Research Programme 2004
The Research Programme forms the main body of research commissioned by
the Department each year. It is based on the Department's yearly key areas
for research, which have a broad range, with topics drawn from across
the department.
If you are a researcher and are interested in getting involved in the
next round of research, please see information for researchers.
Key areas for research 2004
Protecting the vulnerable
- Judicial approaches to context, norms, continuity and case management in
decision making in areas of law involving relationships between individuals.
- Domestic violence and legal remedies: routes (including navigated routes)
and outcomes for the consumer in the context of criminal and civil law.
- Parents, children and domestic violence: the interface between public and
private law.
- The establishment of a baseline against which to evaluate the effects of
the forthcoming Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill.
- Domestic violence and Supplemental Information Form C1a: an evaluation of
the use and effects of the introduction of this form in early 2005.
- An exploration of how cohabitants handle and negotiate life events and relationship
breakdown (including issues relating to children, inheritance, financial provision
and property ownership) - from the perspective of both cohabitants and legal
advisors.
Delivering legal services
- Standards of services to consumers seeking personal injury compensation
for an accident: an examination of standards of service including marketing,
sales and the provision of information to consumers. This might include
both quantitative and qualitative approaches and an in-depth study of
industry practices to identify possible improvements.
- Contingency fees: the potential impact and effectiveness of extending
the use of conditional fee agreements in securing access to justice
in England and Wales.
- The market for legal advice and guidance: outside of work funded by
the Legal Services Commission and organisations such as CABx from whom
data are available, an estimate is needed of the numbers of people who
receive legal help via voluntary and community groups, local authorities
and law centres etc. - in order to gain an understanding of the size
and nature of the 'global' market for legal advice.
- Problem clustering and legal remedies: research has shown that those
experiencing justiciable events often have multiple problems. How far
are these problem clusters open to being dealt with holistically by
advice and available dispute resolution processes and, if disputes reach
the courts, how far do the courts deal with issues related to the case?
- Diversity and the judiciary in Europe: a review of pathways to, and
progression in, judicial careers.
Crime
- An exploration of the factors which influence the length of Crown Court trials in different regions of the country.
Asylum
- Asylum and immigration appeals and errors of law: under current
legislative proposals in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants,
etc.) Bill, a party to an appeal before the new Asylum and Immigration
Appeal Tribunal (AIT) may seek a High Court order requiring the AIT to
reconsider its decision on the grounds that the Tribunal made an error
of law. Under existing legislation, the High Court also has powers to
undertake a statutory review of the Tribunal's decision on the grounds
that the Tribunal made an error of law. The Tribunal also considers appeals
based on errors of law. How do the courts and the Tribunal decide what
constitutes an error of law?
Reforming the Constitution
- Citizenship education: a comparative review and evaluation of citizenship
education initiatives in Commonwealth countries and Eastern Europe and
their impact on civic engagement and participation.
- Devolution: a review of the procedures for the scrutiny of legislation
in Scotland and Wales to assess the efficacy of models of scrutiny and
identify best practice.
- Parliamentary reform: establishing baseline qualitative and quantitative
data on public attitudes to the function, role and efficacy of Parliament
and proposed parliamentary reform.
- The respective roles of Parliament, government and the judiciary;
establishing baseline qualitative and quantitative data on public attitudes
to the clarity and effectiveness of relationships between the institutions.
- Human rights: qualitative and quantitative evidence of a developing
culture of respect for fundamental rights in the public services.
- Voting systems: a literature review of the role and use of referenda
and their relationship to assumptions about democracy, engagement, trust
and confidence in Government and levels of turn-out.
- Freedom of information: a review of the international literature on
the implementation of Freedom of Information, including its impact on
public attitudes (particularly trust and confidence in Government and
other public institutions;) and examples of best practice in the management
of FoI.
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