David Hayes

Dr. David Hayes is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Law, University of Sheffield, where he has worked since September 2014. He earned his PhD, MA, LLM, and LLB(Hons) in Law from the University of Nottingham. His research focuses on criminal law theory, penal theory, law and mythology, and the measurement of punishment.

• PhD in Law, University of Nottingham
• MA Socio-Legal and Criminological Research, University of Nottingham
• LLM Criminal Justice, University of Nottingham
• LLB(Hons) Law, University of Nottingham

Hayes explores penal severity through retributive justice, emphasizing the social and political contexts of punishment. His work challenges perceptions of community penalties as 'soft options' by analyzing their punitive impacts. Recent publications examine moral communication in imprisonment, the complexities of sentencing, and the mythic functions of criminal law.

His scientific awards include a Leverhulme Research Fellowship for studying over-criminalization and mythic functions of law. He actively contributes to academic discourse through invited lectures at conferences like the European Society of Criminology and serves on the editorial board of Incarceration.

Hayes advises students on personal and academic development, encouraging interdisciplinary reflection. He is part of the Centre for Criminological Research and affiliated with the Socio-Legal Studies Association and European Society of Criminology.