Trevor Robert Seaward Allan,

LLD Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

(born 9 May 1955) is Professor of Jurisprudence and Public Law at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

and a Fellow of Pembroke College. He is known for challenging constitutional orthodoxy in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

, particularly in his redefinition of the scope of

parliamentary sovereignty Parliamentary sovereignty, also called parliamentary supremacy or legislative supremacy, is a concept in the constitutional law of some parliamentary democracies. It holds that the legislative body has absolute sovereignty and is supreme over ...

Education and career

Allan was educated at St Albans School and

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms ...

, where he received a MA in Jurisprudence and a

BCL BCL may stand for: Law & Politics * Bachelor of Civil Law, the term used to describe a variety of legal degrees offered by universities in English-speaking countries (as distinct from Canon Law and Common Law) * Bangladesh Chhatra League, the stud ...

. He also holds a

from

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. He was called to the London Bar at

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's I ...

. He was a lecturer in law at the

University of Nottingham , mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom , established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status , type = Public , chancellor ...

between 1980 and 1985, and joined the University of Cambridge in 1989. He was elected a

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # ...

in 2016. His books include ''Constitutional Justice: A Liberal Theory of the Rule of Law'' (OUP), ''Law, Liberty, and Justice: The Legal Foundations of British Constitutionalism'' (Clarendon Paperback), and ''the Sovereignty of Law: Freedom, Constitution, and Common Law'' (OUP).

Constitutional theory

Allan's view is that the

rule of law The rule of law is the political philosophy that all citizens and institutions within a country, state, or community are accountable to the same laws, including lawmakers and leaders. The rule of law is defined in the ''Encyclopedia Britannic ...

occupies a superior position to

in the constitutional hierarchy. He develops this view in ''The Sovereignty of Law: Freedom, Constitution and Common Law''.

References

British legal scholars Living people British philosophers Philosophers of law Fellows of Pembroke College, Cambridge Fellows of the British Academy Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Members of the Middle Temple 1955 births {{UK-law-bio-stub