Current Research
Amy is currently working on an exploratory study of joint
enterprise, a doctrine in common law which allows two or more
individuals to be charged with the same criminal offence even when
each has played a very different role in relation to the offence.
The study involves a review of case files, with the aim of
providing a preliminary analysis of how the doctrine of joint
enterprise is applied in the prosecution of serious offences. The
study is funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
Amy is also working on a study which involves mapping
restorative justice provision across the criminal justice system in
England and Wales. This research is being conducted on behalf of
the Restorative Justice Council.
Background and Expertise
Amy joined ICPR in 2010, having completed a MA in Criminology
and Criminal Justice at King's College London in late 2009. She has
a BA in Criminology from Lancaster University (2008).
During her time at ICPR Amy has worked on projects focusing on
the criminal courts, sentencing, youth justice and restorative
justice. This includes a 20-month Economic and Social Research
Council (ESRC) funded study about victims', witnesses' and
defendants' experiences of the Crown Court; a Paul Hamlyn
Foundation and Barrow Cadbury Trust funded study into volunteering
opportunities for young adults with offending backgrounds and
studies exploring public attitudes to the sentencing of drug
offences and youth crime on behalf of the Sentencing Council and
Home Office, respectively.
Most recently, Amy has carried out a research review of the
components of effective advocacy in youth proceeedings,
commissioned by the Bar Standards Board in association with Ilex
Professional Standards, and an evaluation of pre-sentence
restorative justice on behalf of Restorative Solutions and Victim
Support.
Her research interests include the treatment of victims,
witnesses and defendants within the court setting; lay
participation; youth justice; restorative justice and public
attitdues to crime, justice and sentencing.
Amy is currently studying part-time for an ESRC-funded PhD in
Sociology at the Universtiy of Surrey. Her thesis is on witnesses'
and defendants' understanding and perceptions of the role of lay
participants (juries and lay magistrates) in the criminal courts.
She is also co-convening the Youth, Crime & Justice module of
the BSc Criminology and Criminal Justice programme at Birkbeck,
University of London.