Michael Dougan

{{Short description|Professor of European law}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

Michael Dougan is Professor of European Law and Jean Monnet Chair in EU Law, at the University of Liverpool.{{Cite web|url=https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/law/staff/michael-dougan/|title=Michael Dougan - University of Liverpool|website=www.liverpool.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-05-22}} He came to the attention of social media users in the United Kingdom when a video of one of his lectures was uploaded to YouTube and other social media platforms, in which he dissected the academic validity and honesty of the legal arguments presented by those advocating the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union – more commonly known as "Brexit" – in the lead up to the June 2016 referendum.{{Cite news|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/07/07/british-academics-consider-why-they-were-ignored-brexit-debate|title=British academics consider why they were ignored in Brexit debate|access-date=2017-05-22}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/european-union-law-lectures-success-shows-people-dont-want-to-be-lied-to|title=EU law lecture’s success shows ‘people don’t want to be lied to’|date=2016-07-21|work=Times Higher Education (THE)|access-date=2017-05-22|language=en}} During the approximately 25 minute long viral clip, Dougan surmises the Leave campaign as "degenerat[ing] into dishonesty on an industrial scale".{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-referendum-european-law-professor-says-brexit-campaigners-dishonesty-on-an-industrial-scale-like-a7095486.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-referendum-european-law-professor-says-brexit-campaigners-dishonesty-on-an-industrial-scale-like-a7095486.html |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=EU Referendum:European Law expert compares Brexit campaigners to creationists|date=2016-06-22|work=The Independent|access-date=2017-05-22|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|url=https://news.liverpool.ac.uk/2016/06/22/transcript-professor-michael-dougan-eu-referendum/|title=Transcript: Professor Michael Dougan on the EU Referendum - News - University of Liverpool|access-date=2017-05-22}}

Dougan has provided both written and live expert testimony to the UK Parliament; submitting to the House of Commons' European Scrutiny Committee{{Cite web|url=https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmeuleg/1817/1817we03.htm|title=House of Commons - European Scrutiny Committee: Written evidence from Professor Michael Dougan and Dr Michael Gordon, Liverpool Law School, University of Liverpool|website=www.publications.parliament.uk|publisher=The Committee Office, House of Commons|language=en|access-date=2017-05-22}} and Foreign Affairs Select Committee,{{Cite web|url=https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmfaff/87/87we18.htm|title=House of Commons - Foreign Affairs Committee: Written evidence from Professor Michael Dougan, Chair in European Law, and Dr Michael Gordon, Lecturer in Public Law, Liverpool Law School, University of Liverpool|website=www.publications.parliament.uk|publisher=The Committee Office, House of Commons|language=en|access-date=2017-05-22}} as well as the House of Lords European Union Committee, amongst others.{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/treasury-committee/news-parliament-2015/economic-relationship-with-eu-evidence-16-17/|title=Future economic relationship with the European Union examined - News from Parliament|website=UK Parliament|language=en|access-date=2017-05-22}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/northern-ireland-affairs-committee/news-parliament-2015/land-border-ev1/|title=Land border with Republic of Ireland examined with Academics - News from Parliament|website=UK Parliament|language=en|access-date=2017-05-22}} He has also acted as an external advisor to UK Government departments on important EU legal developments, including discussions about the enactment of the European Union Act 2011, as well as the Review of the Balance of Competences Between the UK and the EU. Additionally, he has acted as a fact checker for BBC News "Reality Check" service during the Brexit referendum.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36499878|title=Reality Check: How would the UK rid itself of EU law?|last=Coleman|first=Clive|date=2016-06-10|work=BBC News|access-date=2017-05-22|language=en-GB}}

He is a joint editor of the Common Market Law Review, a bi-monthly, peer-reviewed law journal covering European Union law.{{Cite web|url=https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/law/staff/michael-dougan/external-engagement/|title=Michael Dougan - University of Liverpool|website=www.liverpool.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-05-22}}