After completing my undergraduate degree in History, I studied Law at Edinburgh. I was admitted as a qualified lawyer in 1992 and specialised in Environmental and Planning Law. Teaching on the Diploma at Edinburgh sparked my interest in teaching. Following my LLM, a research idea lead me to study Social Anthropolgy. With an ESRC Research Studentship I undertook fieldwork in Bhutan, Nepal and West Bengal. I was awarded the RAI/Sutasoma Award 2001.
On completing my PhD in 2002 I won an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, which I held at Edinburgh University. During my fellowship I was appointed as a fixed term lecturer in Social Anthropology at Edinburgh. In 2005, I became ESRC Research Fellow in socio-legal studies and through that became interested in policymaking.
I have held a range of research awards. joined the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Service where I worked on a range of justice related research projects. I moved back to teaching at Edinburgh Napier in 2012. My research interests cover Child Law, Refugee Law, Delict, Administrative Justice, and qualitative research. I currently hold two funding awards from the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In May 2017, my report on case management in family actions was published by the Scottish Civil Justice Council.
In August 2017, I was awarded funding for a pilot project on domestic abuse. In October 2017, I was appointed to lead an exciting new role to develop a professional doctorate programme across Edinburgh Napier.
I live in Scotland and am married. Two cats, no children. Love plants and being outside. Politically I tend to the centre/left. Not a monarchist. I am a practicing Buddhist. I speak and read a range of languages ( old and new, European and non-Eurpoean). I love France, Italy and Canada. But my heart belongs to Scotland, Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet.
RAI/Sutasoma Award 2001