The Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law

The Purpose of the Bingham Centre

Founded in 2010, the work of the Bingham Centre has already demonstrated the need for a body solely dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the rule of law worldwide, which:

  • provides an intellectual framework to define and implement the rule of law as a universal and practical concept;
  • highlights threats to the rule of law;
  • produces high quality studies and training on rule of law issues, drawing on comparative examples and seeking practical outcomes;
  • supports capacity-building and promotes a wider appreciation of the rule of law among governments, decision makers and the wider public, and
  • demonstrates how the rule of law upholds respect for human dignity and enchances economic development and political stability.

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The Team

Professor Sir Jeffrey Jowell KCMG QC is the first Director of the Centre. A leading authority on public law, he has successfully combined a distinguished academic career with a legal practice at the Bar. Previously Dean of the Faculty of Law and a Vice Provost of UCL, he has assisted in drafting many national constitutions and served on a number of public bodies including as the UK's member on The Council of Europe's Commision for Democracy Through Law ("The Venice Commission"). He was knighted in 2011 'for services to human rights, democracy and the rule of law.'

The Team consists of a core staff of outstanding full time Research Fellows supplemented by Interns and Visiting Fellows drawn from experts in practice and the academic world.

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Centre's Activities and Working Papers

The Centre aims to provide a clear and strong influence on the implementation of the rule of law worldwide in the following ways:

Click here for details of the Centre's current and previous activities.

Appeal

The initial Appeal target of £2.25 million to establish the Bingham Centre was set for the first five years, and this is almost achieved. There has been wide support both financially, and in spirit, for the Centre across the legal community, companies and trusts. Click here to download the list of benefactors.

A further Phase of the Appeal is planned. The Bingham Appeal Board, chaired by Guy Morton and Guy Beringer will build on this significant achievement, to raise sufficient capital funds to support the longer-term sustainability of the Centre.

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