The Executive Committee has the power to manage the affairs of the Society. It enjoys the power to direct or approve expenditure of the Society's funds. The Executive may also provide for such committees as it may from time to time deem useful. The Executive is accountable to the Council for all its activities and actions.

Elected Members of the Executive Committee

Rule 19 (g) makes provision for elections to the Executive and reads as follows:

'nine members of the Society of whom three shall be 'recent' members of the Society (being members of recent professional standing who, at the date of their election, have fewer than eight years membership), such persons to be appointed by the Council to the Executive Committee to serve for no more than three years. Once appointed to serve for a three year term and re-elected for a further three year term, a member shall not be eligible for re-appointment until one year after expiry of such term. In appointing such nine members as set out in sub-paragraph (g) above, Council shall, so far as practicable, procure a reasonable balance in such appointments, taking account of factors such as gender, ethnicity, regional representation, type of institution and subject section representation.Notices of all motions, including the names of proposers and seconders, shall reach the Honorary Secretary at least fourteen days before the day fixed for holding the meeting.'

The current membership of the Executive is:

Officers of the Society 2012-2013
President Professor Hector MacQueen, University of Edinburgh
Vice-President Professor Stephen Bailey, University of Nottingham
Honorary Treasurer Professor Peter Alldridge, Queen Mary, London
Honorary Secretary Professor Richard Taylor, University of Central Lancashire
Subject Sections Secretary Ms Annette Morris, Cardiff University
Convenor for Scotland Professor Colin Reid, University of Dundee
Convenor for Ireland Dr Caoimhin MacMaolain, Trinity College, Dublin
Membership Secretary (Acting) Professor Tony Bradney, University of Keele


Other members of the Executive Committee
Immediate Past President  Professor Keith Stanton, University of Bristol
Vice-President elect Professor Jenny Steele, University of York
Editor:  Reporter Professor Rebecca Probert, University of Warwick
Editors: Legal Studies Prof Blanaid Clarke, Prof Imelda Maher and Prof Colin Scott all of University College, Dublin, and Prof Fiona de Londras, University of Durham.
Webmaster  Mr Richard Edwards, University of the West of England
Chair Legal Education Sub-Committee Professor Fiona Cownie, University of Keele


2010-2013 Dr Mary Neal, Strathclyde
2010-2013 Mr David Marrani, Essex 
2012-2015 Ms Nicola Wake, Northumbria
2011-2014 Professor Rosemary Auchmuty, Reading
2011-2014 Dr Alison Dunn, Newcastle
2011-2014 Mr James Lee, Birmingham
2009-2012 Professor Alan Paterson, Strathclyde
2011-2014 Professor Mark Bell, Leicester
2009-2012 Mr John Tribe, Kingston


The rules about appointment of such Ordinary members to the Executive are as in Rule 19 of the Society’s rules.  Each appointment is for three years, with three members (with only one being a recent member – defined as having less than eight years standing) standing down each year in rotation. The appointments in general should take account of gender, ethnicity, regional representation, type of institution and subject section representation.  Professor Bell has been nominated to serve a second term.

What is the SLS?

The Society of Legal Scholars (est. 1909) is the learned society for those who teach law in a university or similar institution or who are otherwise engaged in legal scholarship.

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