Jane Scoular

Prof. Jane Scoular is a Professor of Law at the University of Strathclyde, serving as Research Director in the School of Law since 1995. Her expertise spans socio-legal studies, gender law, and prostitution policy, with a focus on sex work regulation and legal consciousness. She has led major ESRC-funded projects, including 'Beyond the Gaze' (2015–2018) and 'Sex Work and Sexual Violence' (2021–2023), which examine digital-age regulatory frameworks and cross-jurisdictional legal impacts. Her work has influenced policy debates and law reforms globally.

Prof. Scoular holds a Master of Laws from the University of London (1995) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Strathclyde (1994). Her research integrates empirical studies and theoretical analysis, addressing issues like sex worker safety, criminalization policies, and digital platform dynamics. She has advised the Scottish Parliament’s Expert Panel on Prostitution and contributed to EU-wide prostitution policy networks.

Her recent projects compare legal environments across four jurisdictions: Nevada (legalization), Northern Ireland (criminalization), New Zealand (decriminalization), and Great Britain (partial criminalization). This work explores how legal frameworks shape experiences of sexual violence among sex workers. Prof. Scoular’s publications include ground-breaking studies on internet-based sex work and policy critiques of neo-abolitionist approaches.

Prof. Scoular has been recognized with the SLSA Best Article Prize (2020) for her analysis of digital-age sex work regulation. She teaches Legal Theory, Law and Society, and Gender, Sexuality, and Law, mentoring numerous postgraduate researchers. Her international collaborations include visiting scholarships at New York University and the University of Stockholm.