Research

Research in the School of Law and Criminology covers a wide range of research questions, methodologies and purposes.

In Criminology, our academics explore different aspects of the regulation of behaviour of individuals. Some of their work is empirical, such as the use of behaviour sequence analysis. Other work includes analysis of international challenges posed by terrorism, human trafficking. There is also more theoretical engagement with contemporary issues like cryptocurrency.

In Law, our researchers focus on specific legal areas. These include family law, maritime law, intellectual property law, international law, and more specifically human rights law and international trade law. Their work adopts a range of approaches, including comparative, historical and empirical analysis. A significant amount of the research emphasises the doctrinal details of the law. Other projects, instead, consider the law’s social context, or they may adopt a more theoretical framework to critique the law. The two purposes of the work are a deeper understanding of the principles of the law and specific options for the reform of the law – where its current tests and operation are lacking.

The School welcomes expressions of interest for research supervision from PhD, Masters and Honours students. Staff are also able to share supervision across disciplines including areas such as forensic science, global security, history and politics, so candidates with an interdisciplinary focus are well supported.