Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this fascinating conversation marking UCL’s bicentennial, Professor Reverend Andrew Lewis, Emeritus Professor of Laws, reflects on the early history of the Faculty of Laws and his own five-decade career at UCL.
The discussion begins with Lewis’s research into John Carr, one of the first recipients of a law degree from the University of London in 1839. Born an enslaved person in Trinidad, Carr’s remarkable journey to UCL and eventual appointment as Chief Justice of Sierra Leone highlights UCL’s pioneering role in legal education and social progress. Lewis also explores UCL’s historic ties with Japan, recounting two initiatives in the 1860s that brought Japanese students to London.
Turning to his own experience, Lewis recalls joining the Faculty in the mid-1970s to teach Roman law and reflects on the transformation of UCL Laws from a traditional, teaching-focused institution into a globally recognised research powerhouse. Anecdotes about Faculty traditions, including the revival of the staff-student cricket match, offer a glimpse into the vibrant community spirit that has endured through decades of change.
Find out more about UCL Laws at ucl.ac.uk/laws
Find out more about UCL200 at Laws at ucl.ac.uk/laws/about-us/ucl200-laws
#UCLLaws #UCL200 #LegalEducation #LegalScholarship #LegalLondon #Law #Lawyer #Justice #AccessToJustice
In this fascinating conversation marking UCL’s bicentennial, Professor Reverend Andrew Lewis, Emeritus Professor of Laws, reflects on the early history of the Faculty of Laws and his own five-decade career at UCL.
The discussion begins with Lewis’s research into John Carr, one of the first recipients of a law degree from the University of London in 1839. Born an enslaved person in Trinidad, Carr’s remarkable journey to UCL and eventual appointment as Chief Justice of Sierra Leone highlights UCL’s pioneering role in legal education and social progress. Lewis also explores UCL’s historic ties with Japan, recounting two initiatives in the 1860s that brought Japanese students to London.
Turning to his own experience, Lewis recalls joining the Faculty in the mid-1970s to teach Roman law and reflects on the transformation of UCL Laws from a traditional, teaching-focused institution into a globally recognised research powerhouse. Anecdotes about Faculty traditions, including the revival of the staff-student cricket match, offer a glimpse into the vibrant community spirit that has endured through decades of change.
Find out more about UCL Laws at ucl.ac.uk/laws
Find out more about UCL200 at Laws at ucl.ac.uk/laws/about-us/ucl200-laws
#UCLLaws #UCL200 #LegalEducation #LegalScholarship #LegalLondon #Law #Lawyer #Justice #AccessToJustice
