Law Landscape and Social Justice
Lane, M. ‘Safeguarding the Rights of Migrants: Informing the United Kingdom’s 2022 Human Rights Assessment at the UN Human Rights Council’ (2022) Midlands4Cities Research Festival
Lane, M. ‘Explaining the Implementation of Universal Periodic Review Recommendations: The Central Role of Domestic Politics’ (2021) Society of Legal Scholars International Law Workshop
Other Research Activity
Conference organiser/convenor (with Dr Chris Monaghan), ‘The Legacy of Brexit and the Changing Political Landscape: The Impact on Public Law and Constitutional Challenges’, University of Worcester, 25-26th June 2026. Funded by the SLS Subject Section Fund. [Link].
Workshop/training convenor (with Dr Frederick Cowell & UPR Info), ‘The Universal Periodic Review and the role of legal practitioners’, Online, 17th October 2025. [Link].
Public Law Section/panel convenor (with Dr Chris Monaghan), SLS Annual Conference, University of Leeds, 2-4th September 2025. [Link].
Witness, Public Session on the Universal Periodic Review, UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights, 25th June 2025. [Link].
Conference organiser/convenor, ‘International Law in the UK: A Troubled Relationship?’, University of Worcester, 8th November 2024. [Conference Report Link].
Workshop/training convenor (with Dr Frederick Cowell & UPR Info), ‘Understanding the UPR for Legal Practitioners’, Online, 20th August 2024. [Link].
Conference organiser/convenor, ‘Culture, Conflict & Justice: Interdisciplinary Conversations. School of Humanities Undergraduate Student Conference’, University of Worcester, 1st March 2024.
Witness, Private Session on the Universal Periodic Review, UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights, 3rd May 2023.
Co-lead & researcher (with Prof. Jon Yorke & Dr Alice Storey), ‘Universal Periodic Review 2022 – UK Civil Society Engagement’, Project Funded by Equality and Human Rights Commission, November 2022 – May 2023 [link].
Meetings with various UN member states ahead of the UK’s fourth UPR, UPR Pre-sessions, Geneva, 28th August – 1st September 2023.