The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire's Law Lecture

The High Sheriff’s Law Lecture is a long-standing and valued feature of Oxfordshire’s civic and academic calendar, strengthening the relationship between the legal profession, the justice system, and the academy.

Traditionally convened by the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, the lecture brings together members of the legal and academic communities, senior figures from policing and the justice system, civic leaders, and invited guests to explore contemporary questions of law, justice, and public policy.

The 2026 lecture was held at the University of Oxford’s Law Faculty and attracted a wide audience from across Oxfordshire and beyond.

2026 Lecture:

Wasted Youth – Prioritising Youth Services and Juvenile Justice: A Policy Imperative

The 2026 High Sheriff’s Law Lecture was delivered by The Rt Hon. the Lord Boateng CVO PC DL, former Cabinet Minister and Britain’s first and longest-serving Minister for Young People.

Drawing on more than five decades of experience as a lawyer, youth justice practitioner, and senior minister, Lord Boateng delivered a powerful and wide-ranging lecture examining the consequences of sustained under-investment in youth services and the long-term impact on social cohesion, public trust, and the criminal justice system.

Lecture summary

Lord Boateng argued that youth is one of the country’s most valuable assets, yet one that has been consistently under-prioritised in public policy. He explored how successive reductions in funding for youth services, coupled with fragmented responsibility across government, have contributed to rising complexity in youth need, increased pressure on the justice system, and missed opportunities for early intervention.

Reflecting on his own role in shaping landmark policy such as Every Child Matters, he offered a candid assessment of where government structures have failed young people, particularly the absence of strong cross-departmental leadership and the weakening of statutory youth provision at local level.

The lecture emphasised the importance of:

• early, preventative intervention rather than reactive justice responses

• strong partnerships between statutory, voluntary, academic, and philanthropic sectors

• meaningful involvement of young people in the design and evaluation of policy

• multidisciplinary, place-based services built around young people rather than institutions

Lord Boateng concluded with a call to collective action, urging those present – across law, academia, public service and civic life – to move beyond conversation to sustained collaboration, investment, and leadership on behalf of young people.

The full text of the 2026 High Sheriff’s Law Lecture is available to download.

⬇️ Download the lecture: Wasted Youth – Prioritising Youth Services and Juvenile Justice
(PDF)

About Lord Paul Boateng

Lord Paul Boateng is a globally respected lawyer, diplomat, and public servant with a distinguished record in UK and international public life.

He served in a number of senior ministerial roles in the UK Government, including as Minister for Young People across several departments, Minister of State for Police and Prisons, and Chief Secretary to the Treasury. In 2002, he became the first person of African descent to serve as a Cabinet Minister in the UK.

From 2005, Lord Boateng served as the UK High Commissioner to South Africa and as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative to the Africa Commission, playing a significant role in strengthening international cooperation and development.

Alongside his public service career, he has held senior roles in the corporate and voluntary sectors, including as Chair of Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor, supporting underserved communities in Africa and Bangladesh.

Lord Boateng is a passionate advocate for youth development, community cohesion, and social justice. He currently chairs the Church of England’s Archbishops’ Commission on Racial Justice, is Co-Chair of the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission, and serves on the boards of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Ballet Rambert.

THE HIGH SHERIFF’S LAW LECTURES (TO DATE)

11 October 2005 - The Rt. Hon. The Lord Bingham of Cornhill, KG, Senior Law Lord - The Law and Us

11 October 2006 - The Rt. Hon. The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales - Crime and Punishment

9 October 2007 - The Rt. Hon. Sir Paul Walker, Judge of the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court - Can Justice be Fair?

14 October 2008 - The Rt. Hon. Sir Mark Potter, President of the Family Division - The Family in the 21st Century: Exploding the Nuclear Myth

13 October 2009 - The Rt. Hon. Sir Scott Baker, Lord Justice of Appeal - The Judge’s Role in the 21st Century

12 October 2010 - The Rt. Hon. The Lord Brown, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom - Are Juries a Good Thing? The Jury is Out

11 October 2011 - The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mance, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom - Should the Law be Certain?

9 October 2012 - The Rt. Hon, The Lord Wilson - Out of His Shadow: The Long Struggle of Wives Under English Law

13 October 2015 - The Rt. Hon. Lord Dyson, MR - Magna Carta and Compensation Culture

14 October 2014 - The Rt. Hon. The Lady Hale - Are we a Christian Country? Religious Freedom and the Law

11 October 2016 - The Hon. Mr Justice Baker - A Matter of Life and Death

10 October 2017 - The Rt. Hon. The Lord Judge, PC - The Rule of Law: What Does It Mean Today?

9 October 2018 - The Hon. Michael Beloff, KC - Good at Games: Does Law Help or Hinder Sport?

15 October 2019 - The Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Moses, PC - The Image of the Law

11 October 2022 - Sir Robert Buckland KC - Towards a written constitution?

10 October 2023 - The Rt. Hon. Victoria Prentis KC MP and Attorney General for England and Wales - Lawyers as Politicians

4 February 2025 - The Rt. Hon. Sir Ernest Ryder PC TD DL, Master of Pembroke College, Oxford - Human experience, the rule of law and legal systems

The High Sheriff's Law Lecture is kindly sponsored by Blake Morgan