"Foreign Law? In English Courts?!" - Principal's Research Seminar at St Hilda's College

English courts usually apply English law to disputes that arise between private or commercial parties – but this is not always the case, contrary to common belief. In cross-border cases, it can be necessary that English courts apply the national law of a foreign country, such as Germany, Japan, or Peru. This raises many questions about the when, why, and how. Answering them is what I do when researching private international law, or the conflict of laws as it is often called to hint at the core problem: which foreign law, from among the conflicting and potentially applicable laws, shall govern the particular dispute? In this Seminar, I will illuminate the ways in which English courts determine the applicable foreign law. I will present my novel interdisciplinary approach which applies behavioural economics to private international law.