Criminal Defences (RDF17/LAW/WAKE)

Interest is sought for a full-time PhD student at Northumbria School of Law, to study the partial defences to murder under section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957 (as amended) and sections 54-56 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 from a comparative perspective.

The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 replaced the provocation defence with a new loss of control plea and radically altered the diminished responsibility defence. It was hoped that these changes ‘would significantly improve the law based upon the [existing] law of murder and sentencing regime’ (Law Com No 290, 2004). However, the amendments made under sections 52-56 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 have been the subject of much controversy since their inception. This project will provide a contextual analysis of the partial defences in light of the law in other jurisdictions, with a view to providing an optimal model for potential future reform.
Applicants should submit a research proposal, which should be comparative in nature and should adopt a qualitative research method. The proposal should specify what research method the applicant intends to apply, and so a knowledge of qualitative research methods is desirable. Familiarity with and a desire to engage further with criminal law doctrine is essential.

Proposals which include exploring the possibility of a coercive persuasion or “brainwashing” defence would be particularly welcome.

The research will be conducted within the Centre for Evidence and Criminal Justice Studies, based within the Northumbria University School of Law.

Eligibility and How to Apply
Please note eligibility requirement:
• Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
• Appropriate IELTS score, if required (evidence required by 1 August 2017).

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/

Please ensure you quote the advert reference above on your application form.
Deadline for applications: 20 January 2017
Start Date: 2 October 2017

Northumbria University is an equal opportunities provider and in welcoming applications for studentships from all sectors of the community we strongly encourage applications from women and under-represented groups.