Research and projects

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Contact the Helena Kennedy Centre to discuss facilities, partnerships, doctoral research and more

Research and projects

Explore Helena Kennedy Centre's research

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Migrant Stories of Italy

Watch the documentaries made during the visit of students and staff from Media Arts & Communication an the Helena Kennedy Centre together with Mama Africa in Bari

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Leverhulme Trust Award to research Comparative Penal Supervision

This three-year project seeks  to explore and generate knowledge about the experience of penal supervision across England, North Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Severyna Magill on BBC

India video outrage

Severyna Magill, Senior Lecturer in Law and Human Rights and Course Leader for the MA/LLM Applied Human Rights, spoke to The Context, BBC News, about a viral video circulating in India depicting horrific sexual violence against women occurring in Manipur and what can be done in response

Workers in a factory

Driving Force

Automotive Supply Chains and Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region

Between Two Fires: Understanding Vulnerabilities andthe Support Needs of People from Albania, Viet Nam and Nigeria who have experiences Human Trafficking into the UK

'Vulnerability' to Human Trafficking: A Study of Albania, Vietnam, Nigeria and the UK

"Between Two Fires": Understanding Vulnerabilities and the Support Needs of People from Albania, Viet Nam and Nigeria who have Experiences Human Trafficking into the UK

Workers in a factory

Evidence Briefs

A series of issue briefs and supply chain updates to keep stakeholders informed about the issue of forced labour in the Uyghur Region

Street at night

Living within a Public Spaces Protection Order

Creating a robust evidence base that details the impact of anti-social behaviour tools and powers on people experiencing street homelessness within a Public Spaces Protection Order area

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Stable futures: Improving Outcomes for Children affected by Trafficking

This twelve month study seeks to identify ways that the current support system can be improved to ensure better short, medium and long-term outcomes for young people who have experiences human trafficking and/or exploitation

A worker in a factory

Built on Repression

The very floors we walk on could be made with forced labour

International Finance Corporation performance standards

Financing & Genocide

"Financing  & Genocide" present credible evidence that International Finance Corporation financing is contributing to companies committing gross human rights abuses against Uyghur peoples in the Uyghur Region

Text saying an investigation into how forced labour produced cotton based goods from the Uyghur region wend their way into international supply chains

Laundering Cotton

"Laundering Cotton" is an investigation into whether and how forced-labour-produced cotton and textiles from the Uyghur Region wend their way into international supply chains

Two workers manually crushing silicon

In Broad Daylight: Uyghur Forced Labour and Global Solar Supply Chains

In Broad Daylight reveals how forced labour in the Uyghur region has ripple effects throughout international solar supply chains

Laura Murphy in India interviewing people

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

The Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice is a thought leader in the effort to address forced labour worldwide. We support community partners addressing modern slavery internationally and in the UK through our research, clinics, and consultation

Detainees in a Xinjiang's camp sitting in rows on the ground

Forced Labour Lab

The Forced Labour Lab at the Helena Kennedy Centre is an initiative to provide an evidence base for better understanding forced labour globally

Two police officers at the entrance to the train station

Making algorithms in UK policing safer and fairer

The use of algorithms in UK policing has increased hugely in recent years. At least 14 police forces in the UK use some form of crime prediction software. Read more about a tool developed to govern the use of algorithms in UK policing

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Understanding the impact of inspection on probation

This report outlines the findings from a British Academy/Leverhulme Trust funded study on the impact of inspection on probation, written by Dr Jake Phillips

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Executive Report: An Examination of the One Stop Centre - Gauravi in Bhopal

The executive report from the research trip to Bhopal in India. The report presents collected narratives from gender-based violence survivors and those working on the ground to shape future policy

Home Office call for evidence on Violence Against Women and Girls - Recommendations from the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice

Home Office call for evidence on Violence Against Women and Girls

Academics and researchers from the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice contributed a number of recommendations to the Home Officer call for evidence on its Violence Against Women and Girls VAWG Strategy. Read the full submission

A person painting graffiti on a wall

Understanding how Community Protection Notices are used to regulate anti-social behaviour

A project that critically assesses the processes through which Community Protection Notices are constructed, evidenced and monitored to regulate anti-social behaviour

A group of people standing at the entrance to a building

Recipients' Experiences of Community Protection Notices

An exploratory project to understand recipients feelings towards the Community Protection Notice they have been issued for their involvement in anti-social behaviour

Prison's corridor and cells of inmates

Dying after prison and under probation supervision

This project examines the high mortality rate amongst people who have spent time in prison or are under probation supervision in the community

Helena Kennedy Centre staff in India

HKC India

A project to improve access to justice, rights and protection for women and girl victims of violence in India through knowledge transfer and the creation and implementation of innovative police training

Students from HKC in Africa

HKC Africa

Law, criminology and human rights students and staff from Sheffield Hallam University went to South Africa on a humanitarian two-week project with Africa’s Gift charity

Investigating modern slavery YouTube video screenshot

Investigating Modern Slavery

Students and staff at Sheffield Hallam worked with police in Derbyshire and Latvia to expose a large human trafficking operation


Explore our students' project work

Harry Preston

From LLM International Sports Law in Practice graduate to Football Operations Manager

Harry Preston, Football Operations Manager at Nottingham Forrest FC, shares his insights into studying LLM International Sports Law in Practice

A red folder with Sports Law sign on it and a gavel

'The clinical nature of the course enhances your ability to act in the best interests of your client'

Mads B. Melskens Staberg, an attorney-at-law based in Copenhagen, shared with us his thoughts on studying LLM International Sports Law in Practice at Sheffield Hallam University

A lawyer at the desk writing in his diary

Law students to experience Law in Practice

Nearly forty final-year students from Law and Law and Criminology degree programmes will take up their placements on Law in Practice

Sculpture Olympic Rings

Students shadowing work of Tokyo 2020 Olympics Pro Bono Legal Team

LLM International Sports Law in Practice students have been selected to shadow the work of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Pro Bono Legal Team

People from the Dignity project standing together on steps in the University

Dignity project

A project on human dignity organised by Applied Human Rights Masters students. The project was facilitated by Dr Thomas Bundschuh

Presentation slide from the Hate Crime project showing an education initiative

Hate Crime project

A project tackling religious-based hate crime on campus, funded by the Office for Students (OfS)

Sheffield Hallam University students at the UN in Geneva

UN Geneva Human Rights Tour

Helena Kennedy Centre's first UN Geneva Human Rights Tour of SHU students to explore professional human rights work


Get in touch

Contact the Helena Kennedy Centre to discuss facilities, partnerships, doctoral research and more