Research Excellence Framework: Strength and Depth in Law at Cambridge

Cambridge Law Faculty ranked second in the UK for research quality

The Cambridge Faculty of Law welcomes the strong recognition given to the quality of its research in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF). Our performance ranked second overall, whether our very high grade point average is assessed in the light of the absolute size of our submission, or when assessing research intensity by reference to the exceptionally high proportion of staff (nearly all) we submitted. This reflects the outstanding strength and depth in research in Law at Cambridge.

More than four out of five submissions from the Law Faculty and Institute of Criminology were rated 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent', demonstrating our global strength in research across these fields. Our Impact Case Studies, which show the impact of our research on public life, were also considered to be very strong. One of these studies was Professor Alison Liebling’s research on Measuring Quality of Prison Life, which has been adopted by the National Offender Management Service in performance and audit measurement of all prison establishments in England and Wales, and which has influenced the development of HM Prison Service measures linked to a reduction in suicides in prisons. Another was research led by Professor Sir Bob Hepple that underpinned the Equality Act 2010 and reshaped the UK equality and diversity landscape.

Our research continues to have impact in the period since the REF submission. For example, our work is shaping the important debate on energy policy.

Reflecting on the REF results, Eilís Ferran, the Chair of the Faculty, said: "We are very pleased to have achieved such an excellent result whilst remaining true to our strategic objectives of being a law school that values a plurality of research interests, styles and methodologies, and where world class research ambitions and exceptional teaching go hand in hand. It is possible to interpret the REF data in different ways, but for us it is especially pleasing to be in the top two law schools in the country, along with the London School of Economics, on the basis of performance relative to the proportion of staff submitted. We are also in the top two, with Oxford, on the basis of the size of our submission, but the proportionality measure gives the best indication of the depth and consistency of research excellence across the Faculty".