UCL Virtual Open Session: Jeremy Bentham, the Faculty of Laws, and 200 Years of UCL with Dr Tim Causer, Principle Research Fellow of the Bentham Project at UCL Laws.
Event description: 11 February 2026 marked the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the London University (the institution that became UCL), and this lecture will address the history and foundation of the College and of the Faculty of Laws. It will do so by examining the life and thought of the renowned philosopher and reformer, Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), who is important to the story of UCL’s foundation for two reasons. First, because Bentham’s own education illustrates the problems with access to university prior to 1826, problems which the London University sought to solve. Second, because though Bentham was not the founder of UCL (though there is a persistent story that he was), he was a major intellectual inspiration to those who were.
UCL Laws is a leading law school, ranked 3rd in the UK (The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2026) and 11th in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2026).