Public Lectures from the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

At the 2012 Conservative Party conference, new Justice Secretary Chris Grayling announced plans to amend the criminal law to ensure that even householders who react in a way that may seem disproportionate in the cold light of day will be protected from prosecution. This reopened a long-running discussion about the balance of legal rights between the home owner and those trespassing onto the property for criminal purposes. The law received the most scrutiny in the case of Tony Martin, the Norfolk farmer who killed one burglar and wounded another who entered his home in 1999, and was subsequently convicted of murder (reduced to manslaughter on appeal).

Professor John Spencer discusses the new proposal, and considers it in the light of the current law and previous suggestions.

Professor Spencer is Professor of Law, Co-Director of the Centre for European Legal Studies, and Honorary President of the European Criminal Law Association. He has written extensively on criminal justice matters and has been involved in a number of law reform projects.

For more information about Professor Spencer, please refer to his profile at http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/people/academic/jr-spencer/79

Law in Focus is a collection of short videos featuring academics from the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law, addressing legal issues in current affairs and the news. These issues are examples of the many which challenge researchers and students studying undergraduate and postgraduate law at the Faculty.

At the 2012 Conservative Party conference, new Justice Secretary Chris Grayling announced plans to amend the criminal law to ensure that even householders who react in a way that may seem disproportionate in the cold light of day will be protected from prosecution. This reopened a long-running discussion about the balance of legal rights between the home owner and those trespassing onto the property for criminal purposes. The law received the most scrutiny in the case of Tony Martin, the Norfolk farmer who killed one burglar and wounded another who entered his home in 1999, and was subsequently convicted of murder (reduced to manslaughter on appeal).

Professor John Spencer discusses the new proposal, and considers it in the light of the current law and previous suggestions.

Professor Spencer is Professor of Law, Co-Director of the Centre for European Legal Studies, and Honorary President of the European Criminal Law Association. He has written extensively on criminal justice matters and has been involved in a number of law reform projects.

For more information about Professor Spencer, please refer to his profile at http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/people/academic/jr-spencer/79

Law in Focus is a collection of short videos featuring academics from the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law, addressing legal issues in current affairs and the news. These issues are examples of the many which challenge researchers and students studying undergraduate and postgraduate law at the Faculty.

This entry provides an audio source for iTunes U.

The Lauterpacht Centre for International Law (LCIL), University of Cambridge hosts a regular Friday lunchtime lecture series on key areas of International Law. Previous subjects have included UN peacekeeping operations, the advisory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, the crime of agression, whaling, children and military tribunals, and theories and practices for proving individual responsibility criminal responsibility for genocide and crimes against humanity.

This lecture, entitled 'International Law: Recollections and Reflections', was delivered at the Lauterpacht Centre on Friday 19th October 2012 by Professor Sir Elihu Lauterpacht CBE QC LLD, Emeritus Professor of International Law, University of Cambridge and Founding Director of the Lauterpacht Centre.

For more information about the series, please see the LCIL website at http://www.lcil.cam.ac.uk

The Lauterpacht Centre for International Law (LCIL), University of Cambridge hosts a regular Friday lunchtime lecture series on key areas of International Law. Previous subjects have included UN peacekeeping operations, the advisory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, the crime of agression, whaling, children and military tribunals, and theories and practices for proving individual responsibility criminal responsibility for genocide and crimes against humanity.

This lecture, entitled 'International Law: Recollections and Reflections', was delivered at the Lauterpacht Centre on Friday 19th October 2012 by Professor Sir Elihu Lauterpacht CBE QC LLD, Emeritus Professor of International Law, University of Cambridge and Founding Director of the Lauterpacht Centre.

For more information about the series, please see the LCIL website at http://www.lcil.cam.ac.uk

This entry provides an audio source for iTunes U.

On Wednesday 17th October 2012 Professor Dan Saxon, Visiting Professor, University of Utrecht spoke at an event held by the Hughes Hall Hat Club.

This talk was the first of a three-part series, exploring the legal challenges for armed forces resulting from the development and use of new military technologies for the conduct of warfare.

This talk explores the legal challenges for armed forces resulting from the development and use of new military technologies for the conduct of warfare. The application of International Humanitarian Law ("IHL") is an attempt to achieve an equitable balance between humanitarian requirements and the necessities of war. Thus, the obligations of IHL are intended to reduce the suffering caused by war, in particular the pain inflicted on civilians and persons hors de combat. The efforts of IHL to promote the 'humanization of war' presuppose that war’s protagonists – soldiers, military officers, civilian superiors and insurgents – are human. Increasingly, however, war is and will be fought by machines – and virtual networks linking machines – which, to varying degrees, are controlled by humans. With advances in artificial intelligence, machines will be less dependent on human control and humans will become dependent on machines to 'make decisions' and take action for them. The automation of killing is perhaps the largest legal and moral hurdle facing unmanned combat systems. Professor Saxon discusses whether IHL – in its current form – is sufficient to control the development and operation of these technologies.

At the start of the year, new students attend an introductory lecture programme which provides them with information about studying Law at the University of Cambridge. These lectures cover a welcome, safety and communications issues, and basic legal and legal research principles. These lectures cover Thursday - Saturday before full lectures begin, and are held two weeks running, for IB changeover and postgraduate students, and undergraduates respectively.

In this lecture, Mrs Nicky Padfield offers an introduction to law and sources of law.

These lectures were recorded 4-6 October 2012.

At the start of the year, new students attend an introductory lecture programme which provides them with information about studying Law at the University of Cambridge. These lectures cover a welcome, safety and communications issues, and basic legal and legal research principles. These lectures cover Thursday - Saturday before full lectures begin, and are held two weeks running, for IB changeover and postgraduate students, and undergraduates respectively.

In this lecture, Mrs Nicky Padfield offers an introduction to law and sources of law.

These lectures were recorded 4-6 October 2012.

At the start of the year, new students attend an introductory lecture programme which provides them with information about studying Law at the University of Cambridge. These lectures cover a welcome, safety and communications issues, and basic legal and legal research principles. These lectures cover Thursday - Saturday before full lectures begin, and are held two weeks running, for IB changeover and postgraduate students, and undergraduates respectively.

In this lecture, Mrs Nicky Padfield offers an introduction to law and sources of law.

These lectures were recorded 4-6 October 2012.

At the start of the year, new students attend an introductory lecture programme which provides them with information about studying Law at the University of Cambridge. These lectures cover a welcome, safety and communications issues, and basic legal and legal research principles. These lectures cover Thursday - Saturday before full lectures begin, and are held two weeks running, for IB changeover and postgraduate students, and undergraduates respectively.

In this lecture, Mr Daniel Bates outlines the legal research facilities available to students, and the teaching offered to apply them.

These lectures were recorded 4-6 October 2012.

At the start of the year, new students attend an introductory lecture programme which provides them with information about studying Law at the University of Cambridge. These lectures cover a welcome, safety and communications issues, and basic legal and legal research principles. These lectures cover Thursday - Saturday before full lectures begin, and are held two weeks running, for IB changeover and postgraduate students, and undergraduates respectively.

In this lecture, Mrs Nicky Padfield described the process of judicial reasoning.

These lectures were recorded 4-6 October 2012.