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The University of Southampton
Southampton Law School

The Law Society’s Visit to European Parliament

Published: 7 June 2016
Law Society at European Parliament

On Thursday the 25th of February, the Law Society was granted the opportunity to visit European Parliament in Brussels. The trip was an incredible opportunity for members to get a better idea of what the European Union is all about.

Our sponsorship from local Member of European Parliament (MEP) Keith Taylor, enabled us to bring 24 law students at no cost for travel and accommodation. Not only did we get to tour the European Parliament but we received a talk from Keith Taylor himself.

Keith is a member of the Green party and he gave so much relevant information into the benefits of the Union for the local area. Southampton has specifically benefited from Union grants to decrease congestion within the city. The commercial shipping docks have received funding to decrease lorry traffic and re-establish the commercial train lines.

Shortly after hearing from Keith we received a presentation from a staff member. The group was then taken to view the voting session for the European Parliament itself. It was fascinating to see democracy in action and hearing the 24 languages all represented within the EU.

After the viewing and a lovely lunch in the Parliament cafeteria, we were appreciative to hear from Lavan Thasaranthakumar. Lavan is a University of Southampton law alum and he began the tradition of visiting Brussels. Furthermore, he now works at the European Parliament writing policy for a MEP. It was fascinating to hear his journey from law school in Southampton to working at the EU and what his role in policy affects.

Afterward the group visited the Parlamentarium. An interactive history on the creation of the Union and an exploration of the arts of current members. It is worth nothing that the Union was born out of the horrors of World War 2 and just how far the Union has come since.

In closing, the trip was very well received from those who were able to join. So much of what we have learned during our studies came to life and was put into perspective. It is an experience I would recommend to anyone – both law and non-law alike. We of course would like to thank Keith Taylor and the European Parliament for sponsoring us and taking the time to present to the group. This trip has been a highlight in the Law Society’s calendar and really brought a variety of students closer together.

Dan Jackman (Former VP)

European Parliament
Visit to Parlamentarium
The group received a talk from Keith Taylor MEP.
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