The School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast has been ranked in the top 10 of UK Law Schools for the quality of its research in REF 2021, the independent review of research quality in the UK university sector which is carried out approximately every seven years. In addition to being ranked 8^th for research quality from 69 UK law schools which were assessed (up from 15^th in 2014), QUB Law also achieved the maximum 4 star rating for each of its four Impact Case Studies which detail how particular research studies produce real world social, economic or culture benefits or change to wider society beyond academia.

This is an outstanding endorsement of our commitment to partnership with colleagues such as the Northern Ireland judiciary and Judicial Appointments Commission; the human rights NGO, the Committee on the Administration of Justice; the Hillsborough families and their lawyers, and victim-survivor organisations; and the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Speaking after the results were made public, QUB Law  Head of School Professor Joan Loughrey said

'This result recognises the excellent research carried out across the Law School at Queens. it speaks to the quality of our talented team of researchers, our strong and supportive research culture and our commitment to research that makes a real impact locally in Northern Ireland, nationally and indeed internationally.  It is a real vindication of the hard work of the staff in the School over the past seven years and I am delighted to congratulate them all.'