Findlay Stark

Professor Findlay Stark is a Professor of Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. His work bridges criminal law doctrine, evidence, and procedural aspects with deep engagement in legal, moral, and political philosophy.

His research centers on foundational concepts in criminal law, particularly mens rea, recklessness, negligence, and constructive liability. He has made significant contributions to debates on joint enterprise, accessory liability, and the role of judicial lawmaking in criminal law evolution. His monograph Culpable Carelessness: Recklessness and Negligence in the Criminal Law (2016) is a key scholarly work in the field. He is also a co-author of the authoritative textbook Simester and Sullivan’s Criminal Law: Theory and Doctrine.

The recent articles reflect a sustained focus on doctrinal refinement, philosophical underpinnings of liability, and critical analysis of judicial reasoning. Themes include causation, omissions, transferred intent, and the interplay between moral and legal responsibility. His work frequently appears in top journals such as the Cambridge Law Journal, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, and Modern Law Review, and has been cited by appellate courts internationally.

• Editorial Board, Cambridge Law Journal
• Editorial Board, Criminal Law Forum
• Editorial Board, Criminal Law Review
• Academic Associate, 23 Essex Street (criminal law chambers)

He currently supervises PhD students including James Browning, Anna Peters, Sara Trainor, and Forest Yu, and advises several others. Previous supervisees include Giordana Campagna and Khomotso Moshikaro. He is open to initial inquiries regarding potential research supervision.

He is affiliated with the Cambridge Centre for Criminal Justice (CCCJ), the Cambridge Forum for Legal and Political Philosophy (CFLPP), and the Criminal Jurisprudence and Philosophy Group (CrimJur), reflecting his interdisciplinary approach.