Cambridge Family Law (CFL) hybrid seminar: 'Justifying Relational Obligations: Beyond the Autonomy-Protection Spectrum'

Speaker: Dr Matt Hasler (Teaching By-Fellow in Law and Philosophy, Churchill College)

Family law systems characteristically impose relational obligations: legal duties of financial provision that attach to personal or familial relationships, and thereby impose special financial responsibilities on their bearers. Relational obligations pose a host of important normative questions. To which kinds of relationships should they attach? What should their content be? And to what extent, if at all, should parties be entitled to alter or disapply such obligations by means of private contracts?

It is often suggested that our answers to these questions will be significantly determined by our attitudes to two apparently competing principles. On the one hand, respect for individual autonomy is said to favour less demanding relational obligations that attach to a narrower range of relationships, and are more amenable to contractual amendment. On the other, concerns to protect vulnerable parties are said to favour more demanding relational obligations that attach to a wider range of relationships, and are less amenable to contractual amendment.

In this presentation I shall challenge the assumption that positions in debates about relational obligations can be straightforwardly situated along this “autonomy-protection spectrum”. In particular, I shall argue that respect for individual autonomy not only permits – but can in fact require – the imposition of demanding and unamendable relational obligations across a wide range of personal and familial contexts.

Speaker bio: Matt recently completed his PhD in Law at the University of Cambridge and is currently a Teaching By-Fellow in Law and Philosophy at Churchill College. His research explores the moral, legal, and political significance of close personal relationships, focusing particularly on why they matter to political theory and how they should be recognised in law. Before returning to academia, Matt practised as a solicitor for just under six years, specialising in family law. He subsequently completed an LLM at Cambridge. He also holds a BA in Philosophy from Cambridge and a BPhil in Philosophy from Oxford.

The lecture is at 12 noon in B16, David Williams Building, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge. Please join us in-person, but if you cannot, you can register to attend online.