Welcome to the Department of Law and Criminology at Royal Holloway.
We've put together some resources to help you get to know us before joining us in September, and to get ready for your studies.
Below you'll find a range of different suggestions for reading, viewing and thinking. We hope you enjoy them as a way to get you thinking like one of our students and to offer you some inspiration during the summer. We look forward to welcoming you to Royal Holloway and our department very soon.
Law
Read on
If you want to do a bit of early reading we've listed a few resources below. Please be aware that this is not a requirement:
Raymond Wacks, Law: A Very Short Introduction (2nd Edition) (OUP 2015)
McKendrick, E. ‘English Contract Law: A Rich Past, an Uncertain Future’ (1997) 50 CLP 25. Available here.
Mark Elliott's, ‘Parliamentary Sovereignty’ 'Public Law for Everyone' blog, 15 October 2014 Available here.
Mark Elliott's, ‘The Rule of Law’ 'Public Law for Everyone' blog, 15 October 2015 Available here.
Michael D. Bayles, ‘Character, purpose, and criminal responsibility’, Law and Philosophy 1.1 (1982): 5-20.
Relevant websites
Lectures on Justice by Professor Michael Sandel at Harvard University Law School - Available here
Courts and Tribunals Judiciary - https://www.judiciary.uk/
The Supreme Court - https://www.supremecourt.uk/
Tune in
Interesting movies on Law:
Time to Kill (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE2v4jTL1Kg)
The Children Act (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKQkUcJioxU)
Denial (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH7ktvUWaYo)
In the Name of the Father (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev5NdoeQg0M)
Michael Clayton (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kJRYBhG43Q)
Eye in the Sky (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGOdNUGLfRI)
12 Angry Men (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_13J_9B5jEk)
A Civil Action (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4WOo8IJzVg)
Philadelphia (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl4B9AU45P4)
The Lincoln Lawyer (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFwE3UgCMIk)
Inside the Supreme Court - free online course
The FutureLearn course is taught by academics from our department and features a range of people who work at the Supreme Court, from Justices to Judicial Assistants, to members of the Executive team. The course is free if you finish it within two weeks. Find more information and sign up here.
Criminology
Read on
Suggested early reading:
Downes, Rock and McLaughlin (2016) ‘Understanding Deviance: A Guide to the Sociology of Crime and Rule-Breaking’. Oxford University Press: Oxford
Coleman, C. and Norris, C. (2000) ‘Introducing Criminology’. Willan Publishing: Devon
Relevant websites and blogs featuring our staff
Dr John Morrison's "Talking Terror" podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-366747443
Professor Nick Hardwick on "The prisons crisis - what’s gone wrong and how to fix it": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOEQ755qkHw&ab_channel=InstituteforPolicyResearch
A discussion with Professor Rosie Meek about her journey in both sport and the prison system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AAQT9Xh9ho&ab_channel=TheRogueMonkey
What is it like to receive a life sentence? Dr Serena Wright on the "The Secret Life of Prisons" podcast: https://secretlifeofprisons.libsyn.com/the-secret-life-of-lifers-part-1
Tune in
Interesting movies on Criminology:
No Country for Old Men (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38A__WT3-o0)
City of God (trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfnGQetbX-U)
Breaking Bad (TV series) (trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NpEA2yaWVQ)
The Woodsman (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7SjEfXP-gQ)
Catch Me If You Can (trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xas1UyTiVUw)
Mystic River (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUPnGySXuv4)
Orange is the New Black (TV series) (trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY0qzXi5oJg)
For criminology and sociology questions
If you have any questions specifically around our criminology and sociology related courses, please contact Dr. Alexis Artaud de la Ferriere on alexis.artauddelaferriere@royalholloway.ac.uk.
Further information
Just ask
You're welcome to contact us in the department but you can also chat to one of our student representatives here.
Keep in touch
There are a number of ways to keep in touch with us and one of them is to follow the department on social media, here you'll find out what the department is up to and can read more about research and events:
Twitter @RHUL_Law
Be prepared
For other general information on getting prepared for university, see our general pages.
For Integrated foundation year students
If you're planning to study our LLB Law (with Integrated Foundation Year) you can find more information on our Integrated Foundation Year applicant hub
