Conference: Assimilated Law – the Role and Future of Retained EU Law in the UK (Oxford, 13/14 April 2026)

Key Takeaways

• Retained EU law termed “assimilated law” post‑Brexit
• Conference gathers scholars, practitioners to clarify application
• Supreme Court’s Lipton case only scratches surface
• Divergence risk between UK and EU legal frameworks
• Outcomes could shape future regulatory compliance

Summary

The University of Oxford will host a two‑day conference on 13‑14 April 2026 to examine the role and future of “assimilated law,” the body of retained EU legislation that remains in the UK post‑Brexit. Organized by Professor Anne Davies and Dr Johannes Ungerer and funded by the Institute of European and Comparative Law, the event will bring together scholars and practitioners to debate overarching questions and specific regulatory challenges. The conference follows early Supreme Court guidance in the Lipton case, which only scratched the surface of complex interpretive issues. Participants aim to develop a shared framework for applying and evolving assimilated law.

Pulse Analysis

Since the United Kingdom left the European Union, Parliament enacted the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to copy thousands of EU statutes into domestic law. This body, now commonly referred to as “assimilated law,” preserves the substance of EU regulations while stripping away their supranational authority. The classification is more than a semantic exercise; it determines how courts interpret statutes that were never fully domesticated. Scholars argue that the lack of a clear doctrinal framework creates uncertainty for legislators, regulators, and businesses that rely on stable legal foundations.

UK courts have already confronted assimilated law in high‑profile cases such as *Lipton*, where the Supreme Court offered a tentative roadmap for interpreting retained provisions. Yet the judgments left open questions about the extent to which EU‑originating principles can evolve independently of their continental counterparts. This legal drift threatens regulatory alignment in sectors ranging from data protection to environmental standards, potentially raising compliance costs for multinational firms. Practitioners therefore seek guidance on whether to follow precedent, EU jurisprudence, or emerging domestic policy signals.

The Oxford conference, organized by Professor Anne Davies and Dr. Johannes Ungerer, aims to fill this knowledge gap by convening academics, judges, and industry counsel for two days of focused debate. Sessions will map common themes, identify divergent trends, and dissect thorny issues in specific regulatory fields. Outcomes are expected to produce a shared terminology and practical recommendations that could inform future legislative amendments and judicial training. For businesses, the resulting clarity may reduce legal risk, streamline cross‑border operations, and support more predictable investment decisions in the post‑Brexit landscape.