Robin Callender Smith

Dr Robin Callender Smith is an Honorary Professor of Media Law at Queen Mary University of London's Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS). A four-time graduate of the university, he holds an LLB (1973), LLM (2010), PhD (2014), and a Postgraduate Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration (2020). As a barrister and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, he specializes in Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) arbitration, mediation, and regulatory adjudication. His roles include Independent Adjudicator for Qatar’s Financial Centre Regulatory Authority and Adjudicator on the Society of Computers and the Law panel.

Education:

• LLB, Queen Mary University of London (1973)
• LLM in Computer and Communications Law, Queen Mary (2010, Distinction)
• PhD (2014)
• Postgraduate Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration (2020)

Research Interests: Focus on celebrity privacy, media law, data protection, and open justice. His work bridges legal theory and practice, addressing tensions between public interest and individual privacy rights. Recent projects include CoE reports on judicial transparency in Kazakhstan and co-editing OUP's Media Law and Practice.

Publications Overview: Author of Celebrity and Royal Privacy, the Media and the Law and novels exploring historical legal dramas. His academic articles span media ethics, privacy jurisprudence, and historical legal trials.

Awards & Recognition:

• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• Recipient of multiple legal distinctions (LLM/PhD)
• Contributions to data protection law via Encyclopaedia of Data Protection and Privacy

Professional Roles: Former Information Rights Judge, Immigration and Asylum Judge, and Mental Health Tribunal Judge. Served on regulatory bodies like the Financial Conduct Authority’s Regulatory Decisions Committee and Ofgem’s Enforcement Panel.