About

I spent my early career years developing policy initiatives for South Yorkshire Police where I worked on a number of projects, including creating a protocol for partnership agreements with HMR Courts. I joined the Law subject group at Sheffield Hallam University as an Associate Lecturer in Law in 2009. I started teaching in the Criminology subject group in 2011 and became the first full time Lecturer in both Law and Criminology in 2012.

Since joining the Law, Criminology and Community Justice Department I have taught on a broad range of undergraduate and post-graduate modules within both the Law and Criminology subject groups. I have also supervised dissertations from a number of different disciplines.

In 2012 I was awarded a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and in 2013 continued to develop my professional skills through successful completion of the Postgraduate certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.

In addition to teaching I am a member of a postgraduate change project which aims to develop our postgraduate provision. I am also working with South Yorkshire Police to examine ways in which we can work in closer partnerships.

I am currently undertaking a doctorate, researching the concept of criminal reasonableness and assessing what role this plays in criminal trials. In carrying out this research I am exploring and triangulating the tensions between procedure, doctrine and jury perceptions.

My particular interest falls into the realms of criminal law and specifically the notion of reasonableness in criminal defences.

I am also very interested in developing the range of skills needed to study law. In 2013 a new skills module was designed in order to help students face the challenge of understanding legal language, legal reasoning, and the ability to analyse legal arguments. I am particularly interested in developing student's ability to move from simple analysis to mastering the challenge of critical thinking.

Teaching

Sheffield Institute of Law and Justice

College of Social Sciences and Arts

LLM in International Commercial Law, MSc Forensic Criminology, LLB, Criminology

Law in Practice, Legal Skill and Research and the Dissertation, Forensic Criminology 2: Issues in Policy and Practice, Academic and Legal Foundations, Policing, Forensic Criminology 1: Conceptual and Methodological Issues

Other activities

I am a member of a national policing forum which looks at ways in which policing can be developed through education.

I'm an Academic advisor to level 4 and 5 students on the LLB and level 6 on the Criminology degree.