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Paul Johnson is Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology at the University of Leeds, affiliated with the School of Sociology and Social Policy. He has previously held academic positions at Durham, Surrey, and York Universities, where he served as Head of the Department of Sociology from 2017 to 2021.
His educational background includes a BA and MA from Durham University and a PhD from Newcastle University. He also holds a PGCAP from the University of Surrey.
Johnson is a leading sociologist of law, with a focus on human rights, sexual orientation, and the European Convention on Human Rights. His research explores the legal, historical, and social dimensions of LGBT rights, particularly in relation to religious freedom, military policy, and parliamentary legislation. He has published extensively in top law and sociology journals and authored influential monographs on homosexuality and human rights law.
His recent publications (2018–2024) reflect a sustained focus on LGBT legal rights, including same-sex marriage, military service, pardons for historical convictions, and the role of the ECHR in shaping national laws. These works span legal history, human rights law, criminology, and religious studies, demonstrating interdisciplinary rigor.
Johnson has played a significant non-partisan role in UK legislative reform, contributing to the Armed Forces Act 2016 and 2021, Policing and Crime Act 2017, and Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, among others. He has drafted private member bills on same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland and British Overseas Territories and advised on posthumous pardons and service record updates for LGBT veterans.
He collaborates widely with scholars such as Sarah Falcetta and Robert M. Vanderbeck and has contributed to major policy reports, including the LGBT Veterans Independent Review. His work bridges academic scholarship and real-world legal and social change.
