Below is a list of our current staff in the Law School. It details their research expertise and the areas of law in which they would welcome applications from prospective Master of Jurisprudence (MJur) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidates. Their staff profiles provide their contact details.
To improve the chances of acceptance onto a research degree at Durham Law School, it is strongly encouraged that prospective applicants contact relevant academics directly to discuss their research proposals.
Staff Member | Areas for Research Supervision |
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Mike Adcock |
Intellectual property rights (IPRs) and biotechnology IPRs and access to medicines Protection of plant genetic resources IPRs and bioethics Intellectual property rights and artificial intelligence |
Adebola Adeyemi |
Sustainable Development Sustainable Finance Information Technology (with a focus on software development & protection, Fintech Regulation, and Digital Assets) |
Adefolake Adeyeye |
Anti-corruption law Business and human rights Corporate law and governance Corporate Social Responsibility |
Stergios Aidinlis |
AI Law Data Protection Law Human Rights and New Technologies Public Law and New Technologies |
Greg Allan |
Equity and Trusts Property Law Company Law Legal History |
Daniel Attenborough |
UK/US corporate law Corporate governance Financial markets regulation |
Smith Azubuike |
Renewable Energy Law and Sustainability Risk Allocation in the Energy Industry Energy Justice The Just Energy Transition in the Global South |
Chris Bevan |
Property Law Land Law Housing and Homelessness Law & Policy Family Law Equity & Trusts Social Welfare Law & Policy The Legal Profession, Barristers & the Bar |
Deryck Beyleveld |
Foundations of Human Rights Moral Theory especially Kantian and Gewirthian Theory Theories of Punishment Legal Theory Moral Issues Arising in Law Bioethics (including Medical Ethics) Biolaw |
Jessie Blackbourn |
Preventive counter-terrorism measures Closed material procedures Criminal terrorism offences Terrorism sentencing Counter-extremism and counter-radicalisation Counter-terrorism and human rights Counter-terrorism review and accountability |
PJ Blount |
Space Law Cyberlaw Law and technology International Law |
Michael Bohlander |
Comparative Criminal Law International Criminal Justice SETI and human law |
Kim Bouwer |
Climate change law Environmental law Tort law |
Hannah Bows |
Criminal law Violence against women Crimes by/against older adults |
Thom Brooks |
Citizenship Constitutional Law Criminal Law History of Political & Legal Philosophy (esp British or German Idealism) Immigration Law & Economics Political & Legal Philosophy Public Policy Punishment & Sentencing |
Emma Cave |
Medical law especially: Treatment of children Informed consent Compulsion |
Demet Caltekin |
Anti-militarism Critical Military Studies Socio-legal Studies Gender and Criminal Law |
Karam Chadha |
Consent Ethics Political Philosophy Legal Theory Special/specific/particular Jurisprudence |
Ge Chen |
Free speech in international and comparative perspectives Global constitutionalism and its development in China International copyright law issues related to free speech |
Lei Chen |
Property Law Comparative Contract Law International Commercial Arbitration International Investment Arbitration Chinese and Comparative Private Law |
Anca Chirita |
Competition Law The wider goals of competition policy e.g. consumer wellbeing and sustainability Restraints of trade e.g. algorithmic cartels, resale price maintenance etc. Abuse of a dominant position e.g. the monopolisation of online platforms (GAFAM), monopolistic abuse of data sharing or combination, excessive or predatory pricing etc. Mergers e.g. public interest or data-driven mergers State aid e.g. competition and inequality through unfair tax competition |
Tufyal Choudhury |
Citizenship deprivation Immigration law and national security Preventive counter-terrorism measures Executive and administrative measures in counter-terrorism Criminal terrorism offences Terrorism sentencing Counter-extremism and counter-radicalisation Counter-terrorism and human rights UN counter-terrorism policies and practices Counter-terrorism financing Race and policing Laws and policies relating to ‘hostile state actors |
Gemma Davies |
Transnational Criminal Law with a particular interest in: Cross-border cooperation in criminal matters; Extradition; The application of human rights to cross-border police investigations; European criminal law (including the consequences of Brexit); Criminal justice cooperation between the UK and Ireland; Transnational responses to cybercrime (including policing of the darkweb); Cross-border access to electronic evidence for policing purposes; The application of extra-territorial criminal jurisdiction (including domestic prosecution for international crimes) |
Benedict Douglas |
Human dignity The moral basis of human rights. The place of choice, duty and / or community in the law The moral basis of the UK constitution Human rights in the UK constitution Phenomenology and law Land access rights |
Ming Du |
International trade law (WTO and regional trade agreements) International Investment Law China and International Law Law and society in China Comparative corporate law and capital market regulations |
Can Eken |
International commercial arbitration Investment law Third-party funding Alternative dispute resolution methods Commercial mediation Online dispute resolution |
Ronan Feehily |
International Commercial Mediation International Commercial Arbitration International Commercial Dispute Resolution Corporate Governance |
Helen Fenwick |
Protection for private information under the tort of misuse of private information and/or the UK GDPR/DPA 2018; comparisons with measures in other jurisdictions Same sex marriage and/or same-sex registered partnerships; Article 8 ECHR The Online Safety Bill in UK Criminal offences applicable to online expression (including images, sounds etc) Counter-terrorism measures, especially preventive measures – measures intended to prevent terrorist attacks such as TPIMs (UK) or their equivalents Aspects of freedom of expression, especially in relation to Article 10 ECHR; comparisons with other jurisdictions A British Bill of Rights? Reform of the Human Rights Act? Hate speech, especially online |
Eleni Frantziou |
The application of human rights in disputes between private parties Comparative regionalism European human rights law, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights The right to private and family life in the digital age The freedom of expression in the digital age |
Richard Goldberg |
Product liability Tort law Causation Vaccine damage Pharmaceutical law |
Samantha Halliday |
Comparative law (criminal, public or medical law focussed) Medical law Health law especially: Reproductive justice Foetal protection Abortion Embryo research Euthanasia Non-treatment decisions Advance decisions Mental capacity |
Andy Hayward |
Legal Regulation of Adult Relationships (Marriage, Civil Partnership and Cohabitation) Divorce, Dissolution, and the Division of Assets Family Property and Trusts of the Family Home LGBTQ+ Family Law Comparative Family Law Human Rights and Family Law Legal History relating to Families |
Johanna Jacques |
Trusts Law Property Theory Continental Legal Philosophy Electronic Money and Cryptoassets |
Henry Jones |
International law Law of the Sea Law and Colonialism Legal History Law and Literature Critical approaches to property law International Legal Theory Law and Marxism Legal Geography |
Dimitrios Kagiaros |
European Convention on Human Rights Freedom of Expression in the ECHR context Socio-economic and cultural rights Austerity policies and human rights |
David Lawrence |
Bioethics/ medical Ethics and law Emerging Biotechnology law and ethics Neuroethics/ neuroscience/ neurotechnology law Moral Status Personhood Animal Rights AI ethics and law |
Van Anh Le |
Patents Copyrights IP public policies Legal history of IP rights |
Zhiyu Li |
Law and technology Law and courts Chinese courts and judges Empirical legal studies |
Jieying Liang |
Private International Law (Conflict of Laws) Cross-border Commercial Litigation The Resolution of Cross-border Commercial Disputes in Chinese Courts China’s role in the International Legal Order |
Dafni Lima |
Family law, especially: Legal Regulation of Adult Relationships (Marriage, Civil Partnership and Cohabitation) Parent-child relations, Parenthood, Parental Responsibility Comparative Family Law Legal Regulation of LGBTQ+ family relationships Assisted Reproduction (e.g. surrogacy) Family Law and Human Rights (e.g. Article 8 EHCR) |
William Lucy |
Adjudication and legal reasoning Legal philosophy Philosophy of private law The normative standing of access to justice Technological Management |
Kaspar Ludvigsen |
Cybersecurity and Law Safety Law Medical Devices and Law Product Regulation in EU Law Supply Chain Cybersecurity and Law Contracts in Cybersecurity Cybercrime (cybersecurity focused) Law and Technology AI Law
|
Federico Lupo-Pasini |
Financial law Financial regulation International financial and monetary law |
Clara Martins Pereira |
Financial law and regulation Financial technology / FinTech Sustainable finance Corporate law and corporate governance |
Roger Masterman |
UK Constitutional Law and Reform Bills of Rights (esp the Human Rights Act) Judicial Power/Separation of Powers Relationships between UK and international law UK apex judges |
Deirdre McCann |
UK Employment Law EU Employment Law International Employment Law |
Clare McGlynn |
Legal regulation of pornography Image-based sexual abuse Reforming sexual offences laws Cyberflashing Justice and violence against women and girls |
Aileen McHarg |
Devolution and the UK’s territorial constitution UK/Scottish constitutional law English/Scottish administrative law Energy governance Sustainable energy regulation |
Emma Milne |
Women as offenders Infanticide and infant killing Foetal harm and killing Feminist legal theory Criminal justice and sex/gender Motherhood/mothering and the law |
Petra Minnerop |
Public International Law International Environmental Law International Law on Climate Change Intersection of Climate Law and Climate Science |
Jonathan Mukwiri |
Regulation of takeovers Corporate governance Directors’ duties Minority shareholder protection Corporate social responsibility |
European Union Law European Human Rights Law (esp. anti-discrimination/equality) Legal Theory and Philosophy (esp. Critical Legal Theory) Regional Integration Organisations |
|
Matthew Nicholson |
International law, with a particular focus on theoretical approaches (in particular, critical perspectives) |
Elizabeth O'Loughlin |
Comparative Constitutional Law UK Administrative Law Empirical Methods in Public Law |
Catherine O'Rourke |
International law Gender and women’s rights CEDAW Armed conflict Transitional justice Feminist approaches to international law |
Shaun Pattinson |
Medical law Health law Biolaw Medical ethics Bioethics Philosophy of human rights |
Camilla Pickles |
Obstetric violence and abuse in childbirth Discrimination in healthcare Reproductive rights and justice |
Anashri Pillay |
Economic and social rights International human rights law, Adjudication of rights Judicial appointment processes Comparative human rights law |
Chris Riley |
Company/corporate law Corporate governance Multinational enterprises and the law Social enterprises and not-for-profits |
Chloe Romanis |
Abortion Assisted Reproduction Feminist Legal Theory Gender and Law Healthcare Law Medical Ethics & Law Reproductive Technologies |
Jane Rooney |
International Human Rights Law Public International Law The extraterritorial application of human rights Incorporation of international obligations in the UK |
Irina Sakharova |
Contract law (doctrinal, theoretical, and/or historical perspectives) Private law theory/Philosophy of private Law Moral and legal philosophy (esp. rights, normative powers) Comparative private law (esp. comparative contract law) Intersection of contracts and other obligations Intersection of contract and property |
Pierre Schammo |
EU Law Financial Regulation |
Robert Schuetze |
EU Constitutional law Comparative federalism Comparative regionalism |
Natalie Sedacca |
Labour law / employment law, particularly where related to marginalised workers / issues of gender and migration Human rights, where related to: the rights of workers / women / migrants; economic and social rights; positive obligations; or the Inter-American Court of Human Rights |
International Law Legal History Law and Colonialism Migration and Refugee Law Law of Armed Conflict |
|
Catherine Turner |
Transitional Justice International Law and Peacemaking Violence and Law Law and conflict Critical theory- (particularly Derrida) |
Barend Van-Leeuwen |
EU Internal Market Law (in particular, free movement of goods and services) EU Health Law The Interaction between EU Law and Medical Law (in particular, free movement of patients/doctors, professional qualifications/discipline, product liability law, regulation of medical devices) EU Private Law Judicial Protection in EU Law (in particular, State liability and private liability, and the horizontal application of free movement law) |
Jenifer Varzaly |
Corporate law Corporate governance |
Angelia Wang |
Intellectual property (IP) law IP and artificial intelligence Personal data and privacy Blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) IP for games and gamification |
Bruce Wardhaugh |
Competition Law including state aid / subsidies Cartel control WTO and International Trade Law Law and economics (including projects incorporating that methodology) Corporate and commercial law |
Se-shauna Wheatle |
UK Constitutional Law Comparative Constitutional Law Rule of Law Caribbean Constitutional Law Unwritten constitutional principles |
Olivia Woolley |
Environmental Law (UK, EU, International) Terrestrial and marine ecosystem protection and law Energy Law concerning the low carbon energy transition Renewable Energy and Law (UK, EU, International) Climate Law (UK, EU, International) |
Ben Yong |
Public law Institutions Empirical legal research The judiciary: empirical studies Sociolegal approaches to the law The executive The legislature/Parliament Budgeting Bureaucracy: the civil service; parliamentary administration The legal profession |
Yanwen Zhang |
International economic law (in particular, international investment law) International dispute settlement (in particular, cross-cutting issues relating to international courts and tribunals) Public international law |