Academic Profile

I joined what is now the School of Law as a lecturer in 1977, coming from the University of Birmingham where I had been a postgraduate student (making me one of the longest serving members of staff in the School) and I am now a Senior Lecturer. During this time, together with the late Simon Ball, I developed what was one of the first courses in Environmental Law in an English University, and what was at the time the only course in Heritage and Conservation Law.

I am a member of the Centre for the Study of Law in Society and Centre for Criminological Research research clusters.

Qualifications

• M.Jur . University of Birmingham
• LL.B.(Hons) University of Birmingham

Teaching and Learning

I am happy to say that I am still teaching what is now one of the longest running courses in Environmental Law. This is an ever-changing, and increasingly relevant area of law, which has implications not only for those who wish to protect the environment, but also for business and industry. Environmental law is a complex subject, and its application is affected by social and political factors as much as the desire to protect the environment, so when I teach this module, we look not only at the law, but also at the policy framework in which the law operates, with the emphasis on what would happen in ‘real life’.

In addition to the full module in Environmental Law which is offered to law students, I also teach aspects of environmental law to students in the Faculties of Engineering and Architecture.

I also teach heritage conservation law to students in the School of Architecture and in the Department of Archaeology.

The modules I teach are:

Undergraduate	Postgraduate and MA
Environmental Law (Convenor)	Conservation and Regeneration Policy and Law (for architecture students)
Management Practice for Engineers (includes environmental law)
Finance and Law for Engineers

Research Interests

My research interests lay primarily in cultural resources law, that is, the law relating to the protection of the historic built environment: listed buildings, conservation areas, archaeological sites, monuments and archaeological resources. In particular I am interested in the comparative analysis of the legal protection of the built historic environment and archaeology in the United States and the United Kingdom. This is a surprisingly wide area in which to carry out research! For example, it includes:

• the legal protection of historically and architecturally important buildings and areas from harmful development
• the protection of archaeological sites from ‘time crime’ (principally damage to and looting of) archaeological sites
• the use of law to protect not only the visual appearance of historic town centres and ‘downtowns’, but also their traditional commercial character, looking in particular at legislation adopted by several US towns to prohibit the spread of `formula´ businesses and retail chains
• the legal issues relating to the excavation, examination and display of human remainsthe role played by archaeologists in England and in the USA, when a prosecution is brought for looting or damaging an archaeological site or ancient monument.

Key Publications

Shelbourn, C. Digging the Dead: Burial Archaeology In Britain – Law, Policy and the Case for Reform (2010) 3 Art Antiquity and Law, 197-222

Shelbourn, C. (2008) Chaining the Chains – The Use of ‘Formula Business Ordinances’ to protect the character of Traditional Commercial Areas in the United States. Journal Of Planning and Environment Law, 1240-1252

Shelbourn, C. (2008) Time crime - looting of archaeological resources and the criminal law in England and the United States. Criminal Law Review, 204-213

Shelbourn, C. (2007) Protecting Archaeological Resources In The United States: Some Lessons For Law And Practice In England? Art Antiquity and Law, 259-278

Shelbourn, C. (2006) Preserving the Cherished Local Scene – A Comparison of Conservation Area Controls in England and Historic District Controls in the United States. Journal of Planning and Environmental Law, 1466- 1480

Shelbourn, C. (2006) Bringing The Skeletons Out Of The Closet? The Law and Human Remains In Art, Archaeology and Museum Collections. Art, Antiquity and Law 179-198

View my full publication list

Recent Invited Papers and Keynote Lectures

2011 La Vie dei Mercanti, Safeguard of Architectural Visual and Environmental Heritage (SAVE) Conference, Second University of Naples
Having heritage protection laws may not be enough: the case for education and guidance for heritage crime

2009 Centre for the Ethics of Cultural Heritage Conference, University of Durham
Appropriating the past – or appropriating private property?

Key Projects/Grants

School of Law Research Fund Grant 2004
The legal protection of historic districts in the USA: Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina
Amount of award: £2,584

Professional Activities and Recognition

Affiliate Member, Institute of Historic Building Conservation
Member, United Kingdom Environmental Lawyers Association
Member, Institute of Art and Law
Member, Society of Legal Scholars

Areas of Research Supervision

• Protection of the historic built environment
• Cultural resources protection
• Civil liability for environmental damage