School of Law

Current research projects

 

 

• Our research group addresses critical issues across criminal law and criminal justice, using a variety of methodologies. Below is a selection of our key research themes, highlighting current and past projects. 

   

  Criminalisation and criminal responsibility 

   

  Investigating a wide range of areas across the substantive criminal law and its conceptualisation, structure, scope, policy and practice. 

   

  • Criminal law and markets (Farmer)  
  • The Boundaries of Blame (Kennefick) 
  • Scots criminal law: a rational reconstruction (Chalmers and Leverick) 
  • A comparative analysis of hate crime legislation (Chalmers and Leverick) 
  • Criminalisation (Farmer, along with Duff and Marshall (Stirling) and Renzo and Tadros (Warwick)) 
  • Fair labelling in criminal law (Chalmers and Leverick) 
  • The making of the modern criminal law (Farmer) 
  • Resorting to crime: the practice of criminalisation (Chalmers, Leverick and Shaw) 
  • Abusive and Offensive Online Communications (Ó Floinn – Law Commission Scoping Report) 

   

  Criminal jurisdiction  

   

  Examining the legal and practical challenges of jurisdiction in cross-border and international contexts. 

  • Jurisdiction and transnational offences (Ó Floinn) 
  • Investigative jurisdiction (Ó Floinn)  
  • Review of the Model law on MLA (Ó Floinn – UNODC) 
  • International Co-operation and Extradition (Ó Floinn et al - Law Commission/CLRNN)  

   

  Domestic abuse and gender-based violence 

   

  Exploring legal frameworks and responses to domestic abuse, with a focus on victim perspectives and systemic challenges. 

   

  • Hidden Voices: how women convicted of killing their intimate partners experience the Scottish criminal justice system (McPherson and Batchelor) 
  • Scottish homicides: bridging the gap between the empirical and theoretical (McPherson) 
  • Translating and understanding cases where women kill following domestic abuse (McPherson)  
  • Understanding Domestic Homicide in Scotland: Exploring Patterns, Promoting Safeguarding (McPherson with McMillan and Taylor (Glasgow Caledonian University)) 

   

  Preventing wrongful conviction 

   

  Research aimed at understanding and responding to the causes of miscarriages of justice.  

   

  Prosecution of sexual offences 

   

  Research into the legal, procedural and societal dimensions of prosecuting sexual offences. 

   

  • Independent Legal Representation and the Victims, Witnesses and Criminal Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill: A Review of Potential Models of Delivery (Keane, Chalmers, Leverick & Kinghan) 
  • The recovery and disclosure of sensitive records in Scottish sexual offence cases (Keane) 
  • An analysis of the use of private information in Scottish criminal trials and the Scottish rape shield legislation (Keane with Cowan (Edinburgh) and Munro (Warwick)) 
  • A proposal for Independent legal representation for complainers where an application is made to lead evidence of their sexual history or character (Keane and Convery) 

   

   

  Sentencing and community supervision 

   

  Examining the principles and practices of sentencing, probation and community-based sanctions and measures. 

   

  • Research into warranted and unwarranted sentencing disparities 
  • Public perceptions of sentences following a guilty plea (Gormley; McPherson) 
  • Public perceptions of sentencing for environmental and wildlife offences 
  • Research into community service in Ireland (Kennefick and Guilfoyle – Irish Probation Service) 
  • Histories of probation (Kennefick and Healy) 
  • Sentencing issues arising in cases involving domestic abuse, stalking, rape and other sexual offences and modern slavery (McPherson and Gormley) 

   

   

  The law of evidence and procedure 

   

  Analysing the rules and practices governing the use of evidence in criminal proceedings.  

   

  • Jury decision making (Chalmers and Leverick)  
  • The effectiveness of sentencing 
  • The inefficiencies of plea bargaining 
  • Electronic evidence law (Ó Floinn) 
  • Post-corroboration safeguards (Chalmers, Leverick and Shaw) 
  • Improving the efficiency of criminal court procedure (Chalmers and Leverick, along with Duff and Melvin (Aberdeen)) 
  • The relationship of appellate courts with other actors in the criminal justice system (Chalmers and Leverick, along with Armstrong and McNeill (SCCJR)) 
  • Victim participation in criminal justice (Chalmers and Leverick, along with Duff (Aberdeen)) 
  • Review of the Model law on Electronic Evidence (Ó Floinn – Commonwealth Secretariat)