معرفی
John Harrington is Professor of Global Health Law at Cardiff University's School of Law and Politics, where he focuses on the intersection of health, law, and the state. His work spans global health law, medical law, transnational law, and socio-legal studies, with particular emphasis on the Global South and devolved health systems within the UK.
His educational background includes an LL.B from Trinity College, Dublin and a BCL from Oxford University. Harrington's research combines socio-legal and humanities approaches, drawing on qualitative empirical, legal doctrinal, and archival methods, as well as techniques from classical rhetoric and cultural studies.
Harrington's research interests center on how national contexts shape global health law implementation. He examines access to essential medicines, pandemic control, indigenous medical knowledge, and the right to health in the Global South, alongside emerging health law in the UK's devolved nations. His work consistently explores the role of the state in health law, from Tanzania during structural adjustment to the impact of devolution on health law in the UK.
His recent publications reveal a strong focus on pandemic governance, health sovereignty, and the impact of devolution on health law. Harrington's work demonstrates increasing attention to the Global South's agency in global health governance, with significant research on Kenya's vaccine diplomacy and the regulation of traditional medicine. His interdisciplinary approach bridges law, anthropology, political science, and public health.
- Runner-up, Socio-Legal Theory and History Book Prize (2017)
- Senior Research Fellow, British Institute in Eastern Africa (2010-14)
- Global Fellow, University of Melbourne (2007)
- Jean Monnet Fellow, European University Institute (2001-2)
Harrington actively supervises PhD students on topics including children's participation in climate litigation, indigenous communities' access to healthcare in Kenya, and the law of minimum alcohol pricing. His research has been funded by ESRC, AHRC, British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, Welsh Government, and Open Society Justice Initiative. As Chair of the Socio-Legal Studies Association (2022-25) and former Founding Director of the Welsh Graduate School for Social Sciences, he plays a significant leadership role in the academic community.
Harrington founded and directed Cardiff Law and Global Justice research center (2015-22), which included the Global Justice Law Clinic enabling students to work with global NGOs on human rights cases. He also developed the innovative Law and Literature module in collaboration with Cardiff's Sherman Theatre, integrating legal theory with cultural performance.
