biography
At a glance
Born
St Helens, UK, 1966
Schooling
Southend High School for Boys
University Education
University of Sheffield
Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) 1988
Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) 1995
Universiteit Maastricht
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) 2012
awarded cum laude
Employment
University of Sheffield
Tutor and Research Student 1988-91
Lecturer 1991-2005
Senior Lecturer 2005-2007
Sub-Dean (Postgraduate Studies)
Universiteit Maastricht
Associate Professor 2008-2014
Professor 2014-
University of Lincoln
Visiting Professor in Health Law 2014-
Hobbies and Interests
Singing - bass/baritone. Choirs: Sheffield Cathedral, The Mastersingers, Kamerkoor Maastricht. Solo work. Jazz: Hugo Carruthers' Hot Rhythm Five
Cooking. Reading. Thinking. Flying kites. Dreaming and Ranting.
Studying at Sheffield
Sheffield in the 1980s and 90s was an exciting place. It was a growing place - with students from all over the world. It was a place with exciting academics, exploring new ideas of natural law theory, or administrative law, of criminology, and of commercial law. It was intense. It was University.
And in that environment I found opportunities, to challenge my expectations about Law. I had gone to Sheffield expecting to study to become a solicitor. I expected to study for three years and then return south. I intended to leave the University. I didn't become a solicitor; I didn't leave Sheffield for 20 years; I still haven't left University.
In the first weeks, I was introduced to my favourite journal article. Nils Christie "Conflicts as Property" (British Journal of Criminology 1977, 17(1):1–15). It is a very important work in criminology. How do we participate in society? But to me it is also an important work in property. What can be the things of 'property'? That and Pat Carlen's great "The Staging of Magistrates' Justice" (British Journal of Criminology 1976, 16(1):48–55), and there was little chance of a life in practice; moral philosophy and jurisprudence, and not chance of life outside university.
Working at Sheffield
Working in Sheffield was very similar to studying there - perhaps that is why I was able to stay for so long. It was a place that changed over the 23 years I was there; a place with changing people and changing concerns. The socio-legal stronghold of my student days passed, and amongst other themes, a new biotechnology law and ethics focus emerged (Sheffield Institute of Biotechnology Law and Ethics - SIBLE). I also had the chance to work with the Langsett Advice centre. In those two settings I learnt that Law wasn't only the joy of theory - practical questions could be interesting as well.
Funded Research
SIBLE gave me a great opportunity to be involved in externally funded research. The work has been around data protection and privacy, and about the way that research ethics operates in the life sciences. This has, of iteslf been really interesting. It has also enabled me to meet and work with many colleagues from across the world, brilliant academics whom I am privileged to call friends. And because the networks work so well, there is trust between us; the networks are open environments where we can share crazy novel ideas.
Working in Maastricht
People ask, how did you end up in Maastricht? Maastricht was looking for a new professor of health law on the retirement of the incumbent; I had worked in an EC-funded research project very successfully with the then HES head of department and a researcher in the department, so applied and was appointed. The work is very similar to early days in SIBLE. It is in the interdisciplinary environment of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences. There are lots of research projects with the established networks. I have developed courses across the Faculty. I am increasingly involved in administration.
Royal Society of Arts
In December 2016, I became a fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce. This is an interesting group, dating back to 1754, with members including Marx, Dickens, and Smith. My hope is that it will be a place to explore a new Polite Anarchy.