Victoria Ridler

Dr. Victoria Ridler is a Senior Lecturer in Law at Birkbeck Law School, University of London, where she has held roles including Head of School, Programme Director for the LLB, and Chair of the Sub-Board of Examiners. Her career spans academic teaching since 2003 and prior policy work at the United Nations and Canadian government. She specializes in legal subjectivity, jurisdictional theory, and language in law, with notable work on non-human animal legal subjectivity and human rights accountability. Dr. Ridler founded the London Conference in Critical Thought (2010) and co-founded the London Journal of Critical Thought, prioritizing accessible, interdisciplinary dialogue. Her teaching emphasizes contractual law and legal argumentation.

Education: PhD Law (University of London, 2016), MA Legal Studies (Carleton University, 2006), BA Combined Honours in International Development Studies & Political Science (Dalhousie University, 2001).

Research focuses on asymmetric obligation frameworks, jurisdiction’s normative violence, and legal language’s ethical dimensions. Recent work critiques reliance on jurisdictional ties for human rights claims, proposing direct effect as an accountability mechanism. Her 2013 analysis of non-human animal legal subjectivity explores vulnerability and juridical exclusion. Pedagogically, she integrates critical thinking about legal language through her 'Legal Argument and Language' module.

Administratively, she champions student-centric policies, transparent decision-making, and collaborative faculty environments. Awards include a 2019 Law Teaching of the Year Award nomination. Her academic service includes roles with the Society of Legal Scholars and HEA fellowship.