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Professor Luke Clements

Professor Luke Clements

  • Position: Chair in Law and Social Justice
  • Areas of expertise: Social care law, social justice, disability, law mental capacity and decision making.
  • Email: L.J.Clements@leeds.ac.uk
  • Phone: +44(0)113 343 7441
  • Location: 1.26 Liberty Building
  • Website: Luke Clements

Profile

I joined the School of Law in January 2016, having previously held a Chair in Law at Cardiff University.

At Leeds I have the honour of having my Chair in Law endowed by the disabled children’s charity Cerebra. Cerebra supports our research programme which works with disabled children and their families in finding practical ways of resolving commonly occurring problems that they experience when dealing with health, social care and education bodies. Our students are key researchers in this programme undertaking a variety of practical projects as part of the School’s thriving law clinics programme.

I was a practising solicitor between 1981 and 2021 and in that capacity had conduct of a number of cases before the European Commission and Court of Human Rights.  My UK based legal work included assisting with the drafting and promotion of a number of Parliamentary Bills aimed at improving the rights of people experiencing social exclusion - including Bills that became the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 and the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004. In 2013 I was the Special Adviser to the Parliamentary Committee that scrutinised the draft Bill that became the Care Act 2014. 

I am a Patron of the Disability Law Service and a Special Adviser to the Spinal Injuries Association.

Research interests

My research interests concern the role of the law in both exacerbating and combating the social exclusion experienced by (in particular) disabled people and their carers.

My current research includes a focus on the barriers disabled children and their families experience in accessing their social, healthcare and educational entitlements.

Current research projects

Current postgraduate research students

  • Peter Ochieng
  • Damarie Kalonzo
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Some research projects I'm currently working on, or have worked on, will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://essl.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Student education

My teaching has included a wide range of human rights, disability and social care law programmes. 

Research groups and institutes

  • Centre for Law and Social Justice
  • Disability Law Hub

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>The school welcomes enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>