In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) we were ranked ninth in England, based on 86 per cent of our research activity classed as world-leading (4* the highest score possible) or internationally excellent (3*). The independent assessment of research quality takes into account the quality of research outputs, research environment and research impact.We adopt a wide spectrum of approaches to legal research, including doctrinal, theoretical, applied, comparative, historical, sociological, empirical and interdisciplinary perspectives. Members of the School of Law are actively involved in public affairs in the UK, European institutions and international bodies, and have leading roles in legal scholarship.