Dr Benedict Turner

SFHEA FRSA MIoD

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

I am a specialist in the intersection of technology and the law, and am currently researching this in two general fields. I have published and spoken widely in these areas both nationally and internationally.

1) I am researching the imposition of technology as a disruptor in the area of property, particularly personal property. I am looking at how traditional concepts of property may be altered through the development of novel digital properties and their effect both in law and in practice. 

My research is underpinned by jurispridential considerations. The chief epistemologies I utilise are economic analysis (including both Mills'/Bentham's utilitarianism and Coase's/Posner's wealth maximisation), and Hegel's Personhood Theory. 

2) I am also researching the use of technology in the context of legal education. I explore how this can help foster critical legal skills in students and enhance the student experience. 

Teaching

I am, or have been, involved in teaching in the following areas and ways:

LLM -

Module Lead: International Investment Law; Critical Skills
Tutor: Dissertation Supervision

LLB-

Module Lead: Law and Technology; Company Law; Equity and Trusts
Tutor: Dissertation Supervison.

Biography

Qualifications

Downing College, University of Cambridge, MEd, 2023 (Merit, 70%+)

Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London, PhD, 2021

Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London, LLM, 2018 (Distinction)

University of Law, MSc., 2016 (Commendation)

Cardiff University, GDL, 2015

Cardiff University, BA (Joint Hons.), Ancient History and Religious Studies, 2014 (2:1)

Honours and awards

Funding

February 2024 - £300 to run the second annual Law and Robotics Workshop.

February 2023 - £500 to set up and run a weekend Law and Robotics Workshop.

April 2022 - £4000 award from the Centre for Law and Society to convene the inaugural conference on Law, Education and Society.

Programmes

British Academy, Early Career Researcher, Encourage and Engage Programme - invitee

Professional memberships

Fellowships and Executive Memberships:

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Executive Committee Member of the Association of Law Teachers.

Associate Research Fellow, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London 

Editorships and Peer Reviewer Memberships:

Editor, Learning Resource Reviews, The Law Teacher

Peer Review College, The Law Teacher

South West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnerships Reviewer College

Professional Memberships:

Member of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple

Member of the Institute of Directors

Member of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law

Member of the Society of Advanced Legal Studies

Member of the Socio-Legal Studies Association

Member of the Association of Law Teachers

Member of the Society of Legal Scholars

Academic positions

2024 - Present: Co-Director, Centre for the Pedagogy of Political and Legal Education, Cardiff University

2024 - Present: Associate Research Fellow, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

2021 - Present: Lecturer in Law, Cardiff University

2019 - 2021: Module Convenor and Tutor, LLM International Investment Law, Cardiff University

2019 - 2021: Tutor, LLB Equity and Trusts, and LLB Company Law, Cardiff University

2019: Module Convenor, LLM International Investment Law, University of Reading

Speaking engagements

Speaker - "Dialogic Lectures: Revitalising Lectures and Enhancing Legal Skills Through Digital Technology" - SLSA Annual Conference - Southampton - 2024

Convenor and Speaker - Association of Law Teachers Workshop on Teaching Law & Technology - London - 2024

Speaker - "Redefining Possession in Law: Digital Objects and Hegelian Personhood Theory" - Legal Technology and the Rule of Law Conference - TUS Athlone, Ireland - 2024

Convenor and Speaker - Centre for Law and Society, Cardiff University Annual Conference - Law, Education and Society - June 2022

Invitee - 'Reform of the Listing Rules', CLC Corporate Law Conference, Harris Manchester College, Oxford University - January 2022

Invited Speaker - Centre for Financial Regulation, Insititie of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London - Conference: Financial Crime: Challenges and Responses - October 2021

Invited Speaker - ‘Financial institutions and crime – the risk, costs and the rewards of good compliance and governance: What can technology do for integrity?’, Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime - Jesus College University of Cambridge - September 2021

Committees and reviewing

Peer Reviewer:

Oxford University Press

Routledge

The Law Teacher (international journal of legal pedagogy, Taylor and Francis)

Bristol University Press

Queen Mary Journal of Intellectual Property

South West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnerships Reviewer

External Examiner:

Kaplan International

Academic Expert:

The Law Society of England and Wales (Course Creation)

Doctoral Researcher:

Law Commission of England and Wales, Intermediated Securities Project

Supervisions

Note for prospective PhD students: All prospective PhD students must have an area of research in mind before requesting supervision.  I do not accept students who do not present a proposal, this includes students who express a wish to pursue a PhD in 'any area'. Where students contact me and do not present a proposal or do not have a proposed area of research, I will likely not reply!

I'm very happy to consider supervising PhD and MPhil theses (as well as LLM and LLB dissertations in some instances) in the following areas:

Law and Technology (including but not limited to blockchain, DLT, AI and FinTech)

Property Law (particularly personal property)

Law and Education (including Legal Education as its own discipline)

Equity and Trusts Law

Current supervision

Hessa Alfuraih

Research student

Past projects

I currently supervise four PhD projects:

1) Enhancing Access to Justice: Investigating the Impact of Technology-Enhanced Toolson Non-Lawyers' Comprehension of Arabic Legal Texts - Cardiff University

2) The Legal Challneges Arising From Joint Application of Blockchain Technologies and Artificial Intelligence: A Double - Edged Sword for the Financial Industry - Cardiff University (beginning late 2024/early 2025)

3) Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Automated Alternative Dispute Resolution in Ghana: Analysing Cybersecurity Implications and the Existing Legal Framework - Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

4) Assessing the Sufficiency of Habeas Data Laws in Addressing Privacy Challenges Posed by Artificial Intelligence - Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London