Ms Lucinda Ferguson

TUTORIAL FELLOW IN LAW

University Lecturer in Family Law, University of Oxford
Director of Studies (Law), Regent’s Park College, Oxford

Email: lucinda.ferguson@law.ox.ac.uk
Office: 14 King Edward St, Rm 7
(King Edward St is the main street leading into Oriel Square from the High St. No 14 is on the left-hand side of the street as one leaves the High St. Please buzz for Rm 7 to be let in.)
Tel: (College) (+44) 1865 276529
Fax: (+44) 1865 286548

Department Information
Faculty of Law
Lucinda Ferguson's Faculty of Law Web Page

Lucinda Ferguson, MA, BCL (Oxon), LLM (Queen's, Canada).  I am the University Lecturer in Family Law, and a Tutorial Fellow in Law at Oriel College.  I am also currently Director of Studies (Law) for students pursuing Law at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Regent's Park College.

ACADEMIC CAREER

I was an undergraduate and graduate student at Magdalen College, Oxford, before pursuing further graduate studies at Queen's University in Canada.  In the course of my graduate studies, I was a recipient of the Canadian Rhodes Scholars' Foundation Scholarship, the Commonwealth Scholarship, and AHRC graduate funding in addition to competitive internal awards.  

Between 2005 and 2007, I was an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Alberta in Canada.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research falls mainly within family law theory.  More particularly, my work adopts an analytic lens that recognises the synchronous tensions of legal theory, empiricism, social and public policy that are frequently co-terminous (and often conflated) within the field of family law. 

My current work is focused on two areas: firstly, the theoretical basis of financial provision upon the breakdown of adult intimate relationships; secondly, children's rights, both theoretically and as recognised as a matter of practice. I am also interested in the relationship between social norms, obligations, and the role of "status"; equality theory and practice; and various elements of the philosophy of private law obligations.

I have worked with the Law Commission of Canada, advised Canadian provincial governments, and acted as an expert witness in international children's law litigation, as well as been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada.  I have received various research funding awards and prizes, including the Canadian Legal Dimensions Initiative and a $10,000 BLG research grant. I am regularly asked to speak at international conferences on a wide range of matters pertaining to English and Canadian Family Law.

COURSES TAUGHT

Family Law (BA special option), Tort Law (BA core subject).

I am currently Subject Convenor for the FHS Family Law paper.  As part of the undergraduate Family Law course, I lecture on Financial Provision upon Relationship Breakdown, Children’s Rights, Child Protection, and Parenthood and Parental Responsibility.

If you are interested in pursuing Family Law at the graduate level, either as the subject-matter of a BCL dissertation, or for the MLitt or DPhil, I would be happy to discuss potential topics broadly within the Family Law field. 

If you are considering applying to Oriel for undergraduate studies in Law, please consider coming along to one of our Open Days, where I would be happy to answer any questions.

MATERIALS & LINKS

All of the handouts for my lectures are available via the FHS Family Law weblearn site.

SELECTED ESSAY COMPETITIONS

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Lucinda Ferguson, ‘Not Merely Rights for Children but Children’s Rights: The Theory Gap and the Assumption of the Importance of Children’s Rights’ (2012) International Journal of Children’s Rights (forthcoming)
---, ‘”Families in all their Subversive Variety”: Over-Representation, the Ethnic Child Protection Penalty, and Responding to Diversity whilst Protecting Children’ (2012) Studies in Law, Politics, and Society (forthcoming)
Mavis Maclean and others, ‘Family Justice in Hard Times: Can We Learn from Other Jurisdictions?’ (2011) 33 Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 319
---, ‘Family, Social Inequalities, and the Persuasive Force of Interpersonal Obligation’ (2008) 22 Int. J. Fam. L. & Pol’y 61
---, ‘Uncertainty and Indecision in the Legal Regulation of Children: The Albertan Experience’ (2007) 23 Can. J. Fam. L. 159-214
---, ‘Trial by Proxy: How s.15 Removes Age from Adolescence’ (2005) 4 J.L. & Equality 84
---, ‘The Unexpected Impact of White v. White (2000) – Taking Equality Too Far?’ (2002) 32 Family Law 108

CHAPTERS IN EDITED COLLECTIONS

Nicholas Bala, Martha Shaffer, Lucinda Ferguson, “Family Law for the Older Canadian” in Ann Soden, ed., Advising the Older Client (Toronto, Ont.: Butterworths, 2005)

CASE COMMENTS

Lucinda Ferguson, ‘Retroactivity, Social Obligation and Child Support’ (2006) 43 U. Alta. L. Rev. 1049-56

COMMISSIONED RESEARCH PAPERS

Lucinda Ferguson, The End of an Age: Beyond Age-Based Legal Regulation of Minors’ Entitlement to Participate in and Make Health Care Treatment Decisions (Ottawa, Ont.: Law Commission of Canada, 2005)