Dr. Francis Botchway is renowned to many law students for his enthusiasm, sense of humour and commitment to students. He evidently enjoys his work and spreads his passion for the law, and can always be found with a smile on his face. But how many of us actually know the real man inside? Dr Botchway has been teaching at Warwick for 4 years, lecturing in many different areas ranging from Legal Theory and ELS/ELC, to Property Law and the post-graduate course of International Investment and Transnational Corporations. He is currently most prominent in Environmental Law and International Business Transactions.
An interesting fact about Dr. Botchway is that he has always wanted to pursue a career in the law, “ever since I knew how to speak, I guess I was asking too many questions”. His grandmother had a big influence in his career path, although this did not prevent him from having doubts while he was in Sixth Form. These reservations were based on the fact that there were too many lawyers around, and the criticism that lawyers were not honourable people. To quote Dr. Botchway, “Lawyers were said to be buried face-downwards because they are liars …,” Nevertheless, these doubts soon disappeared following advice from his uncle, who led him to conclude that law was the best option for him.
Dr. Botchway began his legal studies and completed his first (of many) degrees in his native Ghana. He then trained as both a solicitor and barrister, and practiced there for a year. His ambitions then took him to Canada where he completed a Masters, before moving south of the border to the prestigious Harvard Law School, completing another Masters Degree. Dr. Botchway shares the experience of his time there as being fantastic and challenging, and “despite the fact that it is the top Law School, all the students were down to earth and human.” A scholarship award finally lured him to the UK, where he gained his PhD in Manchester. Outside the academic life of Warwick, Dr. Botchway has an active publication profile. He publishes about 100 pages of work a year mainly in leading international journals. He is currently working on a number of projects. He particularly enjoys researching and writing, “Researching more improves your teaching and this benefits the students.”
I had the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Botchway about his views on teaching and his specialist fields, as well as his advice to the new First Years joining Warwick.
What is the best part of teaching? The best part of teaching is the privilege to give back some of the best things that academics have to students. I have benefited from the support and kindness of teachers in my academic career and I am excited at the opportunity to give something back to others. It is also greatly rewarding to know that you are part of somebody’s professional experience and that they will remember your contribution in years to come.
Tell me about the modules you are teaching at the moment, and the concerns you have about the latest developments in these areas. I specialise in International Business Transactions and Environmental Law. Environmental law is where black letter law meets with policy in an interesting and challenging way, and this in turn generates dilemmas. I believe that the pursuit of these dilemmas is very exciting. Currently the Kyoto Protocol and the reduction of carbon emissions is a pressing issue. My position is that we have to take quick measures to reduce emissions into the atmosphere, which has serious health implications. We should explore seriously economic instruments of environmental protection, and integrate the environment into economic policy making. This would mean that both monetary and fiscal policies must take account of the environment. International Business Transactions (IBT) is the area that I focused on when I first began to think about teaching. My main concern with IBT is how finance can be mobilised to develop the infrastructure of the developing world. Many African governments are strapped over cash, but they are not seen as attractive destination for investments. My concern is how this can be changed – and how international instruments such as project finance and derivatives can be used to develop the infrastructure.
What advice would you give to the new first year students who are just beginning their legal studies? The first time studying law can be stressful and scary. I have always looked beyond the mountain to see the glory that lies behind it, in this sense I have been inspired by Jesse Owens. My advice to the first years would be the same, they should think about the rewards when they graduate – when they become leading people in law, business, politics and other high flyers, and would in turn be in a position to pass on their experience to others. This excitement should help minimise their apprehension.
What are your future career plans? Nobody can predict the future with certainty, the future is in God’s hands. I will go wherever God takes me. But I have ambitions to grow, whether it be here at Warwick or anywhere else, and I will pursue it.
Finally, no interview with a member of the Law School staff is complete without a piece of trivial information. Dr. Botchway proudly showed me his copy of Men of Honour, which he said was his favourite film of all time. “It shows the spirit of perseverance, and how the glory behind the mountain can be attained.” So there you have it fellow law students, keep plugging away at it and you will reap the rewards!
Thank you for your time, we wish you luck in your future projects.
