Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions

Our research

Within Bristol Business School, two research groups are focused on issues of governance. The Public Services Governance and Management group examines governance of public services by public sector, private, and non-profit organisations, with a particular focus on the healthcare sector. The Accountability, Sustainability and Governance group looks at broader issues of accountability and governance, with research in 2022/23 covering areas such as corporate biodiversity disclosures and Board gender diversity, the impact of shareholder activism on corporate actions, and corporate social responsibility reporting practices.

Researchers at the University have uncovered new information on the links between social media and political tensions in two studies published in 2022 and 2023. The first, with partners in Germany, examined global studies into the use of digital media, concluding that social media can be beneficial in emerging democracies, but destabilising in established ones. The second study, with partners in Germany and Austria, examined posts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) from members of the US Congress over the past decade. They found that since 2016, Congresspeople from both main parties shared more of their opinions and beliefs online, but that those from the Republican party were more likely to be linked to low-quality or untrustworthy sources. Both studies recommended ways for the public, and governments, to increase understanding of misinformation and digital destabilisation.

Our students

Students at Bristol Law School took part in a cross-examination exercise with officers from Avon and Somerset Police in early 2023. The exercise saw each student lawyer cross-examine a police officer from the force who specialises in investigating crimes against children. The exercise, which formed part of the officers’ training, aimed to ensure that they had followed guidance and procedure on interviewing children, while also giving students the opportunity to gain skills, insight, and practical experience in this specialist area.

The Law School, in collaboration with the University’s Professional Liaison Network (PLN), has also been able to offer a record number of students access to a professional mentor during the 2022/23 academic year. Five mentoring schemes are available to law students, including the new Burges Salmon Diversity Mentoring Scheme, which aims to help tackle the imbalance of representation from minority ethnic groups in the legal profession by offering legal work experience and networking to underrepresented groups. There has also been an increase in the number of firms, chambers and organisations offering mentors for the scheme, with over 100 mentors participating across all schemes, many of whom are Bristol Law School alumni.

Our communities

In advance of the UK government’s development of a White Paper, three academics from our Law School submitted written evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee inquiry on Governance of artificial intelligence (AI). This evidence, which was published in early 2023, offered expert perspectives on the adoption of digital technologies by the public sector, the use of AI to manage people at work, and regulatory reform to protect citizens from unfair algorithms which could be used by some public bodies in automated decision-making.

The University of Bristol Law Clinic offers free legal advice to members of the local community who cannot afford a solicitor in areas including housing, employment and welfare benefits. All advisors at the Clinic are current Law students who work under the supervision of qualified solicitors. In 2023, the Clinic supported the Save Redfield Cinema group in its campaign to save St George's Hall, a former art deco cinema, from redevelopment. As a result, the building had its Asset of Community Value (ACV) status upheld.

Ourselves

Acknowledging and addressing historic injustices is a necessary and important part of building peaceful, sustainable communities for the future. In 2022, the University opened a consultation seeking views on seven University buildings whose names linked directly or indirectly to the transatlantic trade of enslaved African people. More than 4,000 responses were received, and in late 2023, the University pledged £10 million to develop Reparative Futures, a programme to address racial justice and equality in the University and the community.

In 2023, Bristol marked the one-year anniversary of the twinning of the University with the National Aerospace University: Kharkiv Aviation Institute in Ukraine as part of a programme to support higher education institutions impacted by the ongoing conflict in the region. The initiative has involved a range of coordinated events from maths training schemes to English lessons, the sharing of resources and technology, and collaboration on research. It is intended to support students and staff from Ukraine, and to help them continue their learning and their research through this challenging period.