This blog is written by Chris Ashford, Reader in Law and Society in the Department of Law at the University of Sunderland in the UK. From late Spring 2013, Chris will be taking up a Professorial appointment in the Law School at Northumbria University.
This blog seeks to explore law and sexuality in a broad socio-legal framework. It is unashamedly biased, controversial and irreverent, providing a radical space for ideas and debates in contemporary law and sexuality studies.
The views on this blog are the authors own, and do not necessarily reflect those of an employer.
The Author
Chris has published widely on the area of law and sexuality and legal education. A queer theorist; his research explores the intersection of law, sexuality and technology and has focused upon the phenomena of public sex, male for male sex work and more recently, barebacking. He has advised LGBT community and health groups, the NHS, Police and UK Parliament. Pink News - the most read British gay news service - named Chris as 26th in the top 50 Twitter users who influenced LGBT lives the most in 2011. His legal education research has explored and documented the rise of the apprenticeship route to qualification, and the impact upon Law Schools, whilst his pedagogic research has focussed upon the use of technology and media.
He is Vice Chair of the Association of Law Teachers (ALT), and also Secretary and Social Media Officer for the Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA). Additionally, he organises the Gender, Sexuality and Law Stream at the annual SLSA conference. Chris has previously served as a member of the Legal Education Research network (LERN) steering group, the Society of Legal Scholars Legal Education Sub-Committee and as the SLS's Legal Education Convenor.
He is Deputy Editor and Editor-Designate of The Law Teacher: The International Journal of Legal Education (published by Routledge) and a member of the editorial board of Porn Studies (published by Routledge), to be launched in 2013. He is a member of the Centre for Sex Work Research and Policy, the Scottish LGBT and Sexualities Network, and the Global Alliance for Justice Education. He is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and External Examiner at the University of Bradford, Middlesex University and the University of Winchester.
He is Reviews Editor of the Law Teacher: The International Journal of Legal Education, and a member of the Editorial Board. He has previously guest edited special issues of Sexualities, Liverpool Law Review, Web Journal of Current Legal Issues and Information & Communications Technology Law.
He is also working on a monograph entitled 'Public Sex and the Law: Silent Desire' to be published by Routledge-Cavendish.
He acted as an expert witness in the high-profile 2012 'porn trial' R v Walsh.
At Sunderland, he teaches Law and Sexuality, Legal Theory and Mooting at undergraduate level and teaches Gender, Sexuality and Law at postgraduate level along with leading research project modules. He also supports dissertation students at both PG and UG level.
In addition, he leads research within the Department of Law and is the University Law Unit of Assessment leader for the REF 2014 submission.
Chris is always willing to exchange and explore ideas with students and academics alike. He is also available for consultancy.
He is willing to supervise students in the area of law and sexuality and is always interested in hearing from potential doctorate students. Please contact Chris directly at: chris.ashford@sunderland.ac.uk
Contact Details:
Chris is always happy to hear from readers of the blog. You can get in touch via any of the means below:
Email: chris.ashford@sunderland.ac.uk
Department of Law, Faculty of Business and Law
University of Sunderland
Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's
St Peter's Way, Sunderland
United Kingdom, SR6 0DD
Tel: +44 (0)191 515 2312
Fax: +44 (0)191 515 2308
