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Paul Roberts

Professor of Criminal Jurisprudence, Faculty of Social Sciences

Contact

  • workRoom C69 School of Law, Law and Social Sciences Building
    University Park
    Nottingham
    NG7 2RD
    UK
  • work0115 9515736
  • fax0115 9515696

Expertise Summary

Paul Roberts read law at Balliol College, Oxford (1987-1990 and 1992-93) and criminology at the Institute of Criminology and King's College, Cambridge (1990-91). Whilst based in the Faculty of Law in the University of Bristol in 1991-92, he conducted empirical research on forensic science evidence on behalf of the Runciman Royal Commission on Criminal Justice, before joining the School of Law as a Lecturer in Law in 1993. He was promoted to Reader in Criminal Justice in 2000, and to Professor of Criminal Jurisprudence in 2003.

Paul teaches and researches in the fields of criminal justice, evidence, criminology, criminal law and legal theory, with particular emphasis on philosophical, comparative and international perspectives. His principal publications are: Roberts and Zuckerman, Criminal Evidence (OUP, 2004), Roberts and Redmayne (eds), Innovations in Evidence and Proof (Hart, 2007), Cooper and Roberts, Special Measures for Vulnerable and Intimidated Witnesses: An Analysis of Crown Prosecution Service Monitoring Data (Crown Prosecution Service, 2005), and Roberts and Willmore, The Role of Forensic Science Evidence in Criminal Proceedings (HMSO, 1993), in addition to which he has published over seventy journal articles, book chapters, essays and reviews.

Paul has been visiting professor or invited lecturer at the International Islamic University Malaysia, the University of Warsaw, the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and the University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg), RSA. He is editorial board member of four academic journals: International Commentary on Evidence (ICE); Criminal Law & Philosophy; Law, Probability and Risk and Law and Philosophy. He was also a founding editorial board member The International Journal of Evidence and Proof (E & P), serving as Reviews Editor (1995-2005) and General Editor (2005-9). Paul has served as a consultant to the Crown Prosecution Service and to the Law Commissions of England and Wales and Scotland, and is a member of the Royal Statistical Society's Working Group on Statistics and the Law and of the Board of Foreign Advisors of the Institute of Evidence Law and Forensic Science, China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL).

Research Summary

Paul teaches and researches in the fields of criminal justice, evidence, criminology and criminal law, with particular emphasis on philosophical, comparative and international perspectives.

Selected Publications

  • ROBERTS, P. and ZUCKERMAN A.A.S., 2010. Criminal Evidence 2nd edn. Oxford University Press.

PhD Supervision

I am interested in supervising students who want to work on the following areas:

  • evidence and proof
  • criminal procedure
  • criminal process
  • comparative criminal justice
  • criminal law/punishment theory, extending over into moral and political philosophy

Current PhD Students

  • Arustamyan, Olia: Responsibility without Authorship
  • Canham, Mary: An Analysis of the use of Secret Evidence (Closed Evidence) and its Conceptual Capability with the Right to a Fair Hearing (co-supervised with Sangeeta Shah)
  • Carver, Lucy: The ICC and the Penal Objectives of International Criminal Justice
  • Hyde, Richard: 'There's a Rat in the Kitchen, what are the Local Authority going to do?': A Socio-Legal Study of the Enforcement of Food Safety and Food Hygiene Law (co-supervised with Professor Peter Cartwright)
  • Pleshkova, Olga: Human Rights in Policing

Recent PhD Students

Future Research

1. Reform and development of the law of evidence 2. International criminal justice; the International Criminal Court (ICC) 3. Comparative criminal justice 4. Philosophical foundations of criminal justice; criminal law theory

  • SPECIALIST EDITOR ON CRIMINAL LAW, PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE IN GREENBERG, D., ed., 2010. Jowitt's Dictionary of English Law 3rd edn. Sweet & Maxwell.
  • ROBERTS, P and SAUNDERS, C., 2010. Piloting PTWI - A Socio-Legal Window on Prosecutors' Assessments of Evidence and Witness Credibility Oxford Journal of Legal Studies. 30, 101-141
  • ROBERTS, P. and ZUCKERMAN A.A.S., 2010. Criminal Evidence 2nd edn. Oxford University Press.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2009. The Science of Proof: Forensic Science Evidence in English Criminal Trials. In: FRASER, J and WILLIAMS, R., eds., Handbook of Forensic Science Willan. 446-484
  • ROBERTS, P. and SAUNDERS, C., 2008. Interviewing Prosecution Witnesses: A Socio-Legal Evaluation of the Pre-Trial Witness Interview Pilot Crown Prosecution Service.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2008. Faces of Justice Adrift? Damaska's Comparative Method and the Future of Common Law Evidence. In: JACKSON, J., LANGER, M. and TILLERS, P., eds., Crime, Procedure and Evidence in A Comparative and International Context - Essays in Honour of Professor Mirjan Damaska Hart. 295-328
  • ROBERTS, P., 2007. Chapter 1: Rethinking the law of evidence: a twenty-first century agenda for teaching and research. In: ROBERTS, P. and REDMAYNE, M., eds., Innovations in evidence and proof: integrating theory, research and teaching Oxford: Hart Publishing. 19-63
  • ALLEN and ROBERTS, P., eds., 2007. Special Issue of Evidence & Proof on the Reference Class Problem
  • ROBERTS, P., 2007. Comparative Law for International Criminal Justice. In: ORUCU, E. and NELKEN, D., eds., Comparative Law - A Handbook Hart. 339-370
  • ROBERTS, P., 2007. Criminal Procedure, the Presumption of Innocence and Judicial Reasoning under the Human Rights Act. In: FENWICK, H., PHILLIPSON, G. and MASTERMAN, R., eds., Judicial Reasoning under the UK Human Rights Act Cambridge University Press. 377-423
  • ROBERTS, P., 2007. Law and Criminal Investigation. In: NEWBURN, T., WILLIAMSON, T. and WRIGHT, A., eds., Handbook of Criminal Investigation Willan. 92-145
  • ROBERTS, P., 2006. Theorising procedural tradition: subjects, objects and values in criminal adjudication. In: DUFF, A., FARMER, L., MARSHALL, S. and TADROS, V., eds., The trial on trial. Part 2: Judgement and calling to account. Oxford: Hart. 37-64
  • ROBERTS, P., 2006. Penal Offence in Question: Some Reference Points for Interdisciplinary Conversation. In: SIMESTER, A. and VON HIRSCH, A., eds., Incivilities: Regulating Offensive Behaviour Hart. 1-56
  • ROBERTS. P. and SIMESTER, A., 2006. Strict Liability in UK Regulation, Annex E to Richard McCrory, Regulatory Justice: Sanctioning in a post-Hampton World - Consultation Document Cabinet Office.
  • COOPER, D and ROBERTS, P., 2005. Special Measures for Vulnerable and Intimidated Witnesses: An Analysis of Crown Prosecution Service Monitoring Data London: Crown Prosecution Service.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2005. Book Review: Taylor, Wasik and Leng: Blackstone's Guide to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE AND PROOF. VOL 9(NUMB 2), 148-152
  • ROBERTS, P., 2005. Strict Liability and the Presumption of Innocence: An Expose of Functionalist Assumptions. In: Appraising Strict Liability Oxford University Press, Oxford. 151-194
  • ROBERTS, P and ZUCKERMAN, A.A.S., 2004. Criminal evidence Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2004. Towards the principled reception of expert evidence of witness credibility in criminal trials INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE AND PROOF. VOL 8(NUMB 4), 215-232
  • ROBERTS, P., 2004. Restoration and Retribution in International Criminal Justice: An Exploratory Analysis. In: Restorative Justice and Criminal Justice: Competing or Reconcilable Paradigms? Hart Publishing Ltd, Oxford, UK. 115-134
  • ROBERTS, P. and MCMILLAN, N., 2003. For Criminology in International Criminal Justice Journal of International Criminal Justice. VOL 1(NUMB 2), 315-338
  • ROBERTS, P., 2003. Responsibility and Punishment, by J. Angelo Corlett; Punishment and Purpose: From Moral Theory to Punishment in Action, by Jan Willem de Keijser British Journal of Criminology. VOL 43(PART 1), 254-259
  • ROBERTS, P., 2002. The presumption of innocence brought home? Kebilene deconstructed Law Quarterly Review. 118(January), 41-71
  • ROBERTS,P., 2002. Drug-dealing and the Presumption of Innocence: The Human Rights Act (Almost) Bites The International Journal of Evidence and Proof. 6, 17-37
  • ROBERTS, P., 2002. Codification, in Retrospect and Prospect In: SPTL Criminal Justice Subject Section.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2002. On Method: The Ascent of Comparative Criminal Justice Oxford Journal of Legal Studies. VOL 22(PART 3), 539-562
  • ROBERTS, P., 2002. Justice for all? Two bad arguments (and several good suggestions) for resisting double jeopardy reform INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE AND PROOF. VOL 6(PART 4), 197-217
  • ROBERTS, P., 2002. Codification and Criminal Justice: Unravelling the Relationship In: Codifying Criminal Law.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2002. Rethinking the law of evidence: a twenty-first century agenda for teaching and research. In: LEWIS, A., ed., Current Legal Problems 55. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 297-345
  • ROBERTS, P., 2002. Science, Experts and Criminal Justice. In: The Handbook of the Criminal Justice Process Oxford University Press, Oxford. 253-284
  • ROBERTS, P., 2002. Double Jeopardy Law Reform: A Criminal Justice Commentary Modern Law Review. VOL 65(PART 3), 393-424
  • ROBERTS,P., 2001. Philosophy, Feinberg, Codification and Consent: A Progress Report on English Experiences of Criminal Law Reform Buffalo Criminal Law Review. 5, 173-253
  • ROBERTS, P., 2001. Human Rights and Criminal Law In: Centre for Penal Theory and Penal Ethics Colloquium on Human Rights Issues in Substantive Criminal Law and Sentencing Law.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2001. Rethinking the Law of Evidence: a Twenty-First Century Agenda for Teaching and Research In: CLP Lecture.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2001. Criminal Process and Restorative Justice: Exploring the Limits of Reconciliation in an Internalising Legal Order In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2001. From Getting into Bed with Andrews to the Overthrow of Anglo-American Jurisprudence: Remarks on Braithwaite and Von Hirsch In: Restorative Justice: exploring the Aims and Determining the Limits.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2001. International Criminal Justice Before and After September 11 In: Operation Enduring Freedom and the War Against Afghanistan.
  • ROBERTS,P., 2001. Review of Richard Nobles and David Schiff, Understanding Miscarriages of Justice (OUP, 2000) Law Quarterly Review. 117, 503-512
  • ROBERTS, P., 2001. Privacy, Autonomy and Criminal Justice Rights: Philosophical Preliminaries. In: Personal Autonomy, the Private Sphere and the Criminal Law: A Comparative Study Hart Publishing Ltd, Oxford, UK. 49-78
  • ROBERTS, P., 2000. Review Article: Discourses on Law in Policing Policing and Society. VOL 10(PART 2), 207-218
  • ROBERTS, P., 2000. Criminal Process and Restorative Justice: Exploring the Limits of Reconciliation in an Internationalising Legal Order In: Centre for Penal Theory and Penal Ethics Colloquium on Restorative Justice: Exploring the Aims and Determining the Limits.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2000. Lyal S. Sunga: The emerging system of international criminal law: Developments in codification and implementation; T.L.H. McCormack and G.J. Simpson (eds): The law of war crimes: National and international approaches INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE AND PROOF. VOL 4(PART 1), 73-76
  • ROBERTS,P., 2000. Review of Timothy L.H. McCormack and Gerry J. Simpson (eds), The Law of War Crimes: National and International Approaches (Kluwer, 1997) The International Journal of Evidence and Proof. 4, 73-76
  • ROBERTS, P., 2000. International Criminal Justice in Critical Perspective In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2000. Legislative Intentions, Legislative Supremacy and Legal Positivism: Does Professor Goldsworthy's Analysis Help? In: University of Nottingham Criminal Justice Discussion Group.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2000. Evidence in Criminal Proceedings and the Human Rights Act 1998 In: The Human Rights Act 1998.
  • ROBERTS, P., 2000. Acquitted Misconduct Evidence and Double Jeopardy Principles, From Sambasivam to Z Criminal Law Review. DEC, 952-970
  • ROBERTS, P., 1999. Evidence, proof and probability INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE AND PROOF. VOL 3(NUMBER 1), 68-70
  • ROBERTS,P., 1999. Review of Maxwell Barrett, Blackstone's Law of Evidence Index: Case Precedents 1900-1997 (Blackstone, 1998) The International Journal of Evidence and Proof. 3, 138-140
  • ROBERTS,P., 1999. Tyres with a 'Y': An English Perspective on Kumho Tire and its Implications for the Admissibility of Expert Evidence International Commentary on Evidence. 2 July 1999,
  • ROBERTS, P., 1999. From Political Morality to Legal Regulation: Remarks on Von Hirsch's The Ethics of Public Television Surveillance In: Workshop on Situational Crime Prevention: Ethics and Social Context.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1999. Criminal Justice and the Limits of Privacy In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1999. On the Preconditions and Possibilities of Criminal Law Theory In: Issues in Criminal Theory Seminar.
  • ROBERTS,P., 1998. Review of Christine van den Wyngaert (ed), International Criminal Law: A Collection of International and European Instruments (Kluwer, 1996) The International Journal of Evidence and Proof. 2, 60-68
  • ROBERTS, P., 1998. On the Preconditions and Possibilities of Criminal Law Theory In: Criminal Law Seminar.
  • ROBERTS,P., 1998. On the Preconditions and Possiblities of Criminal Law Theory South African Journal of Criminal Justice. 11, 285-324
  • ROBERTS, P., 1998. Sex and Violence in Europe: Reflections on Laskey In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1998. Recent Trends in English Penal Policy. In: Social Change, Social Policy and Social Work in the New Europe Ashgate Publishing Group, Aldershot & London. 97-117
  • ROBERTS, P., 1998. Is There a Criminal Law Right to Privacy? In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1998. On the Preconditions and Possibilities of Criminal Law Theory In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1998. Criminal Justice and the Limits of Privacy In: Personal Autonomy, the Private Sphere and the Criminal Law.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1998. What can be Done About Crime? In: Reflections on Recent Trends in Western Penal Policy.
  • ROBERTS,P., 1998. Review of M. Cherif Bassiouni (ed), The Protection of Human Rights in the Administration of Criminal Justice: A Compendium of United Nations Norms and Standards (Transnational Publishers, 1994) The International Journal of Evidence and Proof. 2, 60-68
  • ROBERTS,P., 1998. Review of Yoram Dinstein and Mala Tabory (eds), War Crimes in International Law (Martinus Nijhoff, 1996) The International Journal of Evidence and Proof. 2, 60-68
  • ROBERTS, P., 1998. Expert Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: More Lessons from North America. In: REECE, H., ed., Current Legal Issues: Law and Science 1. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 175-219
  • ROBERTS,P., 1998. Review of John Dugard and Christine van den Wyngaert (eds), International Criminal Law & Procedure (Dartmouth, 1996) The International Journal of Evidence and Proof. 2, 60-68
  • ROBERTS, P., 1997. Sex and Violence in Europe: Consent to Assault under the European Convention on Human Rights In: Issues in Criminal Theory Seminar.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1997. The Philosophical Foundations of Consent in the Criminal Law Oxford Journal of Legal Studies. VOL 17(NUMBER 3), 389-414
  • ROBERTS, P., 1997. The Law Commission Consultation Paper on Previous Misconduct: All the Usual Suspects: A Critical Appraisal of Law Commission Consultation Paper No. 141 Criminal Law Review. MNTH 2, 75-92
  • ROBERTS, P., 1997. Comparative Reflections on the Admissibility of Expert Evidence in Criminal Cases, Law and Science In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS,P., 1997. Review of Frankin E. Zimring and Gordon Hawkins, Incapacitation: Penal Confinement and the Restraint of Crime (OUP, 1995) Criminal Law Review. 373-376
  • ROBERTS,P., 1997. Evidence of Previous Misconduct: Paul Roberts Replies Criminal Law Review. 369-372
  • ROBERTS,P., 1997. Consent to Injury: How Far Can You Go? Law Quarterly Review. 113, 27-35
  • ROBERTS, P., 1997. Sex and Violence in Europe: Homosexual Sado-Masochism in the European Court of Human Rights In: Socio-Legal Studies Association.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1996. Will you stand up in court? On the admissibility of psychiatric and psychological evidence Journal of Forensic Psychiatry. VOL 7(NUMBER 1), 63-78
  • ROBERTS, P., 1996. The admissibility of expert evidence: Lessons from America Expert Evidence. VOL 4(NUMBER 3), 93-100
  • ROBERTS, P., 1996. Consent and Criminal Liability: Philosophical Foundations In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1996. From Deviance to Censure: A 'New' Criminology for the Nineties Modern Law Review. VOL 59(NUMBER 1), 125-144
  • ROBERTS,P., 1996. Review of John Jackson and Sean Doran, Judge Without Jury (OUP, 1995) Law Quarterly Review. 112, 513-518
  • ROBERTS, P., 1996. Reflections on the Law Commission's Consultation Paper - Previous Misconduct of a Defendant In: SPTL Criminal Justice Subject Section.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1996. Consent and Criminal Liability: A Framework for Discussion In: Institute of Contemporary Arts.
  • ROBERTS,P., 1996. Review of Herschel Prins, Offenders, Deviants or Patients? (Routledge, 1995) Criminal Law Review. 362-364
  • ROBERTS, P., 1996. Jill Hunter and Kathryn Cronin, Evidence, Advocacy and Ethical Practice: a Criminal Trial Commentary INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE AND PROOF. VOL 1(NUMBER 1), 92-97
  • ROBERTS, P., 1996. What Price a Free Market in Forensic Science Services? The Organization and Regulation of Science in the Criminal Process British Journal of Criminology. VOL 36(NUMBER 1), 37-60
  • ROBERTS, P., 1996. The Production and Diffusion of Scientific Evidence: Global Perspectives In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1995. Consent and the Criminal Law: Philosophical Foundations, in: Law Commission Consultation Paper No 139, Consent in the Criminal Law
  • ROBERTS,P., 1995. Review of A.T.H. Smith, Property Offences (Sweet and Maxwell, 1994) Law Quarterly Review. 111, 704-708
  • ROBERTS, P., 1995. Punishment, Moral Pluralism and Criminal Justice In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS, P., 1995. Taking the Burden of Proof Seriously Criminal Law Review. ISSUE 10, 783
  • ROBERTS, P., 1995. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994: Key Provisions In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS,P., 1995. Review of Michael McConville et al, Standing Accused: The Organisation and Practices of Criminal Defence Laywers in Britain (OUP 1994) Law Quarterly Review. 111, 167-172
  • ROBERTS, P., 1994. Prosecution Disclosure in Criminal Proceedings In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS,P., 1994. Review of Michael Moore, Act and Crime: The Philosophy of Action and its Implications for Criminal Law (OUP, 1993) Criminal Law Review. 393-394
  • ROBERTS, P., 1994. Mapping Ethics in Socio-Legal Scholarship In: Unknown.
  • ROBERTS,P., 1994. Review of Andrew L-T Choo, Abuse of Process and Judicial Stays of Criminal Proceedings (OUP, 1993) Law Quarterly Review. 110, 662-666
  • ROBERTS, P., 1994. Forensic Science Evidence After Runciman Criminal Law Review. MNTH 11, 780
  • ROBERTS, P., 1994. Science in the Criminal Process Oxford Journal of Legal Studies. VOL 14(NUMBER 4), 469
  • ROBERTS,P., 1994. Review of Andrew Von Hirsch, Censure and Sanctions (OUP, 1993) Criminal Law Review.
  • ROBERTS,P., 1994. Obtaining Defence Experts in Criminal Proceedings: Pragmatism and the Impossible Dream 42, 1-4
  • ROBERTS,P., 1994. Remedies for Non-Disclosure After <em>Ward</em> Archbold News. 4 November, 5-8
  • ROBERTS, PAUL, LAWYER, WILLMORE, C. J. (CHRIS J) and GREAT BRITAIN. ROYAL COMMISSION ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 1993. The role of forensic science evidence in criminal proceedings / by Paul Roberts and Chris Willmore ; consultants, Gwynn Davis...(et al.) London : HMSO, 1993.
  • ROBERTS,P., 1993. Social Control and the Censures of Sex Crime, Law and Social Change. 19, 171-186
  • ROBERTS,P., 1993. Expert Systems Solicitors' Journal. 3 December, 39-41
  • ROBERTS,P., 1993. Review of Andrei Marmor, Interpretation and Legal Theory (OUP, 1992) Law Quarterly Review. 109, 499-503
  • ROBERTS,P., 1992. Review of David Carson, Professionals and the Courts: A Handbook for Expert Witnesses (Venture Press, 1990) Modern Law Review. 55, 754-757
  • ROBERTS,P., 1992. Review of Tristram Hodgkinson, Expert Evidence: Law and Practice (Sweet and Maxwell, 1990) Modern Law Review. 55, 754-757
  • ROBERTS,P., 1992. Review of Stephen Guest, Ronald Dworkin (Edinburgh UP, 1992) Modern Law Review. 55, 881-885

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