Professor Alisdair Gillespie is a faculty member at Lancaster University in the School of Law . His primary academic role is as a Professor , and he also serves as the University Academic Dean . Cybercrime Child Sexual Exploitation Legal Systems and Evidence Covert Surveillance Sexual Offences Professor Gillespie’s research focuses on cybercrime , particularly child sexual exploitation , including child pornography , grooming , and solicitation . His work extends to covert surveillance and legal systems , emphasizing evidence law and criminal justice . He has acted as an expert advisor to the UN, Council of Europe, EU , and UK government bodies , influencing policy on child protection and cybercrime . Projects like Designing a Model of Restorative Justice for Victims of Online Child Abusive Images (2021–2023) and Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation (2013) highlight his practical engagement. His PhD supervision interests cover Criminal Law, Sexual Offences, Covert Policing , and Criminal Justice (including Evidence ). Contact details include email : a.gillespie@lancaster.ac.uk and office : D23, D - Floor, University House .
Dr Rachel Clement Tolley is a College Lecturer and John Collier Fellow at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, and Deputy Director of the Cambridge Centre for Criminal Justice (CCCJ). She holds a BA (Jurisprudence), BCL, and DPhil from the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on sexual offences, particularly deception and mistake’s impact on consent-validity, criminal law doctrine/theory, fair labelling, and disability-law intersections. She teaches Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure and Evidence at Trinity Hall. Education: BA (Jurisprudence), University of Oxford BCL, University of Oxford DPhil, University of Oxford Research interests include the theoretical underpinnings of criminal law, consent frameworks in sexual offences, and disability law. Her work bridges doctrinal analysis with normative questions about fairness and legal labelling. She contributes to the CCCJ, advancing criminal justice research and policy. Publications highlight her engagement with sex-by-deception, body modification consent, and legal theory. Her writing critiques current doctrines while proposing reforms grounded in harm and wrongfulness principles.
Professor Caroline Fennell is Head of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences at University College Cork (UCC), where she has held multiple leadership roles since 1996. A qualified barrister and member of the Royal Irish Academy, she specializes in criminal justice, evidence law, and gender studies. She has authored seminal works, including The Law of Evidence in Ireland (1992), and co-founded the Centre for Criminal Justice & Human Rights. Her research explores fairness in criminal justice systems, particularly in crisis scenarios like terrorism. She has secured grants totaling over €200,000 for projects on victimology and legal dissonance. Notable awards include the Royal Irish Academy membership and Honorary Lifetime Membership from UCC’s Students’ Union. Education: BCL (UCC), LLM (Osgoode Hall, Canada), PhD (University of Wales). Visiting roles included fellowships at Wadham College, Oxford, and the London School of Economics. She has advised on prison reform, led curriculum development (e.g., LLM Criminal Justice), and contributed to national legal policy via roles like Chair of the Irish Research Council (2009–2015). Current initiatives include the Chinese Artists in Residence Programme and leadership in UCC’s Athena SWAN Steering Committee. Research Interests: Law of Evidence, Criminal Justice reform, terrorism, gender equity, and interdisciplinary legal education. Grants & Awards: €90,400 for Access to Justice for Victims with Disabilities (2013–2017) €66,750 for Science, Law and Juridical Fact-Finding (2013–2016) Irish Research Council grants for studies on sexual assault attrition and diminished responsibility offenders Recent Contributions: Plenary speaker at conferences on legal pedagogy and humanities research Co-authored reports on domestic violence processing and victim needs Supervised over 20 doctoral candidates, including work on globalized criminality and fairness frameworks Current Roles: Head of College (since 2010), member of UCC’s Governing Body, and external examiner for the Law Society of Ireland’s Evidence courses.
Liz Campbell is Professor & Francine V McNiff Chair at Monash University's Faculty of Law. She holds adjunct professorships at University College Cork and is a visiting full professor at University College Dublin (2024-27). As convenor of the Monash Transnational Criminal Law Group, her work bridges corporate crime, organised crime, corruption, biometric evidence, and socio-legal contexts with a comparative and empirical focus. Extensive publications in leading journals and books, including Organised Crime and the Law (Hart, 2013) and The Criminal Process (OUP, 2019). Research funded by Research Council UK, AHRC, Law Foundation of New Zealand, Fulbright Commission, Modern Law Review, and Carnegie Trust. Key roles: Assessor for Australian Research Council, member of UK AHRC Peer Review College, and Law Council of Australia's Foreign Corrupt Practices Working Party. Her work impacts courts (Irish Supreme Court citations) and law reform commissions. She welcomes PhD students researching corporate crime, corruption, and biometrics, particularly from Asia and Global South regions.
Dr Hannah Quirk is a Professor in Criminal Law at King's College London's The Dickson Poon School of Law. She serves as General Editor of The Criminal Law Review and sits on the board of The Wrongful Conviction Law Review . Prior to King's, she was Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester and held roles at the Criminal Cases Review Commission and Legal Services Research Centre. Her research focuses on wrongful convictions, sentencing reform, and the right of silence, with notable contributions to miscarriage of justice cases like the Post Office scandal. She has supervised 7 successful PhD students and is a media commentator on criminal justice issues. Awards include the Inner Temple Academic Fellowship and roles as a Trustee of Transform Justice and The Sentencing Academy. Education: Master of Arts in Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge M.Phil in Criminology, University of Cambridge Doctor of Philosophy in Legal Studies, University of Wolverhampton Research Interests: Dr Quirk's work examines systemic flaws in criminal justice, including the erosion of the right of silence, disclosure failures, and compensation for wrongful convictions. Her recent focus includes pandemic-driven legal reforms (e.g., jury-less trials during Covid-19) and AI's role in forensic investigations. She has published extensively on sentencing guidelines for medical manslaughter and judicial accountability in historical miscarriages of justice. Recent Article Trends: Her recent publications explore AI's impact on rape investigations, post-Covid legal adaptations, and the Post Office scandal's implications for institutional accountability. She also critiques the time limits on prosecuting historical sexual offences and advocates for stronger protections for the accused's procedural rights. Awards & Roles: Inner Temple Academic Fellow (2019–present) Trustee, The Sentencing Academy (2018–2023) Board Member, Transform Justice (2018–2023) Associate Academic Fellow, JUSTICE (2016–2018) Advising & Grants: Supervised 7 PhD students in criminal justice and legal reform topics. Active in public engagement through media commentary and hosting discussions with attorneys featured in Netflix documentaries like Making a Murderer . Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the Criminal Cases Review Commission and Innocence Project New Orleans. Part of the editorial teams for Criminal Law Review and The Crown Court Compendium .
Dr Brian Brewis is a Senior Lecturer at Northumbria Law School, specializing in criminal evidence law with a focus on sexual history evidence, bad character evidence, and judicial/jury decision-making processes. He holds an LLB (Hons) from 2010 and a PhD from 2017, both awarded by Northumbria University. His research critically examines legislative frameworks such as Section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 and their impact on sexual offence proceedings. Brian teaches modules on Evidence, Legal Skills, and Sports Law. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and serves as an external examiner at Swansea University. His academic contributions include over a decade of peer-reviewed publications analyzing admissibility standards, judicial interpretations, and evidentiary challenges in criminal law contexts. Recent work focuses on refining legal frameworks for balancing evidentiary admissibility with procedural fairness, particularly in sexual offence cases. His articles address topics such as the 'reasonable belief in consent' standard under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and implications of low-template DNA evidence in forensic proceedings. Supervision: Brian currently guides postgraduate research student Ailish Martin, whose work explores sentencing outcomes and rehabilitation in Ireland's criminal justice system.
Dr David Plater is an Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide Law School and Deputy Director of the South Australian Law Reform Institute (SALRI), a nonpartisan law reform body formed through partnership between the University, Law Society, and State Government. He also serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Tasmania Law School. His teaching portfolio includes Law Reform (supporting SALRI's work), Criminal Law, Selected Issues in Criminal Law, Evidence, and Advocacy. Dr Plater holds a PhD from the University of Tasmania (2011) examining the historical development and modern application of the prosecutor's role as a 'minister of justice'. He is admitted as a legal practitioner in England, Republic of Ireland, Northern Territory, Tasmania, and South Australia. His extensive practical experience includes work as a Senior Crown Prosecutor and with the State DPP in South Australia. His research focuses on modern Law Reform, surrogacy, prosecution discretion, victims' rights, vulnerable parties in the justice system, and legal history. His thematic approach emphasizes making the legal system more efficient, equitable, and accessible for traditionally overlooked groups including victims of sexual abuse, individuals with cognitive impairments, and Aboriginal communities. He often draws on historical analysis to highlight longstanding legal issues and explores how fair trial rights must balance competing interests of accused, victims, and community. Dr Plater's recent publications reveal consistent focus on law reform through SALRI's work, with particular attention to vulnerable witnesses, surrogacy law, powers of attorney, and historical perspectives on criminal justice. His research bridges historical legal analysis with contemporary challenges, especially regarding fair trial rights and balancing competing interests in the justice system. Australian Research Council Linkage grant ($252,124) for national jury study on sentencing for sex offences Research on surrogacy law and practice in South Australia Independent statutory review of the Ageing and Adult Safeguarding Act South Australian Law Foundation project examining Communication Partner model As Deputy Director of SALRI, Dr Plater oversees major inquiries into difficult legal topics with Professor John Williams (Director) and Louise Scarman (EO). SALRI's work emphasizes inclusive engagement with regional and Indigenous communities, and many of its reports have led to significant legislative changes in South Australia. He has been instrumental in SALRI references on succession law, surrogacy, provocation issues, abortion, powers of attorney, and adult safeguarding.
Jesse Elvin is a Lecturer in Law at The City Law School, City St George's, University of London. He holds a PhD, LLM, and BA in Law from the University of London and has previously taught at the London School of Economics and University College London. He serves as the Research Ethics Director of The City Law School and is a member of the Senate Research Ethics Committee. PhD in Law, University of London (2005) LLM in Law (Merit), University of London (1995) BA in Law and Anthropology, University of London (1994) Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy Dr Elvin's research and teaching focus on criminal law, tort law, and contract law. His work explores complex issues such as consent in sexual offences, causation in legal responsibility, occupational stress claims, and moral panics in criminal justice. He has published extensively in leading journals including the Cambridge Law Journal , Modern Law Review , and Criminal Law Review . His recent publications show a sustained engagement with criminal responsibility, private prosecutions, and the legal treatment of controversial social phenomena like witchcraft allegations. His 15 most recent articles span criminal law, tort law, legal education, and media regulation. They reveal a consistent scholarly interest in the boundaries of legal responsibility, the role of consent, and the interaction between law and societal values. Key themes include judicial bias, moral luck, and the ethical dimensions of prosecution and harm. Dr Elvin has received multiple awards and recognitions: Learning Development Project award (£8,000) and Enhanced Learning Project award (£7,000) from LDC (2009–10) Nominated for Academic Impact Award (Teaching), City, University of London (2017–18) Nominated for Student Voice Award, City University London (2008–09) London School of Economics Law Departmental Teaching Prize (2002–03) Parsons Visitor at University of Sydney (2008) He has advised PhD student Alex Antoniou and has been actively involved in curriculum development and legal education research. Dr Elvin has served as an external examiner for the University of Hertfordshire and the University of South Wales. He regularly presents at national and international conferences, including the Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference and events in Greece, Jersey, and Hong Kong. As Research Ethics Director, he plays a key role in overseeing ethical standards in legal research at the university.
Dr. Andreas Karapatakis is a Lecturer in Law at the School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool (part of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences). He holds a PhD (2024), LLM (Distinction, 2017), and LLB from Queen Mary University of London and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, respectively. His research focuses on financial crime, digital economy regulation, and banking law, particularly AML strategies in blockchain and virtual currencies. He advises the UKAEL online Law Blog and has contributed to EU-funded projects. Awards include the Robert Schuman Scholarship for his European Parliament traineeship. Education: LLB (Athens), LLM (QMUL), PhD (QMUL). Research interests span EU legal frameworks for digital financial systems, including central bank digital currencies and blockchain. He examines regulatory gaps in virtual currencies and cybercrime prevention. His work bridges legal theory and emerging technologies in criminal justice. Teaching modules include Banking Law, Commercial Law, and Cryptocurrencies and the Law. He has taught at Queen Mary University of London and SOAS. Professional roles include membership in the Athens Bar Association and editorial contributions to legal publications. Awards: Robert Schuman Scholarship, LLM Distinction. Grants include projects funded by the European Parliament and Commission. He actively engages in policy analysis for EU legislation on child protection and digital crime prevention.
Sinéad Ring is an Associate Professor in Law at Maynooth University's School of Law and Criminology. She specializes in legal responses to sexual violence, historical child sexual abuse, and transitional justice. Her work bridges legal, psychological, and criminological perspectives to address institutional failures and advocate for victim-survivors. Education: BCL (Law and German) and LLM (Criminal Justice) from University College Cork (UCC), with a PhD in Law funded by the Irish Research Council. Pre-Maynooth roles include Senior Lecturer at Kent Law School and visiting positions at Harvard Law School and Melbourne Law School. Research focuses on legal frameworks for addressing historical child sexual abuse, including state responsibility and memory preservation. Key projects include the Comparative Examination of University Policies on Sexual Harassment and the Transitional Justice Processes as Archives of Collective Memory. Publications include books like Child Sexual Abuse Reported by Adult Survivors and peer-reviewed articles in Social and Legal Studies and International Journal of Evidence and Proof . Awards include the Irish Research Council Doctoral Scholarship. Professional roles include membership in the Judicial Council's Sentencing Guidelines Committee, the Higher Education Authority's Sexual Violence Advisory Group, and editorial board positions at Social and Legal Studies and feminists@law . Teaching includes The Law of Evidence, Gender/Sexuality and Law, and Historical Gendered Violence and the State. Supervises five PhD students researching topics like judicial sentencing in rape cases and domestic violence legal responses. Active in policy development, including Ireland's Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions and the National Consent Framework Implementation Group at Maynooth University.
Sarah Kingston is a Professor at the University of Central Lancashire's School of Law and Policing with a distinguished research career focused on criminology, particularly in fraud, gender, sexuality, and sexual offences. She is currently seconded to a UK police constabulary where she manages a research team, bridging academic research with practical policing applications. Her work has significantly contributed to understanding money mules in the UK, fraud sentencing practices, police data on sexual exposure, and the management of sex offenders using 'reactive management' approaches. Professor Kingston's research interests span multiple interconnected domains within criminology. Her work on gender and policing examines the underrepresentation of women across middle police ranks, while her fraud research explores theoretical frameworks and practical prevention strategies. In sexuality studies, she has conducted groundbreaking research on women who buy sexual services, swinger clubs, and sexual service advertisements. Her sexual offences research investigates reporting mechanisms, particularly regarding military sexual assault, and the effectiveness of legal instruments like Sexual Risk Orders. She employs innovative methodologies, particularly audio research methods, to examine attitudes toward sensitive topics like sex work. Analysis of Professor Kingston's publication record reveals consistent scholarly productivity since 2009 with increasing collaboration and methodological sophistication. Her recent work (2021-2025) shows a clear trajectory toward practical applications of criminological theory, with numerous project reports for police constabularies, government bodies, and non-profit organizations. While maintaining strong theoretical foundations in gender studies and criminological theory, her work has increasingly focused on actionable insights for law enforcement, policy makers, and community organizations. The interdisciplinary nature of her work bridges criminology, gender studies, sociology, and law, reflecting the complex nature of contemporary crime and justice issues. Professor Kingston's research collaborations demonstrate her commitment to team-based approaches to complex criminological problems. She has worked extensively with colleagues including Terry Thomas, Natalie Hammond, Scarlett Redman, Emily Cooper, and Nathan Birdsall across numerous projects. Her work with police constabularies, particularly Lancashire Constabulary, indicates strong applied research connections that translate academic insights into practical policing strategies. While specific grant funding isn't detailed in the available information, her numerous project reports suggest successful acquisition of research funding from various sources including police organizations and research councils. Professor Kingston leads or contributes to several research initiatives focused on sex offender management, fraud prevention, and policing practices. Her secondment to a UK police constabulary where she manages a research team represents a significant operational role that directly connects academic research with frontline policing. This position enables her to implement research findings in real-world contexts while identifying emerging research questions from practice. Her work on reactive management of sex offenders appears to be a particularly active research stream with multiple publications and project reports examining different aspects of this approach.
Dave Walsh is a Professor in Criminal Investigation at De Montfort University (DMU), affiliated with the Leicester De Montfort Law School within the Faculty of Business and Law. He specializes in investigative interviewing of victims, witnesses, and suspects, with a strong focus on ethical, non-coercive, and rapport-based methods. He is a leading figure in the global implementation of the Mendez Principles and chairs a major international COST Action (CA22128 – ImpleMendez) involving over 300 researchers from 56 countries. His research interests include: Investigative interviewing techniques (especially PEACE model) Modern slavery and human trafficking Corporate compliance with anti-slavery legislation Policing of organized crime Interviewing vulnerable populations (children, autistic adults, trafficking victims) Interpreter-assisted investigations Walsh's recent publications span topics such as labor exploitation post-Brexit, empathy in investigative interviews, and international collaboration in human trafficking cases. His work consistently emphasizes ethical, evidence-based, and human rights-compliant approaches to criminal investigation. He has published extensively in top journals and edited key international handbooks on investigative interviewing. His scientific honors include being named Global Professor in Criminology by Leuven (2020–2023). He has led and contributed to numerous externally funded research projects, including grants from the ESRC, Home Office, and HEIF, with a recent €800,000 COST grant as Principal Investigator. He actively supervises PhD students and collaborates with police forces and academic institutions worldwide. He has delivered keynote addresses across Europe on the implementation of the Mendez Principles and modern slavery responses. He is a founding member of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (IIIRG) and leads a research team focused on improving investigative practices globally. His work bridges academia, policy, and frontline policing, with a strong commitment to translating research into real-world impact.
Dr. Linda Cooper serves as Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute for Social Justice and Crime (ISJC) at the University of Suffolk, where her research directly influences national policing policy on rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO). Her work bridges academic scholarship with operational implementation across England and Wales' 43 police forces through initiatives like Operation Soteria. Her research portfolio centers on: RASSO investigation reforms and National Operating Model development Veteran experiences within criminal justice systems Officer wellbeing in trauma-exposed policing roles Educational transitions for military veterans and children Dr. Cooper's scholarship consistently addresses policy-relevant challenges in criminal justice, emphasizing victim-survivor care and organizational change. Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in police organizational justice, investigator burnout mitigation, and veteran-specific custody interventions, with increasing interdisciplinary connections between criminology, psychology, and education. Her work demonstrates methodological diversity across mixed-methods studies, policy evaluations, and theoretical frameworks. As an academic leader, Dr. Cooper supervises doctoral researchers, chairs viva examinations, and mentors early-career colleagues while securing substantial research funding: Home Office funding for Operation Soteria implementation HMPPS collaboration for UK-wide veteran support mapping Barnardo's and SkillForce partnerships on custody diversion programs Her grants consistently prioritize translating research into operational police practice. Dr. Cooper leads ISJC's multidisciplinary teams working directly with the National Police Chiefs' Council, regional police forces, and NGOs like Barnardo's. Current initiatives include Suffolk's sexual violence service audit and officer wellbeing studies in domestic abuse investigations, establishing ISJC as a critical hub for evidence-based criminal justice innovation.
Emily Nagisa Keehn is an Assistant Dean for Law Student Affairs at the University of San Diego School of Law, where she leads academic success and bar programs while teaching Contemplative Practice of Law . Her career spans a decade as human rights researcher and practitioner, including roles as Professor of Practice at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies and Associate Director at Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program. JD, University of California Los Angeles School of Law BA in Anthropology, University of California San Diego Her research focuses on health and human rights , prison reform , and gender equality , with significant work on HIV/TB prevention in South African prisons and gender-based violence policy. She has co-authored 15+ publications, including policy briefs and commentaries, analyzing systemic failures in correctional facilities and advocating for structural interventions. Key awards include the Diversity & Inclusion Impact Award and Mail & Guardian’s Investing in the Future Health Award . Her advocacy for prisoner health and gender justice has shaped national policies and litigation in Southern Africa. Co-founded the Detention Justice Forum Testified in South African Parliament Served on National Task Team for TB/HIV in Correctional Centers
Dr. Sian Lewis is a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Plymouth's School of Society and Culture. Her research focuses on sexual harassment in public spaces, particularly public transport, emphasizing sensory criminological perspectives and gender-based violence. She has contributed to policy advisory roles including the British Transport Police Sexual Offences Panel and UK parliamentary evidence submissions. Her work intersects mobilities studies, feminist theory, and intersectional analysis. Teaching specializations include urban space and social exclusion, gender-based violence, and criminological theory. She leads the MSc Criminology programme and actively advises PhD students focusing on sexual harassment, sensory criminology, and fear of violence in public spaces. Research highlights include studies on pandemic impacts on gender-based violence mobility, creative methodologies like renga poetry, and LGBTQ+ inclusion in male-dominated industries. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges criminology with sociology, cultural studies, and policy analysis. Professional engagements include collaborations with Indian criminological think tanks and media advocacy. Current research explores sensory dimensions of gendered violence and temporal/spatial dynamics of public safety.
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