Tabetha Kurtz-Shefford

Dr. Tabetha Kurtz-Shefford is a Senior Lecturer in Law at Swansea University, affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Law School. She joined the Law School in 2011 and became Deputy Director of LLM Shipping and Trading Programs in 2018. Her expertise lies in maritime and energy law, particularly offshore oil and gas contracts, admiralty law, and international renewable energy law. She holds advanced degrees from the University of Bristol, Swansea University, and an LPC from the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes.

Dr. Kurtz-Shefford’s research focuses on liability frameworks for offshore oil pollution, maritime governance, and autonomous shipping regulations. She contributes regularly to the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law’s blog and leads mock court training for LLM Shipping and Trading programs. Her work bridges legal theory and practical challenges in global maritime trade and environmental regulation.

Publications highlight her analysis of legal responses to maritime disasters (e.g., Deepwater Horizon) and modern governance challenges like autonomous shipping. Supervision of PhD projects reflects her engagement with cutting-edge issues such as decolonizing maritime governance and legal frameworks for unmanned vessels.