Eithne Dowds

Dr Eithne Dowds is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Law, Queen's University Belfast, affiliated with the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Her research specializes in legal constructions of sexual consent and rape reform in international and domestic criminal law.

• PhD in Law (2017), Queen's University Belfast
• LLM in Human Rights and Transitional Justice (2011), Ulster University
• LLB Honours Law with Criminology (2010), Ulster University

Her work focuses on:

• Normative analysis of sexual consent frameworks
• Coercion dynamics in rape adjudication
• Comparative studies of gender-based violence protocols
• Evidence law reforms for sexual offense trials

Recent publications examine affirmative consent models and good character evidence in rape prosecutions. She contributes to policy consultations for the International Criminal Court and UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women.

• Agility Fund Conference Award (2025)
• QUB Faculty Research Initiatives Fund awardee (2024, 2021)
• ESRC Impact Acceleration Account recipient (2024)

As co-founder of the All-Ireland Network on Sexual Violence Research, she collaborates across disciplines with practitioners and policymakers. Her scholarship informs legislative reforms like the Gillen Review on Northern Ireland sexual offense procedures.