The Putney Debates
About the project
The new Putney Debates, revived in 2017, are an annual forum for discussion of a constitutional matter in a form accessible to the people. So far, the new Debates have concentrated on matters of constitution within the United Kingdom. Our intention is that the Debates will become more international in scope and extend to constitutional themes of broad interest and importance. Learn more about our past events in the history section.
Advisory group
Catherine Barnard University of Cambridge
Richard W. Clary Harvard Law School
John Howell University of Oxford
Sionaidh Douglas-Scott Queen Mary University of London
Geraldine van Bueren Queen Mary University of London
Denis Galligan University of Oxford (Chair)
Putney Debates 2021: The unity of a nation
Relevant publications
The Courts and The People: Friend OR Foe?
(The Putney Debates 2019)
Edited by Denis Galligan
Constitution in Crisis
(The New Putney Debates)
Edited by Denis Galligan
History & past events
Brief history of the original Putney Debates: On 28 October 1647, the weekly meeting of the General Council of the New Model Army (the army of the Parliamentarians of England) held in St Mary’s Church, Putney (a district in South West London), turned into a debate about matters of constitution. Stretching over several days, the meeting ranged across critical matters of a great moment. The First English Civil War (1642–47) had been won, the king (Charles I) was in captivity, parliament in disarray, and the New Model Army in charge. Competing ideas of constitution were expressed and the Levellers’ proposed Agreement of the People was, after animated debate, consigned to committee from which it never re-emerged.
The new Putney Debates: The 2016 EU membership referendum and events that followed sparked off a wide interest in constitutional issues. Against this backdrop, the Putney Debates were revived in 2017, sponsored mainly by the Foundation for Law, Justice and Society (FLJS) with some support from the University of Oxford Faculty of Law. The FLJS, an independent institute, has now ceased activities.
Debates so far have covered the constitutional crisis of 2016 following the referendum; the role of the courts as allies or enemies of the people; and the sovereignty of parliament. The recordings of the 2017 Putney Debates are available on the FLJS website. Three volumes have resulted, one from 2017, another from 2019 and a third from 2025.
The Putney Debates are now sponsored by Oxford Global Society, an independent think tank directed by Denis Galligan, Emeritus Professor of Socio-Legal Studies at Oxford University, who chaired the Putney Debates since 2017.