Pembroke College Cambridge

Professor Trevor Allan

Subject: Law

My research in legal philosophy and public law focuses on the political ideal of the ‘rule of law’.  I defend a wider conception of the rule of law – or legality – than is fashionable in legal theory, viewing it as an ideal that connects law and justice.  When a government is legitimate, respectful of the freedom and dignity of persons, its rules and requirements can be accounted genuine legal obligations.  A government complies with the rule of law, not merely in the sense that its rules are readily ascertainable by those affected and enforced, when necessary, by impartial and independent courts, but also in the broader sense that the law strives to reflect the requirements of justice.  The law must be understood and interpreted as an application of universal principles of justice and good governance to the circumstances of national and international governance in the contemporary world.

College Positions

Emeritus Fellow

University Positions

Professor Emeritus of Jurisprudence and Public Law

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