Personal statement

I joined the Law School at the University of Strathclyde in 2012, having previously worked in social science research groups at the University of Queensland (Australia), the Australian National University and Massey University (New Zealand). Prior to that I practiced as a solicitor in New Zealand and worked in local government legal teams in England.

My area of research is the regulation of work and labour markets. Currently, I am examining regulatory issues relating to the innovation economy, specifically in relation to digital technology startups and industry 4.0 (digital manufacturing). My inquiry explores the various regulatory modes in operation to support and shape production in the innovation economy, ethical issues that emerge in relation to the resulting models of innovation production and how the discourse and practice of innovation production interacts with present understandings and application of labour law. Previous programmes of research include a focus on working time and the relationship between paid work and personal life and inquiry into the employment tribunal system.

Theoretically and methodologically I apply a social scientific approach to the study of law. This involves my drawing on social theory and speaking to sociological concerns, as well as seeking to inform a sociological jurisprudence and sociological understanding of legal issues more broadly. I undertake qualitative empirical methods, such as the use of interviews, participant observation and diary methods. Increasingly I am engaged in interdisciplinary approaches that bring together legal, sociological and engineering perspectives.