Professor Justin Borg-Barthet

Biography

Justin studied Law and European Studies at the University of Malta before qualifying as an advocate in Malta and undertaking postgraduate studies at the University of Aberdeen. Following a lectureship at the University of Dundee, he joined the University of Aberdeen in 2012, where he now serves as Head of the School of Law.

His research lies at the intersection of European Union law and Private International Law, examining how legal systems allocate authority between individuals, states and supranational institutions. While his work spans fields including corporate mobility and international family law, he is particularly recognised for his leadership in developing legal responses to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

Justin's research has had a significant international impact, informing legislative development and policy debates at national, regional and global levels. He has advised national governments, the European Commission and Parliament, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and leading civil society organisations on measures to protect public participation. He was a co-author of both the EU Model Anti-SLAPP Directive and the Scottish Model Anti-SLAPP Law, helping to shape emerging legal frameworks addressing abusive litigation.

His work has also influenced the development of European private law. Research on the cross-border recognition of same-sex relationships was cited with approval by Advocate General Wathelet in Coman (Case C-673/16), a landmark case that strengthened the rights of same-sex couples in the EU.

Earlier in his career, Justin made a significant contribution to scholarship on corporate mobility in EU law. His monograph, The Governing Law of Companies in EU Law (Hart, 2012), remains a leading work in the field.

Alongside his research and teaching, he has contributed to shaping research strategy, legal education, governance, and internationalisation at the University of Aberdeen.

Prizes and Awards

Personal Tutor of the Year 2022, Students' Union and University of Aberdeen Excellence Awards

Principal's Excellence Award for Research Impact 2025, University of Aberdeen

Research Overview

Justin's research explores several themes in private international law and EU law. He is able to provide lead supervision across a range of topics relating to his research. His published work explores the balance between individual freedoms and the rights of EU Member States to govern their socio-economic affairs. Publications span several iterations of the problem, including in respect of European company law, defamation, online gambling, and the recognition of same-sex relationships.   

Current Research

Justin's current research explores several facets of the prevention of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) in the European Union. In particular, the work explores how private international law rules can be deployed to suppress freedom of expression. The research was prompted by the redaction and deletion of press reports in an EU member state following vexatious threats of libel suits in jurisdictions in which a legal defence may have been beyond the prospective defendants' means. Justin's academic contributions in this area are accompanied by extensive public engagement with a view to supporting efforts to instigate legal reform.

Funding and Grants

• 2023-24: 'Report on the implications of strategic lawsuits against public participation for guarantees under international law for the exercise of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly', Rule of Law, Equality and Non-Discrimination Branch, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (Co-I to Dr Francesca Farrington).
• 2023: 'Open SLAPP Cases in 2022 and 2023: The Incidence of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, and Regulatory Responses in the European Union', Policy Department for Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), European Parliament.
• 2022: 'Laying the Foundations for a Restatement of Scots Private International Law', Royal Society of Edinburgh.
• 2021: 'The Use of SLAPPs to Silence Journalists, NGOs and Civil Society', Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs, European Parliament.
• 2020: 'Protecting Public Watchdogs Across the EU: A Proposal for an EU Anti-SLAPP Law', Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe.
• 2019-20: 'Advice concerning the introduction of anti-SLAPP legislation to protect freedom of expression in the European Union', Article 19, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), PEN International.
• 2015-16: ‘The judicial application of EU family law’, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, European Parliament.
• 2015-16: Member of the Steering Group and Country Reporter (Malta) for DG Justice contract JUST/2014/JCOO/PR/CIVI/0051: ‘Study on the law applicable to companies with the aim of a possible harmonisation of conflict of laws rules on the matter’.
• 2014-17: Elphinstone Grant to support the award of a PhD scholarship on 'The Architecture of EU Company Law'.

Teaching Responsibilities

Course coordinator

• LS 2026 EU Institutions and Law
• LS 4025 Dissertation
• LS/LX 452E Contemporary Legal Issues in European Integration

 Lecturer/Tutor

• LS 1025 Legal System
• LS 2532 Private International Law
• LS 25XX Comparative Law II: The Romano-Germanic Tradition
• LS 401Q Private International Law of Commercial Law Honours