Legislative oversight of the armed forces
27 November 2025, 6:15 pm – 7:30 pm
Location: Institute of Archaeology, lecture theatre G6, 31-34 Gordon Square London WC1H 0PY
Think tank: The Constitution Unit
This event hosted by UK think tank the Constitution Unit discusses which civilians play the most important roles in controlling the armed forces.
‘War is too important to be left to the generals’ (French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau). It is also too important to be left to governments alone: legislatures have an equally important role, but frequently lack the capacity or motivation to provide adequate oversight. Drawing on over a dozen case studies from across the globe, Philippe Lagassé has proposed realistic reforms to strengthen military accountability to elected officials and the public.
This event will see the launch of his new co-authored book, Overseen or Overlooked? Legislators, Armed Forces, and Democratic Accountability, which will then be critiqued by two expert discussants.
Speakers
Professor Philippe Lagassé is the Barton Chair of International Affairs at Carleton University, Ottawa. His research focuses on defence policy and procurement, executive power, and the Westminster system. His articles have appeared in journals such as Public Law and Parliamentary Affairs. He has authored studies for the Department of National Defence on the institutions that govern Canada’s military affairs, and in 2025 he was awarded the Canadian Forces Medallion for his ‘exceptional contribution to Canadian defence policy’. He is a senior associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London.
Rt Hon Dominic Grieve KC is a barrister and former politician who was Conservative MP for Beaconsfield for over 20 years, from 1997 to 2019. He served as Attorney General for England and Wales in David Cameron’s coalition government, from 2010 to 2014; and was chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament from 2015 to 2019.
Professor Veronika Fikfak is Professor of Human Rights and International Law at UCL’s School of Public Policy, and a co-Director of the UCL Institute for Human Rights. She is co-author (with Hayley Hooper) of Parliament’s Secret War, a critical inquiry into the UK Parliament’s role in the war prerogative since the beginning of the twentieth century.
Chair: Professor Robert Hazell
