Dr Francesca Farrington

The Yorke Prize, endowed in 1873 by Edmund Yorke, is awarded annually by the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge for a doctoral thesis of “exceptional quality… which makes a substantial contribution to a field of legal knowledge”.

Dr Farrington, who joined the University of Aberdeen in August 2022 after completing her doctoral studies at Cambridge, is among this year’s winners.

Commenting on the prize, Dr Farrington told SLN: “My thesis considered the relationship between the rule of law and economic development, drawing on insights from economics, politics, sociology and law.

“The thesis ultimately argued that the rule of law is concerned with building a trustworthy government, and as trust is an aspect of social capital it may be considered a moral resource with a link to productive activity.

“I am very happy to be able to continue this work at the University of Aberdeen who have supported my research in this area and have also allowed me to develop teaching offerings in sustainable development.”