MLS academics make their mark on the Peter Birks Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship

MLS academic Dr Alysia Blackham has been named runner-up in the 2017 UK Society of Legal Scholars Peter Birks Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship. This is the second consecutive year that an MLS academic has been recognised by this prize.

Dr Alysia Blackham’s book, Extending Working Life for Older Workers: Age Discrimination Law, Policy and Practice (Hart Publishing 2016) was one of six books to be shortlisted for the 2017 UK Society of Legal Scholars Peter Birks Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship.

On 6 September, her book was named runner-up at the society's annual conference dinner at the Honorable Society of King's Inn, Dublin.

Each year the UK Society of Legal Scholars offers two prizes for outstanding published books by legal scholars in their early careers.

Dr Blackham’s book, Extending Working Life for Older Workers: Age Discrimination Law, Policy and Practice, broadly looks at how UK age discrimination laws are operating in practice and how they could be improved. Blackham illustrates the significant limitations of the Equality Act 2010 (UK) and the failure of age discrimination laws to achieve attitudinal change in the UK. The book was launched in 2016 at Melbourne Law School by a panel of speakers, including the Australian Age Discrimination Commissioner, The Hon Dr Kay Patterson AO; Professor Mia Rönnmar (Lund University, Sweden); and Professor Beth Gaze (Melbourne Law School).

“I am delighted and honoured to have  been named runner-up and to have had my book shortlisted among such a strong group of publications,” Dr Blackham said.

“I would particularly like to thank Hart Publishing and Professor Carolyn Evans for nominating my book for this award.”

Dr Blackham is the second MLS academic in the space of two years to be recognised by this prestigious prize. In 2016, Associate Professor Jason Varuhas was announced the winner of the Peter Birks Book Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship.