Richard Child

Richard Child is a Lecturer in Political Theory at the University of Manchester's Politics Department. His roles include teaching political theory, legal theory, and ethics with a focus on intellectual rigor and student engagement. He holds a BA in Politics and Philosophy (2005), MA in Political Theory (2006), and PhD in Political Theory (2010), all from the University of Manchester. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Cambridge (2010-2012) before returning to Manchester.

His research focuses on justice, legitimacy, and punishment, particularly global justice frameworks and the relationship between legitimate authority and state punishment. He contributes to debates on distributive justice, cosmopolitanism, and coercive power. He supervises PhD students in related areas and collaborates on projects like the Manchester Centre for Political Theory (MANCEPT).

Recent publications include works on the 'only joking' legal defence, unilateral authority in punishment, and global justice gaps. He has presented widely, including an invited talk on nationalism vs. constitutional patriotism (2019). His work bridges legal philosophy, moral theory, and global political structures.