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Eliza Varney

Associate Professor in Law, Faculty of Social Sciences

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Biography

Dr. Eliza Varney joined the School of Law as an Associate Professor in Law in 2023. Prior to this, Eliza worked at the University of Keele (2004-2023) and at the University of Hull (2001-2004). Eliza completed her LL.B. and her Ph.D. at the University of Hull (1999 and 2006).

Expertise Summary

Eliza's research is in disability equality and contract law, focusing on the compatibility of English contract law with the values pursued by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), in particular the protection of human dignity. Eliza has also conducted research on disability equality and access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the implementation of the CRPD. Her publications include the monograph Disability and Information Technology (Cambridge University Press, 2013), book chapters, including the contributions on Articles 21 and 49 CRPD in Ilias Bantekas, Michael Ashley Stein, and Dimitris Anastasiou (eds) The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: A Commentary (Oxford University Press, 2018), and articles in Legal Studies, King's Law Journal, Journal of Business Law, Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, Communications Law, Utilities Law Review and Zeitschrift fur Rechtssoziologie.

Teaching Summary

Eliza teaches Contract Law.

Research Summary

Research interests: disability equality, contract law, vulnerability, human dignity, and the implementation of the UNCRPD.

Recent Publications

  • VARNEY, E., 2020. ‘Beyond Negative Interpretations of Freedom of Contract: The Interplay between Private Law and Human Rights in Light of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’. In: C.G. STANESCU AND A. GIKAY, ed., Discrimination, Vulnerable Consumers and Financial Inclusion Routledge. 35-56
  • VARNEY, E. AND A. PEARSON, 2020. ‘Disability in EU Transport Legislation’. In: D. FERRI AND A. BRODERICK, ed., Research Handbook on EU Disability Law Edward Elgar. 182-200
  • VARNEY, E., 2020. ‘Agency Contracts and the Scope of the Incapacity Defence in English Contract Law: A Topic too Hot to Handle?’ Journal of Business Law. 5, 382-401

PhD supervision

I am interested in supervising students who want to work on the following areas:

- General contract law

- Disability equality

- Disability equality and Contract Law

Applying for admission as a PhD student in the School of Law

Information about the School of Law PhD programme and how to apply can be found here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/law/study/postgraduate-research/index.aspx

Information about scholarships can be found here:

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/law/study/postgraduate-research/funding.aspx

  • VARNEY, E., 2020. ‘Beyond Negative Interpretations of Freedom of Contract: The Interplay between Private Law and Human Rights in Light of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’. In: C.G. STANESCU AND A. GIKAY, ed., Discrimination, Vulnerable Consumers and Financial Inclusion Routledge. 35-56
  • VARNEY, E. AND A. PEARSON, 2020. ‘Disability in EU Transport Legislation’. In: D. FERRI AND A. BRODERICK, ed., Research Handbook on EU Disability Law Edward Elgar. 182-200
  • VARNEY, E., 2020. ‘Agency Contracts and the Scope of the Incapacity Defence in English Contract Law: A Topic too Hot to Handle?’ Journal of Business Law. 5, 382-401
  • VARNEY, E., 2018. ‘Article 21 CRPD: Freedom of Expression and Opinion, and Access to Information’. In: I. BANTEKAS, M.A. STEIN AND D. ANASTASIOU, ed., 'The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: A Commentary' Oxford University Press.
  • VARNEY, E., 2018. ‘Article 49 CRPD: Accessible Format’. In: I. BANTEKAS, M.A. STEIN AND D. ANASTASIOU, ed., 'The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: A Commentary' Oxford University Press.
  • VARNEY, E., 2015. ‘Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Ensuring Full and Equal Access to Information’. In: Y. DONDERS AND T. MCGONAGLE, ed., 'The United Nations and Freedom of Expression and Information:: Critical Perspectives' Cambridge University Press. 171-207
  • VARNEY, E., 2013. Disability and Information Technology: A Comparative Study in Media Regulation Cambridge University Press.
  • VARNEY, E., 2009. ‘A Hierarchy of Disability Rights?: A Comparative Examination of the Regulation of Digital Television in the United States of America and the United Kingdom’ Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly. 60, 421-442
  • VARNEY, E., 2009. ‘Reality Television and Content Regulation: Perspectives and Challenges’ Entertainment and Sports Law Journal. 7,
  • VARNEY, E., 2009. ‘Advanced Television Systems Committee’, ‘Digital Video Broadcasting Project’, ‘Distributed Management Task Force’, ‘Ecma International’, ‘Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers’. In: C. TIETJE AND A. BROUDER, ed., Handbook of Transnational Economic Governance Regimes Brill. 503-514, 533-572
  • VARNEY, E., 2008. ‘Disability Rights in the Communications Sector: An Examination of Digital Television Regulation in the United Kingdom’ Communications Law. 13, 187-196
  • VARNEY, E., 2008. ‘The Protection of Age and Disability Rights in the Regulation of Digital Television in the European Union’ Utilities Law Review. 17, 6-16
  • VARNEY, E., 2007. ‘Social Regulation in the Air Transport Industry: An Examination of Regulation 1107/2006 concerning the Rights of Disabled Persons and Persons with Reduced Mobility when travelling by Air’ Comparative Socio-Legal Research: Zeitschrift fuer Rechtssoziologie. 28, 191-201
  • VARNEY, E. AND M. VARNEY, 2007. ‘Grounded? Air Passenger Rights in the European Union’. In: G. HOWELLS ET.AL., ed., Yearbook of Consumer Law 2008 Ashgate. 171-199
  • VARNEY, E., 2006. ‘Regulating the Digital Television Infrastructure in the EU: Room for Citizenship Interests?’ 3 SCRIPT-ed: Online Journal. 194-215
  • VARNEY, E., 2005. ‘Winners and Losers in the Communications Sector: An Examination of Digital Television in the United Kingdom’ Minnesota Journal of Law, Science and Technology. 6, 645-685

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