Research Interests
Open to PhD applications in:
- Policing, crime prevention and community safety
- Security sector reform
- Overseas development assistance and international policing
- Commercial sex and its policing and regulation
Public outreach & key achievements
I have held a number of research awards over the years in relation to police reform both in Northern Ireland and elsewhere and have assisted the UNDP with police reform efforts in Turkey. More recently I have received research grants to study the regulation of commercial sex in four European cities and was the lead researcher on the NI Department of Justice funded study to assess the impact of sex purchase legislation that was implemented in Northern Ireland in 2015. I have supervised a large number of PhD students to successful completion on topics ranging from policing football violence, private policing and security, organ trafficking and police reform in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
Research students
| PhD area | How does the military life course interact with army transition? A study exploring the social factors affecting the well-being of the British military community, considering the effectiveness of current military transition arrangements |
|---|---|
| Name | Nicole Walker |
Alumni: Where are they now
| PhD area | Weighing the cost of life in body parts: A socio-legal analysis of the organ trade |
|---|---|
| Name | Dr Sean Columb |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2016 |
| PhD area | A defined understanding of influence and practice in international policing missions in states of transition |
| Name | Dr Jonathan Kearney |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2015 |
| PhD area | Exploring subjective maturity: The role of maturity in young adults' experiences of crime, criminal justice and desistance in Northern Ireland |
| Name | Dr Brendan Coyle |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2014 |
Discover More
- Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Centre for European and Transnational Legal Studies
- Health and Human Rights Unit
- Human Rights Centre
- Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- The Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice
Get ahead: tips on how to prepare your application to study for a PhD at QUB Law
Read our on the steps in our PhD applications process and how to present your research proposal.
Interested in a postdoctoral fellowship at QUB Law?
If you have already completed a PhD or are about to do so, and you are looking for a mentor for a postdoctoral fellowship in one of my areas of expertise, please get in touch via email. The School of Law has a strong track record in supporting able candidates who are working towards fellowship applications to funders such as the British Academy, EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie scheme, ESRC NINE and the Leverhulme Trust.