Cambridge Family Law Centre launched

A new research centre in the Faculty, the Cambridge Family Law Centre, was launched at the beginning of this academic year.

Cambridge Family Law is a centre of excellence for research and teaching in all aspects of family law and policy, domestic, comparative and international in the Faculty of Law. It offers a unique combination of academic, policy and practice-oriented insight into family law issues around the globe, covering the full range of family law issues, from international child abduction and surrogacy, to marital agreements and financial remedies, marriage, divorce and other adult partnerships, and issues arising in later life and following death.

Director, Jens Scherpe and Deputy Director, Joanna Miles have ambitious plans for the Centre, building on their existing track record of research publication and related event- management over the past several years, ranging from major international conferences to specialist invitation-only workshops. Along with Centre colleagues Claire Fenton-Glynn and Brian Sloan, they are planning a series of events based in Cambridge, London and overseas. All Centre events will offer an academically rigorous forum for expert discussion and debate of family law and policy issues, and offer CPD points for practitioners.

The Centre has strong links with family law scholars from a wide range of overseas jurisdictions and with family law practitioners and judges worldwide, thanks to its members' connections with groups such as the International Society of Family Law, the International Academy of Family Lawyers, universities, law reform commissions and other governmental and non-governmental organisations across several jurisdictions.

One innovation of the Centre, aimed particularly to support its comparative law work, is the network of "corresponding members" that is being established with scholars from all over the world. The Centre has already hosted several academic visitors, ranging from senior academics to current PhD students registered at other universities.

To find out more and to join the Centre's mailing list, please visit www.family.law.cam.ac.uk or contact the Centre on family@law.cam.ac.uk.