Call for volunteers - Decolonising Colonial-Era Legislation in the Caribbean
Deadline: 14th March 2026
Oxford Pro Bono Publico (OPBP) invites applications from 8–10 research volunteers to participate in a legal research project entitled “Decolonising Colonial-Era Legislation in the Caribbean”. This project forms part of a strategic litigation and research initiative led by Colours Caribbean (Cayman Islands) in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic at Harvard Law School and established Caribbean civil society organisations.
The research will contribute to an ongoing effort to examine the unfinished legal consequences of decolonisation in certain English-speaking Caribbean jurisdictions — particularly the continued operation of constitutionally entrenched savings clauses and the enduring role of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The task involves identifying colonial-era legislation insulated by savings clauses, analysing its doctrinal status and the applicable case law, and assessing its contemporary human rights implications particularly for vulnerable groups (including women, gender minorities, children, Indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, religious minorities, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ persons).
Volunteers will contribute to the preparation of two substantive reports:
- Trinidad & Tobago (First Report – to be completed around July 2026)
- The Bahamas and Jamaica (Second Report – to be completed around December 2026)
Researchers will be assigned, and therefore should apply, by subject-matter area(s):
- Family law
- Social security
- Criminal and regulatory offences
- Immigration and naturalisation
- Land and property regimes (including environmental regulation)
Eligibility criteria:
- Strong grounding in international human rights law, as well as in any of the subject areas mentioned above (essential)
- Demonstrated research ability, doctrinal rigour, and analytical precision (essential)
- Familiarity with English legal history and colonial constitutional frameworks (desirable)
- Intellectual interest in decolonisation, human rights, and comparative constitutional law (desirable)
The research entails an estimated commitment of approximately 12-20 hours, depending on the number of volunteers. This opportunity is particularly suited to students seeking experience in academically rigorous research with tangible real-world impact. We warmly encourage applications from students with a strong interest in constitutional reform, decolonisation, and strategic human rights litigation.
If you are interested in volunteering, please send your CV (max. 2 pages) to opbp@law.ox.ac.uk by 14 March 2026, 11:59 pm (UK time). In your covering email, please highlight any specific knowledge or experience you have in the above topic and indicating any expertise or preference in the subject matter area(s).
Do get in touch with us if you have any further queries regarding the project.