![Sharon Thompson PhD FRHistS](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/2366?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Professor Sharon Thompson
(she/her)
PhD FRHistS
- Media commentator
Teams and roles for Sharon Thompson
Professor of Law
Overview
I joined Cardiff in 2015, having previously been a Lecturer at Keele University (2013-2015) and a Visiting Fellow in 2014 at City University Hong Kong. I am module leader of Family Law and joint module leader of Legal History. I am also Director of Part Time Tutors for the School of Law and Politics.
I research the areas of divorce, family property, prenuptial agreements, and mid-twentieth century legal history, with a particular focus on feminist perspectives.
- In 2015 I published my first book with Hart Publishing titled Prenuptial Agreements and the Presumption of Free Choice, which was shortlisted for the Peter Birks Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship in 2017 and both the SLSA Hart Socio-Legal Book Prize and the SLSA Socio-Legal prize for Early Career Academics in 2016. The book was cited and applied by the High Court of Australia in Thorne v Kennedy [2017] HCA 49 and has been discussed in the House of Lords.
- I have featured in a BBC Radio 4 series titled 'The Battles That Won Our Freedoms' where I told the story of Victorian activism behind the Married Women's Property Act 1882, a legal landmark that enabled married women to control their own property.
- In 2022 I published my second book Quiet Revolutionaries: The Married Women's Association and Family Law. It features a foreword by Lady Hale, former President of the Supreme Court and was awarded both the SLSA Socio-Legal Theory and History Book Prize 2023 and the SLS Peter Birks Second Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship 2023.
- Quiet Revolutionaries is supported by a website: https://marriedwomensassociation.co.uk/ and podcast: https://quietrevolutionaries.podbean.com/
- I am co-author of the 5th edition of Family Law: Text, Cases, and Materials with Jo Miles and Rob George.
- I have been interviewed about my historical research on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.
- I am the 2022 recipient of the Dillwyn Medal for Humanities and the Creative Arts from the Learned Society of Wales.
- I was awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2023.
I am a member of the Network on Family Regulation and Society (comprised of Family Law academics from the Universities of Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Cardiff). I am also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and I am on the advisory board of the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. I am one of the editors of 'Transforming Legal Histories', a book series published by Routledge designed to showcase scholarship which uses historical theory, approaches or methods to analyse law and legal change. I am part of the central co-ordinating group of Family Law Reform Now, which aims to bring together individuals and ideas to pursue family law reform in England and Wales.
Publication
2026
- Thompson, S. 2026. The road to equal partnership: reforming the financial consequences of divorce. Bristol: Bristol University Press. (10.51952/9781529225990)
- Rackley, E. and Thompson, S. 2026. Feminist constellations in legal history. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies gqag009. (10.1093/ojls/gqag009)
- Thompson, S. 2026. Fraud, needs, and gender discrimination in pre-nuptial agreements. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 48 (1), pp.120-123. (10.1080/09649069.2026.2614858)
- Thompson, S. and Rackley, E. 2026. A feminist star atlas: mapping legal history through feminist constellations. In: Wright, D. , Auchmuty, R. and Derry, C. eds. Research Handbook on Gender, History and Law. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar
2025
- Thompson, S. 2025. Deserted wives and economic divorce in 19th-century England and Wales: ‘For Wives Alone’. By Jennifer Aston and Olive Anderson [Book Review]. History: The Journal of the Historical Association 110 (393), pp.739-741. (10.1111/1468-229X.70027)
- Thompson, S. 2025. The inconspicuous impact of feminist pressure through law. Current Legal Problems 78 (1), pp.29-64. (10.1093/clp/cuaf003)
- Thompson, S. 2025. Adjudicating undue pressure in nuptial agreements. Financial Remedies Journal 3 , pp.252-254.
- Thompson, S. 2025. The role of opt-out agreements in cohabitation reform. Financial Remedies Journal 2 , pp.181-184.
- Thompson, S. 2025. Unreported nuptial agreements in England and Wales. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 39 (1) ebaf016. (10.1093/lawfam/ebaf016)
2024
- Thompson, S. 2024. A new law of family property. In: Bendall, C. and Parveen, R. eds. Family Law Reform Now: Proposals and Critique. Bloomsbury. , pp.161-183.
- Thompson, S. 2024. Formation of the Six Point Group, 1921. In: Auchmuty, R. , Rackley, E. and Takayanagi, M. eds. Women’s Legal Landmarks in the Interwar Years: Not for the Want of Trying. London: Bloomsbury. , pp.73-80. (10.5040/9781509969753.ch-008)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Pre-nuptial agreements – A good route to autonomy?. Financial Remedies Journal 2024 (2), pp.163-167.
- Thompson, S. 2024. Formation of the Married Women’s Association, 1938. In: Auchmuty, R. , Rackley, E. and Takayanagi, M. eds. Women’s Legal Landmarks in the Interwar Years: Not for the Want of Trying. London: Bloomsbury. , pp.259-266. (10.5040/9781509969753.ch-032)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Is there a need to limit needs in financial remedy cases?. Child and Family Law Quarterly 2024 (2)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Who's afraid of the gold digger?. In: Briggs, M. and Hayward, A. eds. Research Handbook on Family Property and the Law. Research Handbooks in Family Law series Edward Elgar. , pp.374-389. (10.4337/9781802204681.00034)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Cohabitation agreements and gender equality. In: Probert, R. and Thompson, S. eds. Research Handbook on Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law. Research Handbooks in Family Law series Edward Elgar. , pp.352-371.
- Thompson, S. and Probert, R. 2024. Introduction: marriage and cohabitation: global debates, challenges, and perspectives. In: Probert, R. and Thompson, S. eds. Research Handbook on Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law. Research Handbooks in Family Law series Edward Elgar. , pp.1-8.
- Probert, R. and Thompson, S. eds. 2024. Research handbook on marriage, cohabitation and the law. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. (10.4337/9781802202656)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Cohabitation contracts and gender equality. In: Probert, R. and Thompson, S. eds. Research Handbook on Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law. Research Handbooks in Family Law Edward Elgar Publishing. , pp.352-369. (10.4337/9781802202656.00032)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Prenuptial agreements in comparative perspective. In: Probert, R. and Thompson, S. eds. Research Handbook on Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law. Research Handbooks in Family Law series Edward Elgar. , pp.418-433. (10.4337/9781802202656.00037)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Families by agreement: Navigating choice, tradition, and law, Brian Bix [Book Review]. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 38 (1) ebae006. (10.1093/lawfam/ebae006)
2023
- Thompson, S. 2023. ‘more than a woman on a plinth’: Commemorating Lady Rhondda and recovering Newport’s hidden heritage. Women's History Today 3 (8), pp.23-26.
- Thompson, S. 2023. Edith Summerskill: letters from deserted wives. Women's History Review 32 (6), pp.843-862. (10.1080/09612025.2022.2138201)
- Thompson, S. 2023. The heroines, the underdogs, and everything in-between: injecting a feminist approach into family law history. In: Barnes, V. , Honkala, N. and Wheeler, S. eds. Women, Their Lives, and the Law Essays in Honour of Rosemary Auchmuty. Bloomsbury. , pp.137-152.
- George, R. , Thompson, S. and Miles, J. 2023. Family law: Text, cases, and materials. 5th edn.. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Thompson, S. 2023. Recovering voices of socio-legal reform (and bringing them to a new audience). [Online].SLSA Blog: SLSA. Available at: http://slsablog.co.uk/blog/blog-posts/recovering-voices-of-socio-legal-reform-and-bringing-them-to-a-new-audience/.
- Thompson, S. 2023. Lady Rhondda: the little-known suffragette whose efforts led to greater equality for women. [Online].Vol. 7 MarThe Conversation Trust. Available at: https://theconversation.com/amp/lady-rhondda-the-unknown-suffragette-whose-efforts-led-to-greater-equality-for-women-200767.
- Bendall, C. and Thompson, S. 2023. Building a movement for cohabitation reform in England and Wales. [Online].Financial Remedies Journal. Available at: https://financialremediesjournal.com/content/building-a-movement-for-cohabitation-reform-in-england-and-wales.07492df98b8f48a4b0e174005a2ca707.htm.
- Thompson, S. 2023. ‘Reform movements are like builders’: The little-known influence of the Married Women’s Association. [Online].Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2023/03/01/reform-movements-are-like-builders-the-little-known-influence-of-the-married-womens-association/.
- Thompson, S. 2023. Meet the Book Author: Quiet Revolutionaries. [Online].Available at: https://journaloflawandsociety.co.uk/blog/meet-the-book-author-quiet-revolutionaries/.
2022
- Thompson, S. 2022. The untold story of a mid-20th century group of women fighting for equality in marriage – and why it matters today. [Online].Vol. 12 SepThe Conversation Trust. Available at: https://theconversation.com/the-untold-story-of-a-mid-20th-century-group-of-women-fighting-for-equality-in-marriage-and-why-it-matters-today-190007.
- Thompson, S. 2022. Quiet revolutionaries: The married women's association and family law. Hart Publishing/Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Thompson, S. 2022. Behind Casanova's charter: Edith Summerskill, divorce and the deserted wife. In: Miles, J. , Monk, D. and Probert, R. eds. Fifty Years of the Divorce Reform Act. Hart Publishing
2021
- Thompson, S. 2021. The rights of cohabiting partners: submission of written evidence to the inquiry of the women and equalities committee. Documentation. UK Parliament. Available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/publications/written-evidence/.
- Thompson, S. 2021. Against divorce? Revisiting the charge of the Casanova’s charter. Child and Family Law Quarterly 193 (3) 193.
2020
- Thompson, S. 2020. Using feminist relational contract theory to build upon consentability: a case study of prenups. Loyola Law Review 66 (1), pp.55-74.
2019
- Thompson, S. 2019. Forgotten activists for law reform. [Online].Law Society Gazette: The Law Society. Available at: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/people/women-in-the-law.
- Thompson, S. and Cranmer, F. 2019. Humanist weddings in Northern Ireland: a missed opportunity for reform?. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 41 (2), pp.229-232. (10.1080/09649069.2019.1590910)
- Thompson, S. 2019. A millstone around the neck? stereotypes about wives and myths about divorce. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly 70 (2)
- Thompson, S. 2019. Alimony drones, gold diggers and meal tickets for life: how stereotypes in the press point to a need for judicial reflexivity. [Online].Northern Ireland Legal Quartely: Queen's University School of Law. Available at: https://nilq.qub.ac.uk/index.php/nilq/issue702-article1.
- Thompson, S. 2019. British Conservatism and the Legal Regulation of Intimate Relationships, Andrew Gilbert [Book Review]. Child and Family Law Quarterly 31 , pp.91-94.
- Thompson, S. 2019. Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill 2017-2019: Submission of written evidence. Documentation. UK Government.
2018
- Thompson, S. 2018. Feminist relational contract theory: a new model for family property agreements. Journal of Law and Society 45 (4), pp.617-645. (10.1111/jols.12132)
- Thompson, S. 2018. Married Women's Property Act 1964. In: Rackley, E. and Auchmuty, R. eds. Women's Legal Landmarks: Celebrating the history of women and law in the UK and Ireland. London: Bloomsbury
- Thompson, S. and Sandberg, R. 2018. Multicultural jurisdictions: The need for a feminist approach to law and religion. In: Sandberg, R. ed. Leading Works in Law and Religion. London: Routledge. , pp.179-196. (10.4324/9780429401015-13)
- Sandberg, R. and Thompson, S. 2018. The paradox of pluralism: Towards a relational approach to religious freedom. In: Durham, W. C. and Thayler, D. eds. Religion, Pluralism, and Reconciling Difference. ICLARS Series on Law and Religion London and New York: Routledge. , pp.3-18.
- Cranmer, F. and Thompson, S. 2018. Marriage and civil partnership in Northern Ireland: a changing legal landscape. Child and Family Law Quarterly 30 (3), pp.301-320.
- Sandberg, R. and Thompson, S. 2018. The sexual contract in law and religion. [Online].Law and Religion UK. Available at: http://www.lawandreligionuk.com/2018/04/13/the-sexual-contract-in-law-and-religion/.
- Thompson, S. et al. 2018. The sexual contract 30 years on: a conversation with Carole Pateman. Feminist Legal Studies 26 (1), pp.93-104. (10.1007/s10691-018-9368-1)
- Thompson, S. 2018. Submission of Written Evidence on Divorce (Financial Provision) Bill 2017-2019.
- Thompson, S. 2018. Thorne v Kennedy: Why Australia's decision on prenups is important for English law. Family Law 48 , pp.415-419.
2017
- Thompson, S. 2017. Should Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a prenup?. [Online].Law and Religion UK. Available at: http://www.lawandreligionuk.com/2017/11/29/a-prenup-for-harry-and-meghan/.
- Thompson, S. 2017. ‘Miller-lite’: Is it fair not to share in short marriages?. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 39 (4), pp.501-503. (10.1080/09649069.2017.1390298)
- Thompson, S. and Sandberg, R. 2017. Common defects of the Divorce Bill and Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill 2016-17. Family Law 47 (April), pp.425-451.
- Sandberg, R. and Thompson, S. 2017. Relational autonomy and religious tribunals. Oxford Journal of Law and Religion 6 (1), pp.137-161. (10.1093/ojlr/rww059)
- Thompson, S. 2017. Prioritising diversity: reflections from the Family Law Classroom. The Journal of Academic Development and Education Jan (7), pp.29-33. (10.21252/KEELE-0000004)
2016
- Thompson, S. 2016. In defence of the 'gold digger'. Oñati Socio-Legal Series 6 (6), pp.1225-1248.
- Sandberg, R. and Thompson, S. 2016. The Sharia Law debate: The missing family law context. Law and Justice 177 , pp.181-192.
- Thompson, S. 2016. Divorce can be nobody's fault - the law should do more to recognise that. The Conversation 2016 (12 Dec)
2015
- Thompson, S. 2015. Beware of prenups, but not because they are unromantic. The Conversation 2015 (Oct 30)
- Thompson, S. 2015. Supreme Court decides that ‘fraud unravels all’ in divorce cases. The Conversation 2015 (Oct 15)
- Thompson, S. 2015. Prenuptial agreements and the presumption of free choice: issues of power in theory and practice. Oxford and London: Hart Publishing.
- Thompson, S. 2015. Re-visiting Radmacher v Granatino: a feminist relational contract perspective. Presented at: Radically Rethinking Marriage Onati, Spain 16-17 July 2015.
2014
- Thompson, S. 2014. What does the Nuptial Agreements Bill propose?. LexisNexis , pp.1-3.
- Thompson, S. 2014. Behind the veil: company or family property on divorce?. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 36 (2), pp.217-219. (10.1080/09649069.2014.916106)
2012
- Thompson, S. 2012. Review of marital agreements and private autonomy in comparative perspective. Child and Family Law Quarterly , pp.502-504.
2011
- Thompson, S. 2011. Levelling the prenuptial playing field: Is independent legal advice the answer?. International Family Law 4 , pp.327-331.
- Thompson, S. 2011. Radmacher v Granatino [2010] UKSC 42. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 33 (1), pp.61-70. (10.1080/09649069.2011.571471)
- Thompson, S. 2011. Review of international pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. Child and Family Law Quarterly 23 , pp.423-427.
2010
- Thompson, S. 2010. Ancillary relief in Northern Ireland: the jurisprudence of the 'noughties'. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly 61 (4), pp.431-437.
Articles
- Rackley, E. and Thompson, S. 2026. Feminist constellations in legal history. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies gqag009. (10.1093/ojls/gqag009)
- Thompson, S. 2026. Fraud, needs, and gender discrimination in pre-nuptial agreements. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 48 (1), pp.120-123. (10.1080/09649069.2026.2614858)
- Thompson, S. 2025. Deserted wives and economic divorce in 19th-century England and Wales: ‘For Wives Alone’. By Jennifer Aston and Olive Anderson [Book Review]. History: The Journal of the Historical Association 110 (393), pp.739-741. (10.1111/1468-229X.70027)
- Thompson, S. 2025. The inconspicuous impact of feminist pressure through law. Current Legal Problems 78 (1), pp.29-64. (10.1093/clp/cuaf003)
- Thompson, S. 2025. Adjudicating undue pressure in nuptial agreements. Financial Remedies Journal 3 , pp.252-254.
- Thompson, S. 2025. The role of opt-out agreements in cohabitation reform. Financial Remedies Journal 2 , pp.181-184.
- Thompson, S. 2025. Unreported nuptial agreements in England and Wales. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 39 (1) ebaf016. (10.1093/lawfam/ebaf016)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Pre-nuptial agreements – A good route to autonomy?. Financial Remedies Journal 2024 (2), pp.163-167.
- Thompson, S. 2024. Is there a need to limit needs in financial remedy cases?. Child and Family Law Quarterly 2024 (2)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Families by agreement: Navigating choice, tradition, and law, Brian Bix [Book Review]. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 38 (1) ebae006. (10.1093/lawfam/ebae006)
- Thompson, S. 2023. ‘more than a woman on a plinth’: Commemorating Lady Rhondda and recovering Newport’s hidden heritage. Women's History Today 3 (8), pp.23-26.
- Thompson, S. 2023. Edith Summerskill: letters from deserted wives. Women's History Review 32 (6), pp.843-862. (10.1080/09612025.2022.2138201)
- Thompson, S. 2021. Against divorce? Revisiting the charge of the Casanova’s charter. Child and Family Law Quarterly 193 (3) 193.
- Thompson, S. 2020. Using feminist relational contract theory to build upon consentability: a case study of prenups. Loyola Law Review 66 (1), pp.55-74.
- Thompson, S. and Cranmer, F. 2019. Humanist weddings in Northern Ireland: a missed opportunity for reform?. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 41 (2), pp.229-232. (10.1080/09649069.2019.1590910)
- Thompson, S. 2019. A millstone around the neck? stereotypes about wives and myths about divorce. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly 70 (2)
- Thompson, S. 2019. British Conservatism and the Legal Regulation of Intimate Relationships, Andrew Gilbert [Book Review]. Child and Family Law Quarterly 31 , pp.91-94.
- Thompson, S. 2018. Feminist relational contract theory: a new model for family property agreements. Journal of Law and Society 45 (4), pp.617-645. (10.1111/jols.12132)
- Cranmer, F. and Thompson, S. 2018. Marriage and civil partnership in Northern Ireland: a changing legal landscape. Child and Family Law Quarterly 30 (3), pp.301-320.
- Thompson, S. et al. 2018. The sexual contract 30 years on: a conversation with Carole Pateman. Feminist Legal Studies 26 (1), pp.93-104. (10.1007/s10691-018-9368-1)
- Thompson, S. 2018. Thorne v Kennedy: Why Australia's decision on prenups is important for English law. Family Law 48 , pp.415-419.
- Thompson, S. 2017. ‘Miller-lite’: Is it fair not to share in short marriages?. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 39 (4), pp.501-503. (10.1080/09649069.2017.1390298)
- Thompson, S. and Sandberg, R. 2017. Common defects of the Divorce Bill and Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill 2016-17. Family Law 47 (April), pp.425-451.
- Sandberg, R. and Thompson, S. 2017. Relational autonomy and religious tribunals. Oxford Journal of Law and Religion 6 (1), pp.137-161. (10.1093/ojlr/rww059)
- Thompson, S. 2017. Prioritising diversity: reflections from the Family Law Classroom. The Journal of Academic Development and Education Jan (7), pp.29-33. (10.21252/KEELE-0000004)
- Thompson, S. 2016. In defence of the 'gold digger'. Oñati Socio-Legal Series 6 (6), pp.1225-1248.
- Sandberg, R. and Thompson, S. 2016. The Sharia Law debate: The missing family law context. Law and Justice 177 , pp.181-192.
- Thompson, S. 2016. Divorce can be nobody's fault - the law should do more to recognise that. The Conversation 2016 (12 Dec)
- Thompson, S. 2015. Beware of prenups, but not because they are unromantic. The Conversation 2015 (Oct 30)
- Thompson, S. 2015. Supreme Court decides that ‘fraud unravels all’ in divorce cases. The Conversation 2015 (Oct 15)
- Thompson, S. 2014. What does the Nuptial Agreements Bill propose?. LexisNexis , pp.1-3.
- Thompson, S. 2014. Behind the veil: company or family property on divorce?. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 36 (2), pp.217-219. (10.1080/09649069.2014.916106)
- Thompson, S. 2012. Review of marital agreements and private autonomy in comparative perspective. Child and Family Law Quarterly , pp.502-504.
- Thompson, S. 2011. Levelling the prenuptial playing field: Is independent legal advice the answer?. International Family Law 4 , pp.327-331.
- Thompson, S. 2011. Radmacher v Granatino [2010] UKSC 42. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 33 (1), pp.61-70. (10.1080/09649069.2011.571471)
- Thompson, S. 2011. Review of international pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. Child and Family Law Quarterly 23 , pp.423-427.
- Thompson, S. 2010. Ancillary relief in Northern Ireland: the jurisprudence of the 'noughties'. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly 61 (4), pp.431-437.
Book sections
- Thompson, S. and Rackley, E. 2026. A feminist star atlas: mapping legal history through feminist constellations. In: Wright, D. , Auchmuty, R. and Derry, C. eds. Research Handbook on Gender, History and Law. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar
- Thompson, S. 2024. A new law of family property. In: Bendall, C. and Parveen, R. eds. Family Law Reform Now: Proposals and Critique. Bloomsbury. , pp.161-183.
- Thompson, S. 2024. Formation of the Six Point Group, 1921. In: Auchmuty, R. , Rackley, E. and Takayanagi, M. eds. Women’s Legal Landmarks in the Interwar Years: Not for the Want of Trying. London: Bloomsbury. , pp.73-80. (10.5040/9781509969753.ch-008)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Formation of the Married Women’s Association, 1938. In: Auchmuty, R. , Rackley, E. and Takayanagi, M. eds. Women’s Legal Landmarks in the Interwar Years: Not for the Want of Trying. London: Bloomsbury. , pp.259-266. (10.5040/9781509969753.ch-032)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Who's afraid of the gold digger?. In: Briggs, M. and Hayward, A. eds. Research Handbook on Family Property and the Law. Research Handbooks in Family Law series Edward Elgar. , pp.374-389. (10.4337/9781802204681.00034)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Cohabitation agreements and gender equality. In: Probert, R. and Thompson, S. eds. Research Handbook on Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law. Research Handbooks in Family Law series Edward Elgar. , pp.352-371.
- Thompson, S. and Probert, R. 2024. Introduction: marriage and cohabitation: global debates, challenges, and perspectives. In: Probert, R. and Thompson, S. eds. Research Handbook on Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law. Research Handbooks in Family Law series Edward Elgar. , pp.1-8.
- Thompson, S. 2024. Cohabitation contracts and gender equality. In: Probert, R. and Thompson, S. eds. Research Handbook on Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law. Research Handbooks in Family Law Edward Elgar Publishing. , pp.352-369. (10.4337/9781802202656.00032)
- Thompson, S. 2024. Prenuptial agreements in comparative perspective. In: Probert, R. and Thompson, S. eds. Research Handbook on Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law. Research Handbooks in Family Law series Edward Elgar. , pp.418-433. (10.4337/9781802202656.00037)
- Thompson, S. 2023. The heroines, the underdogs, and everything in-between: injecting a feminist approach into family law history. In: Barnes, V. , Honkala, N. and Wheeler, S. eds. Women, Their Lives, and the Law Essays in Honour of Rosemary Auchmuty. Bloomsbury. , pp.137-152.
- Thompson, S. 2022. Behind Casanova's charter: Edith Summerskill, divorce and the deserted wife. In: Miles, J. , Monk, D. and Probert, R. eds. Fifty Years of the Divorce Reform Act. Hart Publishing
- Thompson, S. 2018. Married Women's Property Act 1964. In: Rackley, E. and Auchmuty, R. eds. Women's Legal Landmarks: Celebrating the history of women and law in the UK and Ireland. London: Bloomsbury
- Thompson, S. and Sandberg, R. 2018. Multicultural jurisdictions: The need for a feminist approach to law and religion. In: Sandberg, R. ed. Leading Works in Law and Religion. London: Routledge. , pp.179-196. (10.4324/9780429401015-13)
- Sandberg, R. and Thompson, S. 2018. The paradox of pluralism: Towards a relational approach to religious freedom. In: Durham, W. C. and Thayler, D. eds. Religion, Pluralism, and Reconciling Difference. ICLARS Series on Law and Religion London and New York: Routledge. , pp.3-18.
Books
- Thompson, S. 2026. The road to equal partnership: reforming the financial consequences of divorce. Bristol: Bristol University Press. (10.51952/9781529225990)
- Probert, R. and Thompson, S. eds. 2024. Research handbook on marriage, cohabitation and the law. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. (10.4337/9781802202656)
- George, R. , Thompson, S. and Miles, J. 2023. Family law: Text, cases, and materials. 5th edn.. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Thompson, S. 2022. Quiet revolutionaries: The married women's association and family law. Hart Publishing/Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Thompson, S. 2015. Prenuptial agreements and the presumption of free choice: issues of power in theory and practice. Oxford and London: Hart Publishing.
Conferences
- Thompson, S. 2015. Re-visiting Radmacher v Granatino: a feminist relational contract perspective. Presented at: Radically Rethinking Marriage Onati, Spain 16-17 July 2015.
Monographs
- Thompson, S. 2021. The rights of cohabiting partners: submission of written evidence to the inquiry of the women and equalities committee. Documentation. UK Parliament. Available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/publications/written-evidence/.
- Thompson, S. 2019. Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill 2017-2019: Submission of written evidence. Documentation. UK Government.
- Thompson, S. 2018. Submission of Written Evidence on Divorce (Financial Provision) Bill 2017-2019.
Websites
- Thompson, S. 2023. Recovering voices of socio-legal reform (and bringing them to a new audience). [Online].SLSA Blog: SLSA. Available at: http://slsablog.co.uk/blog/blog-posts/recovering-voices-of-socio-legal-reform-and-bringing-them-to-a-new-audience/.
- Thompson, S. 2023. Lady Rhondda: the little-known suffragette whose efforts led to greater equality for women. [Online].Vol. 7 MarThe Conversation Trust. Available at: https://theconversation.com/amp/lady-rhondda-the-unknown-suffragette-whose-efforts-led-to-greater-equality-for-women-200767.
- Bendall, C. and Thompson, S. 2023. Building a movement for cohabitation reform in England and Wales. [Online].Financial Remedies Journal. Available at: https://financialremediesjournal.com/content/building-a-movement-for-cohabitation-reform-in-england-and-wales.07492df98b8f48a4b0e174005a2ca707.htm.
- Thompson, S. 2023. ‘Reform movements are like builders’: The little-known influence of the Married Women’s Association. [Online].Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2023/03/01/reform-movements-are-like-builders-the-little-known-influence-of-the-married-womens-association/.
- Thompson, S. 2023. Meet the Book Author: Quiet Revolutionaries. [Online].Available at: https://journaloflawandsociety.co.uk/blog/meet-the-book-author-quiet-revolutionaries/.
- Thompson, S. 2022. The untold story of a mid-20th century group of women fighting for equality in marriage – and why it matters today. [Online].Vol. 12 SepThe Conversation Trust. Available at: https://theconversation.com/the-untold-story-of-a-mid-20th-century-group-of-women-fighting-for-equality-in-marriage-and-why-it-matters-today-190007.
- Thompson, S. 2019. Forgotten activists for law reform. [Online].Law Society Gazette: The Law Society. Available at: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/people/women-in-the-law.
- Thompson, S. 2019. Alimony drones, gold diggers and meal tickets for life: how stereotypes in the press point to a need for judicial reflexivity. [Online].Northern Ireland Legal Quartely: Queen's University School of Law. Available at: https://nilq.qub.ac.uk/index.php/nilq/issue702-article1.
- Sandberg, R. and Thompson, S. 2018. The sexual contract in law and religion. [Online].Law and Religion UK. Available at: http://www.lawandreligionuk.com/2018/04/13/the-sexual-contract-in-law-and-religion/.
- Thompson, S. 2017. Should Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a prenup?. [Online].Law and Religion UK. Available at: http://www.lawandreligionuk.com/2017/11/29/a-prenup-for-harry-and-meghan/.
Research
QUIET REVOLUTIONARIES: The Married Women's Association and Family Law
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/quiet-revolutionaries-9781509929412/
The influence and importance of the Married Women’s Association and its visionary leading lights ... ought to be much better known, not only among family lawyers but also among everyone who is interested in the movement for women’s equality. Sharon Thompson has enriched our knowledge and understanding by shining a light upon these quiet revolutionaries. --Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, former President of the Supreme Court of the UK [from the foreword]
Quiet Revolutionaries brilliantly illustrates the value of taking a feminist approach to legal history. Meticulously researched and engaging, it shines a light on an overlooked but vitally important campaign for substantive equality within marriage and on the challenges of reforming the law. --Rebecca Probert, Professor of Law, University of Exeter, UK
Economic dependence in marriage was an abiding concern for twentieth-century feminists, but until now we have known too little about how activists used the law as a tool for change. Deeply researched and highly readable, Sharon Thompson’s book recovers the dogged campaigning of the Married Women’s Association, revealing its steely efforts to reshape norms about gender, power and the value of women’s labour in the family. -- Helen McCarthy, Professor of Modern and Contemporary British History, University of Cambridge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX-OOXF5A4U&ab_channel=QuietRevolutionaries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zB2GmxwzkA
In conversation with Dr Sharon Thompson - Socio-Legal Theory and History Prize 2023
New Books Network - Interview with Jeannette Cockroft
Quiet Revolutionaries: The Hidden Historical Impact of Law Reformers
Teaching
- Family Law (module leader)
- Legal History (joint module leader)
- Equity and Trusts
Biography
Education and qualifications
- 2015: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
- 2015: Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Keele University.
- 2013: PhD. Queen’s University Belfast.
- 2009: Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) First Class Honours. Queen’s University Belfast.
Career overview
- 2020 – present: Reader in Law, Cardiff University.
- 2018 – present: Editorial board member, Feminist Legal Studies.
- 2018 – present: Book series editorial board member, Transforming Legal Histories.(Routledge)
- 2017 – 2020: Senior Lecturer in Law, Cardiff University.
- 2015 – 2020: Co-editor of case notes, Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law.
- 2015 – 2017: Lecturer in Law, Cardiff University.
- 2014: Visiting Fellow, City University Hong Kong.
- 2013 – 2015: Lecturer in Law, Keele University.
- 2009 – 2013: Law Tutor, School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast.
Honours and awards
- Philip Leverhulme Prize, 2023.
- SLS Peter Birks Second Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship, Winner, 2023.
- SLSA Socio-Legal Theory and History Book Prize, Winner, 2023.
- Dillwyn Medal for Humanities and Creative Arts, Winner, 2022.
- Dillwyn Medal for Humanities and Creative Arts, Highly Commended, 2021.
- Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA) research grant, 2018.
- Shorlisted, Peter Birks Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship, 2017.
- Shortlisted, SLSA Hart Socio-Legal Book Prize, 2016.
- Shortlisted, SLSA Socio-Legal prize for Early Career Academics, 2016.
- Participant on Cardiff Futures Programme, 2016/17.
- Outstanding Contribution Award for excellence in research, Cardiff University, 2016.
- Visiting Fellow, City University Hong Kong, 2014.
- Travel Award, Emily Sarah Montgomery Scholarship, 2011.
- Travel Award, County Antrim Grand Jury Bursary, 2010.
- Law Society Prize, Queen’s University Belfast, 2009.
- McKane Medal and Scholarship (Law and Philosophy), Queen’s University Belfast, 2009.
- Foundation Scholarship (awarded to top three Law students), Queen’s University Belfast, 2007.
- McKane Medal and Scholarship (Jurisprudence), Queen’s University Belfast, 2007.
Professional memberships
- Fellow, Royal Historical Society.
- Fellow, Higher Education Academy.
- Member of the GW4 Network on Family Regulation and Society.
- Member of the International Society of Family Lawyers.
- Member of the Research Committee on Sociology of Law International Working Group on the Legal Professions.
- Member of the Socio-Legal Studies Association.
- Member of the Society of Legal Scholars.
Committees and reviewing
- Co-editor, Transforming Legal Histories (Routledge book series).
- External reviewer, REF.
- Associate Editor, Feminist Legal Studies.
- Co-director of Family Law Research Group.
- Co-director of Law and History Research Group.
- Co-director of Law and Gender Research Group.
- Personal tutor.
Supervisions
- Adult relationships
- Financial consequences of relationship breakdown
- Private ordering in the family context
- Feminist perspectives on law
- Feminist legal history
