Patrick Graham
Postgraduate Research Student
Email: p.graham@qmul.ac.uk
Thesis title:
The Evolution of Martial Law: Military intervention and civil disorder in Great Britain
Supervisors:
Professor Seán McConville and Professor Michael Lobban
Patrick Graham's research project examines the legal authority which allowed for the frequent deployment of military force during instances of civil unrest in Britain until the early part of the twentieth century. This will involve an examination of the changing nature of the concept of martial law and the ambiguities which obscure the identification of its constitutional source. His project will also consider policing structures in place in England and Wales and how and why these often proved inadequate to deal with riot and civil disorder. Finally, he intends to examine the extent to which the concept of martial law may be considered as a primary historical root of contemporary, statutory-based exceptional powers and, potentially, explore what role, if any, the military could play in future instances of disorder in Britain. Broadly, Patrick's research interests include constitutional law and theory, policing, and the international law on the use of force.
Patrick Graham completed an LLB (2008) and LLM (2009) at the London School of Economics. He then spent some time working as a parliamentary researcher for a small political party at Westminster. He also completed an internship with the Constitution Unit, University College London in 2011. He has been awarded a Queen Mary, University of London School of Law Scholarship to fund his doctoral research.