Law Working Papers Series

Living Law

Welcome to the Bristol Law Working Papers Series. The series publishes a broad range of legal scholarship in all subject areas from members of the University of Bristol Law School. All papers are published electronically and available to download as pdf files.

Working papers

2025

International Law in extremis (PDF, 775kB)

Author: Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne

This paper considers to what extent the Israeli government’s approach to international law when justifying its post-October 2023 conduct in Gaza has been influenced by interpretive manoeuvres by other States in previous conflicts.

2024

‘Let her be burned, etc.’ husband-killing and ‘petty treason’ in medieval England.pdf (PDF, 662kB)

Author: Gwen Seabourne

From the medieval period to the late eighteenth century, women found to have killed their husbands could expect a spectacular punishment: death by fire. Gwen Seabourne discusses what we can learn about this disturbing, long-lived, legal response from the surviving medieval records.

Managing Technology that Manages People: Regulatory Strategies for the UK (PDF, 955kB)

Author: Philippa Collins

This paper charts the opportunities and risks of algorithmic management and considers how the UK could form a regulatory response to this emerging challenge, drawing on - but going beyond - the recent EU Platform Work Directive. It argues that social partnership between workers' and employers' representatives is essential to achieving a workable and effective approach to regulation in this area.

Going Forward by Staying Put: The Political Economy of Stabilizing Trade Agreements and Initiatives (PDF, 1,533kB)

Author: Christian Delev

This article examines the emerging practice of states entering into trade agreements or negotiating initiatives which sustain parties’ existing market access commitments and ‘behind-the-border’ regulatory barriers to trade.

The Legal Status and Targeting of Hacker Groups in the Russia-Ukraine Cyber Conflict (PDF, 1,750kB)

Author: Giacomo Biggio

The armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been characterized by a considerable number of cyber operations. This article considers the legal status of hacker groups and individuals who have conducted cyber operations in support of Ukraine and the legality of targeting of individuals who directly participate in hostilities.

Migration and Work in the Post-Brexit UK (PDF, 1,603kB)

Authors: Manoj Dias-Abey and Katie Bales

This briefing paper examines the major labour migration pathways in the new post-Brexit migration system that came into force on 1 January 2021.

Default Norms in Labour Law- From Private Right to Public Law (PDF, 1,525kB)

Author: Alan Bogg

How far can the common law limit freedom of contract in employment contracts? This paper considers the limits of freedom of contract in relation to (i) contracting out of employment status; (ii) contracting out of implied terms. It argues that public policy can impose necessary limits on the employer's contractual powers.