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Dr Michelle Donnelly is a Lecturer in Law and Director of the BA Law programmes at the University of Stirling. She specializes in child and family law, criminal law, and youth justice, with a focus on the Scottish children’s hearings system. Her research explores compulsory state intervention in the lives of children and young people, particularly the integration of youth care and justice systems.
Dr Donnelly holds an LLB (Hons) and a PhD in Law from the University of Strathclyde, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education from the University of Stirling. She previously served as a Teaching Associate and Research Associate at Strathclyde Law School and a Research Assistant at the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research.
Her research interests include safeguarders in children’s hearings, reporter decision-making, and joint referrals in youth justice. She contributed to the 'Kilbrandon Again' inquiry and collaborated with the British Academy’s Childhood Policy Programme. Methodologically, her work combines socio-legal approaches with qualitative research.
Dr Donnelly has led or contributed to funded projects such as 'The Role of the Safeguarder in the Children's Hearings System' (2017) and 'The Public Interest and the Child's Best Interests' (2018). She is affiliated with the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research and the Socio-Legal Studies Association.
