It is a pleasure to write a foreword for this special issue, which comprises an outstanding selection of submissions arising from the proceedings of the UCL Postgraduate and Early Careers Conference 2017. Having once been involved in the organization of the conference
and editing of the UCL Journal of Law and Jurisprudence myself, and indeed having had the honour of participating as a discussant in this conference, I could not be happier to see the fruitful coming together of these activities. Yet the rigour displayed in this issue leaves no room for partiality. The silver thread that connects the five articles that make up this publication is the overarching theme of the 2017 conference: ‘The art of balancing and the role of law in the reconciling of competing interests.’ The contributions provide a new lens through which to approach this perennial debate in law and philosophy. Each in its own way,they offer thoughtful accounts of balancing between civic life, the public interest, and individual rights. Without losing sight of the broader theme, though, the submissions succeed in taking the reader through a variety of legal problems, in line with the generalist outlook that has characterized the journal since its creation
