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Director

Rebecca’s research focuses on the history and current law relating to the overlapping areas of marriage, cohabitation, bigamy and divorce. Her first monograph Marriage Law and Practice in the Long Eighteenth Century: A Reassessment (Cambridge University Press, 2009) looks at how couples married in eighteenth-century England (shattering a few myths about common-law marriage, broomstick weddings and hand-fasting along the way. The Legal Regulation of Cohabitation: From Fornicators to Family, 1600-2010 (Cambridge University Press, 2012) demonstrated the rarity of cohabitation in earlier centuries and how the common-law marriage myth only emerged in the 1970s. She is currently working on a history of rise and fall of the crime of bigamy.

Members

Stephanie’s research interests are in early modern procedural and substantive criminal law. Her current research has focused on the archival materials of Scotland’s central criminal court to investigate the nature of these sources and to further our understanding of criminal law and the institution. Stephanie has also been investigating women in the law, the role of criminal liability and, crime and punishment. Stephanie is currently working on an article which is tracing the doctrinal and legal roots of art and part liability and its role in criminal prosecutions.

Richard’s research interests flow from his broader interest in British political history. That feeds into research on constitutional law but also more recently on criminal justice. Currently examining the development of criminal appeals in English law.

The legal history part of Rachel’s research centres on the development of criminal justice, in particular the changes in criminal procedure. So far her research identifies the historical role of the defendant as one that is changeable and influenced by external factors. She is currently working on an article that considers this fluid role of the defendant and modern developments, external to criminal procedure, such as eyewitness footage of the crime, that may be exerting pressure to change the defendant’s role once again.

Dr Rolland's research interests lie in Administrative Law, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory with a particular focus on the theory and practice of French Constitutional and Administrative Law in a historical context and comparative perspective with a particular focus on legal interpretation.

Stephen is Professor of Comparative Legal History and Legal Theory. His overarching research interest is the relationship between law and the state under democratic and non-democratic systems. He has mainly published historical, theoretical and comparative analyses of criminal law and legal ideology under Italian Fascism, and of state accountability for uses of lethal force in policing and security operations. His current research examines the criminalization of political activities since the eighteenth century, the effects of Europe’s non-democratic twentieth-century past on the concept and practice of the rule of law, and the nature of authoritarian law.

Professor Stebbings’ research involves doctrinal analysis at the interface of other disciplines in the nineteenth century, and explores the development of legal doctrine to reflect or initiate social or economic change, and the formal analysis of law in a practical context. She researches into the legal history of British tax in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, concentrating primarily on the law and administration of the direct taxes. She is the Editor of The Journal of Legal History.

Alison Talbot (PGR member)

Alison’s thesis is ‘The legal administration of the bishops of Worcester and Exeter 1200 to 1500.’

David is interested in the history of public law. Much of his recent work has taken the form of public legal education, and this work has often engaged with legal history. He recently worked with the UK Supreme Court on two significant projects. First, he co-developed 10 videos on landmark legal cases decided between 1670 and 2017; these videos were launched as part of the Court's tenth anniversary celebrations. Second, he developed the online course 'Inside the Supreme Court', which, in collaboration with the Supreme Court and Royal Holloway, University of London, explores the Court's work, including its history and its developing role within the legal systems of England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Projects

Studying with us

As a postgraduate student attached to the Bracton Centre for Legal History Research, you will be a student of with the Ó£»¨¶¯Âþ's Law School which attracts academics, visiting lecturers and students from all over the world.

We particularly welcome applications from research students focusing on the history of family law, criminal law, contract law, charity law, religion and the law, and the law’s treatment of women.

The Law School is part of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, which has a dedicated Graduate Research School for its students, who undertake research in Arab and Islamic studies, education, politics, sociology, philosophy, anthropology and security, as well as law; here you will find a diverse and dynamic international community, excellent facilities and a friendly and supportive environment in which to study. Students are supported by the  which offers institution-wide support, training, and administration for all of our postgraduate and early career researchers.

Our postgraduate students gain excellent employment prospects and the Law School benefits from extremely good relations with members of the legal profession regionally, nationally and internationally. We retain strong links with our alumni, many of whom occupy senior positions in the legal field in the UK and overseas.

Further information

• Search the University database for currently available .

News

Congratulations to John Pearce and to Yiu Yu Butt, who have both completed their PhDs under the supervision of Professor Chantal Stebbings and successfully passed their vivas

Professor Chantal Stebbings' latest book 'Tax, Medicines and the Law' is published by Cambridge University Press

Events

The Bracton Centre is part of the Law and History Network, a collaboration between Exeter, Bristol and Cardiff. The Network hosts an online seminar series with this year's programme being organised by Cardiff.

Non-media

For non-media enquiries relating to the Centre and its work please contact us as follows:

Email
Professor Rebecca Probert, Centre Director
bclhr@exeter.ac.uk

Telephone
Senior administrator
+44 (0)1392 726438

Post
Bracton Centre for Legal History Research
Law School - Amory Building
Ó£»¨¶¯Âþ
Rennes Drive
Exeter
Devon
UK
EX4 4RJ

Media

Media enquiries are also welcome - please contact:

Telephone: +44 (0)1392 722307
Email: pressoffice@exeter.ac.uk