Law, History and Temporalities Forum

We are an inter-disciplinary group of researchers who are dedicated to advancing knowledge of the important intersections between past, present and future and ascertaining what these mean for our understandings of law and other means of regulating human behaviour. We have roots in various academic disciplines (law, history, criminology, anthropology, sociology etc) and research expertise which spans legal history, law and history, historical criminology and colonial history.

Broadly conceived, our research coheres around certain questions:

•    Where do contemporary formations of law, regulation and crime come from? When, where and why did they originate? How have they developed through time? 

•    How do certain pasts continue to influence or constrain law and justice in contemporary societies? What role have legal concepts played in the construction of social structures both in the past and in the contemporary world? Why do some historical events or processes continue to cause problems in the present? Can historical injustices be alleviated or resolved by retrospective actions?

•    Can certain understandings of historical time or temporality help us envisage or prepare for possible futures? What conceptual and theoretical insights are revealed by historical analyses of law, crime and justice? What lessons can be drawn from history and how can they be used to help formulate and implement law and regulation today? 

We support the production of research on law, history and temporalities by:

•    Deepening connections between like-minded researchers within the University of Leeds and beyond (including postgraduate researchers and early-career researchers)

•    Supporting each other in conducting ambitious, inter-disciplinary research projects

•    Fostering collaborative relationships between researchers, research users and wider stakeholders.

We have a reading group which meets regularly and a programme of other events and activities.

Please follow us on Twitter @LHTForum Email Professor Henry Yeomans (h.p.yeomans@leeds.ac.uk) if you require further information about our group.