Law & Religion at Cardiff: The Background

In the summer of 1998, the University approved the establishment of the Centre for Law and Religion to promote research and its dissemination in the field of law and religion:

"The establishment of the centre for Law and Religion is a welcome addition to the resources available both to the Churches and academia. As in other branches of the law, ecclesiastical law is becoming more complex and more bound up with secular legislation. The need for such a Centre with a team of Church lawyers able to study important issues affecting the Churches has never been greater."

Brian Hanson,

Former Legal Adviser to the General Synod of the Church of England, Registrar of the Province of Canterbury and of the Province of York, and Registrar to the Convocation of Canterbury.

“I recognise the contribution of your Centre has made in raising the level of awareness in the research of law and religion. I am confident that you will continue to play an important role in this field of work.”

The Rt Hon Ruth Kelly MP

UK Government Minister (Currently Secretary of State for Transport)

The activities of the Centre are carried out in relation to both the theory and practice of substantive law concerning religion. The focus is principally upon canon and ecclesiastical law, with regard to their historical, theological, social, ecumenical and comparative contexts. The Centre's activities are:

• the exchange and development of ideas, through conference, seminar and workshop programmes, between academics, practitioners and others;
• the encouragement and development of research output;
• dissemination of research output through publications;
• provision of research posts;
• the establishment of projects studying new developments in the field of church law in the UK, to bring together academics and practitioners to consider topical issues of importance, and to print reports resulting therefrom;
• provision on request of legal commentary to bodies at home and abroad;
• the development of links with home and overseas institutions, particularly universities in the USA and Europe;
• engagement in collaborative research with home and overseas institutions and scholars and to welcome and support visiting scholars;
• the dissemination of research output through assistance in the provision by the Law School of postgraduate degrees and other courses;
• the collection of an internationally recognised library on law and religion.