Richard Ekins
Professor of Law and Constitutional Government
Other affiliations
Programme for the Foundations of Law and Constitutional Government
Biography
Richard Ekins is Professor of Law and Constitutional Government in the University of Oxford. He works on questions in constitutional law and practice and in legal and political philosophy, with a particular focus on lawmaking, interpretation and self-government. He has been a fellow of St John's College, Oxford since 2012.
He is co-author of Legislated Rights: Securing Human Rights through Legislation (CUP, 2018) and author of The Nature of Legislative Intent (OUP, 2012). He received his BA, LLB (Hons) and BA (Hons) degrees from The University of Auckland, before going on to read for the BCL, MPhil and DPhil at Oxford. He has worked as a Judge's Clerk at the High Court of New Zealand at Auckland, and a Lecturer at Balliol College, and was a Senior Lecturer in Law at The University of Auckland for several years before moving (back) to Oxford.
He leads Policy Exchange's Judicial Power Project and, with Nick Barber, the Programme for the Foundations of Law and Constitutional Government.
He discusses his research, and other matters, in this interview.
Publications
Ekins R, ‘The Balance of the Constitution’ (2022) 67(2) The American Journal of Jurisprudence 199
EKINS R, ‘The Constitutional Dynamics of Brexit’ [2022] Notre Dame Journal of International and Comparative Law
Ekins R, ‘Joint action, intended meaning and (statutory) interpretation’ (2021) 23 Journal of Contemporary Legal Issues
Ekins R, ‘The State and Its People’ (2021) 66(1) The American Journal of Jurisprudence 49
Ekins R and Webber G, ‘<i>Legislated Rights</i> and contemporary constitutional government: a reply’ (2020) 11(4) JURISPRUDENCE-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL AND POLITICAL THOUGHT 632
EKINS R, ‘Intentions and Reflections: The Nature of Legislative Intent Revisited’ [2019] American Journal of Jurisprudence
Ekins R, ‘Restoring Parliamentary Decmoracy’ [2018] Cardozo Law Review
Ekins R and Webber G, ‘Legislated Rights in the Anglo-American Tradition’ (2018) 10 Faulkner Law Review
Ekins R and Gee G, ‘Putting Judicial Power in its Place’ [2017] The University of Queensland Law Journal
Ekins R, ‘Legislative Freedom in the United Kingdom’ [2017] The Law Quarterly Review
Ekins R, ‘Constitutional Practice and Principle in the Article 50 Litigation’ [2017] The Law Quarterly Review
Ekins R, ‘Objects of Interpretation’ [2017] Constitutional Commentary
Ekins R, ‘Sentences, Statements, Statutes’ [2016] Analisi & Diritto
Ekins R and Barber N, ‘Situating Subsidiarity’ (2016) 61(1) American Journal of Jurisprudence 5
Ekins R, ‘The Bounds of Compassion and the Dissolution of Nations’ (2016) 2(1) Politics & Poetics 5
Ekins R and Forsyth C, ‘Judging the Public Interest: The Rule of Law vs. The Rule of Courts’ [2015] (49) University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Research Paper
Ekins R, ‘Human Rights and the Separation of Powers’ (2015) 34 University of Queensland Law Journal 217
EKINS R, ‘The Reality and Indispensability of Legislative Intentions’ (2014) 36(1) Sydney Law Review 39
Ekins R, ‘Facts, Reasons and Joint Action: Thoughts on the Social Ontology of Law’
Ekins R, ‘Interpretive Choice in Statutory Interpretation’
Ekins R, ‘Statutes, intentions and the legislature: A reply to justice hayne’ (2014) 14(1) Oxford University Commonwealth Law Journal 3
Ekins R, ‘How to be a Free People’ (2013) 58 American Journal of Jurisprudence 163
Ekins R and Goldsworthy J, ‘The Reality and Indispensability of Legislative Intention’
Ekins R, ‘The Nature of Legislative Intent: Introduction’
Ekins R, ‘Equal Protection and Social Meaning’ (2012) 57(1) The American Journal of Jurisprudence 21
EKINS R, ‘Legislative Intent in <i>Law’s Empire</i>*’ (2011) 24(4) Ratio Juris 435
Ekins R and Justice Sales M, ‘Rights-Consistent Interpretation and the Human Rights Act 1998’ (2011) 127 Law Quarterly Review 217
Ekins R and Huang C, ‘Reckless Lawmaking and Regulatory Responsibility’ [2011] New Zealand Law Review 407
Ekins R, ‘Reckless Lawmaking’ [2010] New Zealand Law Journal 127
Ekins R, ‘Regulatory Responsibility?’ [2010] New Zealand Law Journal 25
Ekins R and Brookbanks W, ‘The Case Against the ’Three Strikes’ Sentencing Regime’ [2010] New Zealand Law Review 689
Ekins R, ‘The Intention of Parliament’ [2010] Public Law 709
Ekins R, ‘The Regulatory Responsibility Bill and the Constitution’ (2010) 6(2) Policy Quarterly 41518
Ekins R, ‘’Light Smacking’ and Discretion’ [2009] New Zealand Law Journal 427
Ekins R, ‘Acts of Parliament and the Parliament Acts’ (2007) 123(Jan) Law Quarterly Review 91
Ekins R, ‘The Relevance of the Rule of Recognition’ (2006) 31 Australian Journal of Legal Philosophy 95
Ekins R, ‘The Authority of Parliament — A Reply to Professor Joseph’ (2005) 16(1) King?S College Law Journal 51
Ekins R, ‘Secular Fundamentalism and Democracy’ (2005) 8(1) Markets & Morality 81
Ekins R and Ip J, ‘Legislative Confirmation and the Supreme Court’ [2003] New Zealand Law Journal 151
Ekins R, ‘A Critique of Radical Approaches to Rights-Consistent Statutory Interpretation’ [2003] European Human Rights Law Review 641
Ekins R, ‘Judicial Supremacy and the Rule of Law’ (2003) 119 Law Quarterly Review 127
Ekins R and Ip J, ‘Opening Pandora’s Box?’ (2002) 124 New Zealand Law Journal 117
Ekins R and Judith Potter J, ‘The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990: A Judicial Perspective’ (2002) 12 Journal of Judicial Administration 85
Ekins R, ‘Defence Counsel Incompetence and Post-Conviction Relief: An Analysis of How Adversarial Systems of Justice Assess Claims of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel’ (2001) 9(2) Auckland University Law Review 529
Ekins R, Ip J and Killeen A, ‘Undermining the Grundnorm?’ (2001) 308 New Zealand Law Journal 299
EKINS R, ‘Between Authority and Usurpation? Common Good and Constitutional Government’ The American Journal of Jurisprudence
Ekins R, ‘Self-Government and the Kingdom of Heaven’ in N Aroney and I Leigh (eds.), Christianity and Constitutionalism (Oxford University Press 2022)
Ekins R, ‘Legislatures’ in R Bellamy and J King (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Constitutional Theory (Cambridge University Press 2022)
Ekins R and Gee G, ‘Ten Myths about Parliamentary Sovereignty’ in A Horne, L Thompson and B Yong (eds.), Parliament and the Law (3rd Ed.) (Hart Publishing 2022)
Ekins R, ‘The State’s Right to Exclude Asylum-Seekers and (Some) Refugees’, POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF REFUGE (2020)
EKINS R, ‘Models of (and Myths About) Rights Protection’, Law Under a Democratic Constitution Essays in Honour of Jeffrey Goldsworthy (Bloomsbury Publishing 2019)
EKINS R, ‘Constitutional Conversations in Britain (in Europe)’, Constitutional Dialogue Rights, Democracy, Institutions (Cambridge University Press 2019)
Barber N, Cahill M and Ekins R, ‘Introduction’ in N Barber, M Cahill and R Ekins (eds.), The Rise and Fall of the European Constitution (Hart Publishing 2019)
Ekins R, ‘Self-Government in an Age of Over-Mighty Courts’ in G Valditara (ed.), Sovranità, democrazia e libertà (Aracne editrice 2019)
Ekins R and Gee G, ‘Miller, Constitutional Realism and the Politics of Brexit’ in M Elliott, J Williams and AL Young (eds.), The UK Constitution After Miller: Brexit and Beyond (Hart Publishing 2018)
Ekins R, Barber N and Yowell P, ‘Introduction’ in N Barber, R Ekins and P Yowell (eds.), Lord Sumption and the Limits of the Law (Hart Publishing 2016)
Huscroft G and others, ‘Legislating Proportionately’, Proportionality and the Rule of Law (Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2014)
Ekins R, ‘Constitutional Principle in the Laws of the Commonwealth’ in R George and J Keown (eds.), Reason, Morality and Law: The Jurisprudence of John Finnis (Oxford: OUP 2013)
Ekins R, ‘Introduction’ in R Ekins (ed.), Modern Challenges to the Rule of Law (Wellington: LexisNexis 2011)
Ekins R, ‘Rights, Interpretation and the Rule of Law’ in R Ekins (ed.), Modern Challenges to the Rule of Law, (Wellington: LexisNexis 2011)
Ekins R, ‘The Value of Representative Democracy’ in C Charters and D Knight (eds.), We the People(s): Participation in Governance (Wellington: Victoria University Press 2011)
Barber N, Cahill M and Ekins R, The Rise and Fall of the European Constitution (Hart Publishing 2019)
Ekins R, Judicial Power and the Balance of Our Constitution: two lectures by John Finnis (London: Policy Exchange 2018)
Ekins R and Gee G, Judicial Power and the Left: Notes on a Sceptical Tradition (London: Policy Exchange 2017)
Barber N, Ekins R and Yowell P, Lord Sumption and the Limits of the Law (Hart Publishing 2016)
Ekins R, Modern Challenges to the Rule of Law (Wellington: LexisNexis 2011)
Ekins R, ‘Why Britain Found the Exit (Review of Robert Tombs, ’This Sovereign Isle’)’ [2021] Law & Liberty (review)
Ekins R, ‘Review: The Principles of Constitutionalism, N.W. Barber’ [2019] Law Quarterly Review (review)
Ekins R, ‘Review of N. Barber, ""The Constitutional State"", (Oxford: OUP, 2010)’ (2012) 128 The Law Quarterly Review 308 (review)
Ekins R, ‘Review of E. W. Thomas, ""The Judicial Process: Realism, Pragmatism, Practical Reasoning and Principles"", (Cambridge: CUP, 2005)’ [2006] Public Law 870 (review)
Ekins R, ‘Review of M. Loughlin, ""The Idea of Public Law"", (Oxford: OUP, 2003)’ [2005] Public Law 636 (review)
Ekins R and Verdirame G, ‘Judicial Power and Military Action’ (2016) 132(Apr) Law Quarterly Review 206 (case-note)
Ekins R, ‘Abortion, Conscience and Interpretation’ (2016) 132(Jan) Law Quarterly Review 6 (case-note)
Ekins R, ‘Amnesty and Abuse of Process’ (2015) 131(Apr) Law Quarterly Review 196 (case-note)
Ekins R, ‘Adoption, Intestacy and Interpretation’ [2014] New Zealand Law Journal 329 (case-note)
Ekins R, ‘Updating the Meaning of Violence’ (2013) 129 Law Quarterly Review 17 (case-note)
Ekins R and Larkin J, ‘Ten Ways to Improve the Overseas Operations Bill’ (Policy Exchange 2021)
Ekins R and Gee G, ‘Reforming the Lord Chancellor’s Role in Senior Judicial Appointments’ (Policy Exchange 2021)
Ekins R, ‘How to Reform Judicial Review’ (Policy Exchange 2021)
Ekins R, ‘How to Improve the Judicial Review and Courts Bill’ (Policy Exchange 2021)
Ekins R, ‘The Case for Reforming Judicial Review’ (Policy Exchange 2020)
Ekins R and Laws S, ‘Mishandling the Law: Gerry Adams and the Supreme Court’ (Policy Exchange 2020)
Ekins R, ‘Against Executive Amendment of the Human Rights Act 1998’ (Policy Exchange 2020)
Ekins R and Wyatt D, ‘Reforming the Supreme Court’ (Policy Exchange 2020)
Marionneau J and Ekins R, ‘Lawfare: Resisting the Judicialisation of War’ (Policy Exchange 2019)
Ekins R, ‘Protecting the Constitution: How and why Parliament should limit judicial power’ (Policy Exchange 2019)
Laws S and Ekins R, ‘Endangering Constitutional Government: The risks of the House of Commons taking control’ (Policy Exchange 2019)
Ekins R, Hennessey P and Marionneau J, ‘Protecting Those Who Serve’ (Policy Exchange 2019)
Craig R, Ekins R and Laws S, ‘Lost in Transition: The Conservative leadership contest and the confidence of the Commons’ (Policy Exchange 2019)
Ekins R, ‘Prorogation after the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019’ (Policy Exchange 2019)
Ekins R and Laws S, ‘Securing Electoral Accountability’ (Policy Exchange 2019)
Ekins R, ‘Parliamentary Sovereignty and the Politics of Prorogation’ (Policy Exchange 2019)
Verdirame G and Ekins R, ‘Strengthening the UK’s position on the Backstop’ (Policy Exchange 2019)
Verdirame G, Laws S and Ekins R, ‘A Second Look: The UK’s legal position in relation to the backstop’ (Policy Exchange 2019)
Ekins R and others, ‘Aiding the Enemy: How and why to restore the law of treason’ (Policy Exchange 2018)
Duke-Evans J and others, ‘The Collapse of the Kenya Emergency Group Litigation: Causes and consequences’ (Policy Exchange 2018)
Ekins R, Verdirame G and Laws S, ‘How to Exit the Backstop’ (Policy Exchange 2018)
Ekins R, Morgan J and Tugendhat T, ‘Clearing the Fog of Law’ (Policy Exchange 2015)
Ekins R and Huang C, ‘In Search of Better Lawmaking: Why the Regulatory Responsibility Bill won’t deliver what it promises’ (Guest Paper, February 2011, Maxim Institute 2011)
Ekins R and Brookbanks W, ‘Criminal Injustice and the Proposed ""Three Strikes"" Law’ (Guest Paper, April 2010, Maxim Institute 2010)
Ekins R, ‘A Government for the People: The value of representative democracy’ (Guest Paper, October 2009, Maxim Institute 2009)
Ekins R, Hinek S and Ip J, ‘’Appeal and Review’, Chapter 13 in, Legislation Advisory Committee Guidelines: guidelines on process and content of legislation’ (Wellington 2003)