Oxford Brookes Law Student achieves international recognition
Wednesday, 28 November 2018
.jpg?n=2838 "Craig Allen (Law)")
In October, Craig Allen (left) was invited to Washington DC to a gathering of esteemed scholars and legal professionals from around the world.
Craig, who graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a First Class
honours degree having studied the LLB Law and is currently studying law at
doctoral level here, specialises in the interplay
of the law and religion, and was invited to the International Religious Liberty Award
Dinner in Washington, D.C. to receive a prize for the ‘Religious Liberty
Student Writing Competition’, in recognition of his exceptional essay on
practical and theoretical justifications for criminalising incitement to
religious hatred.
Craig’s interest in Law and
Religion was fostered during his undergraduate study at Brookes, particularly
in the ‘Law and Religion in the 21st Century’ module. He was further able to
explore this area of interest in modules, such as ‘Equality Law’, and through
an independent research essay on minority rights as part of the ‘International
Human Rights Law’ curriculum. When given
the flexibility to choose specific modules and therefore to study his
fascinations, Craig was able to flourish. As he states:
“It was only during this time [undergraduate
study] where I was exposed to an area of law that fascinated me that I began to
excel in and enjoy my studies in whole (including Equity and Trusts, which no
one ever believes!). As a result, I obtained a First-Class honours degree and
was awarded the Eric Kemp Prize by the Ecclesiastical law Society for an essay
on why religion should impact on the criminal law.”
Craig also discussed the importance of the support of his
academic tutors. He had this to say about Professor Peter Edge, one of his
lecturers and his academic advisor at Oxford Brookes:
“Studying Law at Brookes over four years now has provided me
with an unforgettable bank of memories. The supervision offered by Peter at any
level of study at Brookes has inspired and maintained my passion for law and
religion. Further, any guidance offered has been carefully tailored to my
interests and career plan. Brookes is a special place to study law, especially
if you focus on any areas linked to religion.”
Professor Peter Edge is delighted with Craig’s success and
international recognition:
“As his supervisors, we are tremendously proud that the
quality of Craig's work has been recognised at this international level. He was
recognised alongside exceptional students from the US, South America, and
Europe. His doctoral project has a strong comparative aspect, and will have an
impact well beyond the UK.”
Craig’s academic and professional
development have seen his ideas, regarding the interplay of Religion and Law,
travel from an Oxford Brookes seminar room to Washington, D.C., where he met with
the world’s leading scholars, and the likeminded next generation of PhD and JD
students, working in the field. He had this to say on his experience in the USA:
“Most recently, Brookes
financially supported my trip to Washington, D.C. There I attended the
International Centre for Law and Religion Religious Liberty Essay Awards
dinner. The support allowed me to attend the ceremony and accept my award for
an essay I had written on the practical and normative justifications for
criminalising religious incitement under the Racial and Religious Hatred Act
2006. Additionally, it gave me the chance to discuss my paper and PhD topic
with leading international scholars and senior officials from the US government
specialising in law and religion. During the awards, I was also able to talk
generally about current topics in law and religion with other PhD students from
all over the world. We now keep in touch and discuss international developments
and challenges within the field.”
Craig’s story exemplifies the career
and academic possibilities available to Oxford Brookes students. His prize
winning essay will be published by International Center for Law and Religion
Studies (ICLRS) in 2019.