Catharine MacMillan

Professor Catharine MacMillan is a Professor of Private Law and Vice-Dean Academic Staffing at The Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London. She previously held positions at Queen Mary University of London (Reader in Legal History) and the University of Reading (Professor of Law and Legal History). Her research focuses on 19th and early 20th century English private law, legal history, and the role of individuals in legal development. She is currently writing a legal biography of Judah Benjamin, exploring his impact on common law and trans-jurisdictional legal concepts.

Her research interests include contract law doctrines (frustration, mistake, privity), mercantile dispute adjudication by the Privy Council, and historical legal analysis. She has authored or co-authored books such as CHALLENGES TO AUTHORITY AND THE RECOGNITION OF RIGHTS: From Magna Carta to Modernity (2018) and Mistakes in Contract Law (2010). Recent works address modern issues like non-disclosure agreements and Brexit's impact on contract law.

MacMillan serves as Past President of the Society of Legal Scholars, Treasurer of the Selden Society, and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. Her leadership emphasizes international legal connections, particularly post-Brexit collaborations with European and civil law jurisdictions. She teaches courses on contract law, British legal history, and commercial law.

Her awards include honorary professorships and fellowships, reflecting her contributions to legal scholarship and professional societies. Her work bridges historical analysis with contemporary legal challenges, emphasizing individual agency in shaping legal systems.