University of Exeter’s Bracton Law Society disbanded after racism row

The University of Exeter’s student law society – Bracton Law Society (BLS) – is to be disbanded after an investigation by the university and the students’ guild into the racist WhatsApp messages that were publicly released in March.

Screenshots of the messages in the private WhatsApp group of several law society members came to light earlier this year after one of the group’s members outed the “racist and vile comments”.

The decision to disband the society comes after all law students at the university were surveyed. The investigation found that 52.5% of all comments towards BLS were negative. Those involved in the WhatsApp group have already received expulsions, suspensions and other significant penalties, with one student having had their training contract revoked.

A spokesperson for the University of Exeter said: "The Students’ Guild and the university conducted a broader formal joint review of the society and its operations. The review board determined that the conduct of the society fell short of the standards and values of the university and Students’ Guild, and should therefore be disbanded."

The society, which was founded in 1965, will be replaced by a “new, distinct law society”.

BLS’s current president, Lily Hayes, wrote on the society’s Facebook page that “the recommendation was not in light of the current committee’s work”. She said that “As President, I would like to state that I am incredibly proud of all the work that we have done this term in promoting diversity and making all law students feel welcome in the wider community”.

The society will continue to operate throughout the next university term, with its scheduled events continuing to run.