Thesis Title

‘Exploring the Pervasiveness of Proportionality Reasoning in English Law’ [Provisional]

 Supervisors

Professor Nicola Lacey and Dr Jacco Bomhoff

Research interests

Proportionality; Constitutional Law; Administrative Law; Human Rights; Sentencing; Philosophy of Punishment; Private Law, particularly Tort

Sam Warburton is a PhD candidate in Law at LSE. His current research explores proportionality reasoning across various areas of English law. The aim of this project is to understand (i) the pervasiveness of proportionality reasoning across English law; (ii) the reasons for this pervasiveness and (iii) the challenges involved in proportionality reasoning. The project is primarily focused on English law but will also draw upon insights from international law and academic literature.

Alongside his research, Sam teaches Tort law to undergraduates at the University of Oxford. He is also employed as the Decanal Officer of Somerville College. In the latter role, Sam supports the College’s Dean in student discipline matters. Sam has been involved in various aspects of the admissions process for Law at the University of Oxford, working as an admissions interviewer and a marker for the Law National Aptitude Test.

Sam holds a BA in Jurisprudence (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Civil Law (Distinction) from the University of Oxford. During his Postgraduate studies on the BCL, Sam produced a dissertation which evaluated the extent to which the principle of proportionality could guide determinations of the appropriate severity of a given offender’s punishment and the punishment scheme as a whole.

Affiliations/Memberships

Somerville College, University of Oxford

Awards/Scholarships

LSE Department of Law Studentship (2023-2027); Oxford Law Faculty Prize in Dissertations (2022); Oxford Law Faculty Prize for Commercial Negotiation and Mediation (shared, 2022); Somerville Lawyers Group Prize (2021); Shaw Lefevre Scholarship in Law (2020).