TOBIAS LOCK

Evaluation of Legal Research in Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom

The presentation deals with the overarching question of how scientific achievements in law can be evaluated, in particular compared to achievements in the social sciences. I propose to answer this question as far as this is possible by way of a comparative study of three higher education systems: Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The purpose of the contribution is twofold: its first purpose is to be informative by showing different methods of research evaluation in different jurisdictions; the second purpose is to show the potential for the evaluation of legal research that goes beyond the mere assessment of the quality of the individual output, but takes into account other factors, such as the output’s wider impact and researcher engagement with the wider world.

Tobias Lock is Professor of Law at Maynooth University (Ireland), specialising in European Union law and human rights. He previously held a Jean Monnet Chair in EU Law and Fundamental Rights and is Director of the REVEL Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence.

His research focuses on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the relationship between the EU legal order and the European Convention on Human Rights, including the question of the EU’s accession to the ECHR. He has also worked extensively on the legal implications of Brexit. In addition to his academic work, he has advised parliamentary bodies in the United Kingdom and Ireland on matters of EU and constitutional law.