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Brexit Briefing: October 2017

Press release issued: 31 October 2017

Academics from the University of Bristol Law School continue to share knowledge, debate and listen to opinion at a national, regional and local level.

Book Launch: The dynamics of North-South Trade Agreements and ‘Integration through Law’

The launch of Dr Clair Gammage's new book, 'North-South FTAs - trade, policy and Europe‌', was celebrated in an event that explored the policy implications of trade agreements in the context of Brexit, and included two panels - one examining the dynamics of North-South trade agreements, the second considering the planning for and effects of BrexitPlease click here for a full report of the evening. 

Submission of evidence to parliament

In October 2017 Professor Phil Syrpis submitted written evidence to both the House of Lords Constitution Committee and the House of Commons Exiting the EU Committee. In his notes he analysed the effects of certain provisions of the Withdrawal Bill, with reference to the existing relationship between the UK courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), arguing this relationship is often misrepresented in much of the Brexit debate, that the Bill destabilises the existing relationship between UK law and EU law (as well as the UK courts and the CJEU), and that it does not provide sufficient clarity as to the future. The reports can be read here and here.

Response to Heaton-Harris letter requesting information about our Brexit-related teaching and research

In the wake of the Chris Heaton-Harris letter requesting information about the University's Brexit-related teaching and research Professor Phil Syrpis wrote a message for Law Students taking EU Law I. Read the full message here.

Sweden and the Road to Brexit

The University of Bristol has been awarded £76,000 by the Swedish Research Council for a grant application of a three year collaborative project, ‘Sweden and the Road to Brexit’. Tonia Novitz (Professor of Labour Law, University of Bristol) will be the UK partner, with Petra Herzfeld Olsson (Associate Professor of Private Law and Senior Lecturer in international labour law at the Faculty of Law, Uppsala University) as Swedish lead. The project, which is scheduled to start in January / February 2018, will focus on Swedish and EU labour laws which have had alienating effects akin to those felt in the UK. Its research will explore the impact of deregulatory policies, effects of economic shocks on workers and links to nationalism.

Media Engagement

  •  Nonesuch Magazine: Brexit: The University Challenge Professor Philip Syrpis was featured as one of four Bristol experts in an article discussing the uncertainties faced by universities in the wake of the EU referendum. His opinion piece touches on the impact of Brexit on all areas of university work, from student mobility to research and funding, as well as an increase in audiences and interest in the work of academics with a research speciality in EU law.
  • The Conversation: Repeal bill paves the way for a removal of rights after Brexit With the second reading of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, the British government's legislative agenda ahead of Brexit, to be held on 7 September, Professor Philip Syrpis discusses the stated aim of the bill - that as a general rule, the same laws, EU rights and obligations will apply after leaving the EU - and what the bill could truly mean if left in its current form: the modification and removal of rights that exist under EU law.

Blog Posts

 Recent Brexit related posts to the Law School blog include:

Further information

When the UK voted to leave the EU it entered unchartered territory. With virtually no area of domestic law left untouched, our experts are on the frontline, helping shape the debate and providing opinion on the diverse legal implications of Brexit. Our regular Brexit Briefings, listed on the Brexit Centre homepage, provide highlights of our Brexit activity - key events, media engagement, blogs, and other opportunities for sharing and exchanging knowledge.

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