The Centre for Access to Justice and Inclusion (CAJI) engages in research, dialogue and policy initiatives to promote the important values of access to justice and inclusion. It brings together researchers from across three research clusters – Law and Society, Digital Economy and Arbitration Law, and Criminal Justice – to address current issues and challenges in this field.
These research clusters align closely with ARU's priority research areas of: (a) social inclusion and marginalised communities; and (b) crime and policing. Our researchers have engaged in a range of projects promoting the important values of access to justice and inclusion, including in the areas of human rights and vulnerable communities, family law, Sharia law and the regulation of sports.
Our researchers have also examined strategies for bridging the digital divide, and the regulation of online behavioural advertising on Facebook and other social networking sites, as well as the global challenges of international counter-terrorism and, in particular, the prosecution of members of Islamic State for international crimes against the Yazidis.
Many of the research projects undertaken by our researchers have strongly interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological design. Kariyawasam's work in copyright reform in China has informed the school's REF2021 impact case studies in these areas.
You can find out more about our advisory committee, members, affiliated doctoral students, and some of our projects by following the links on the left.
You can also email us at [email protected]
Several doctoral students undertaking research on subjects related to issues of access to justice and inclusion are affiliated with the Centre. Postgraduate research students contribute greatly to the vitality and sustainability of the work of the centre.
Our current research projects are structured around the following themes:
Dr Ana Keglevic-Steffek - Commercial and contract law (in a domestic, international and transnational context), dispute resolution, consumer protection, arbitration, legal technology and access to justice. In particular developing regulatory solutions at a domestic level, the European sphere and beyond.
Dr Andrew Noble - Employment law, more specifically the gig economy and the disclosure of criminal records of minor convictions to employers.
Dr Egle Dagilyte - Human rights, European Union constitutional and internal market law in particular the relationship between the EU and member states, EU citizenship, free movement of persons and migration, including Brexit. Worked on externally funded project in relation to EU Roma citizens access to welfare benefits in the UK, acted as a national expert on the European Commissions project on the EU citizenship via investment and consulted for non-governmental organisations.
Dr Helga Hejny - Comparative law, public law, environmental law, European law, human rights and public international law. Focus specifically on age discrimination in Blockchain and Smart Contracts.
Dr Imranali Panjwani - Commercial law, EU law, family law and civil litigation. Focus is on jurisprudence, human rights, immigration law and the relationship between Islamic and Western law. Recent focus is on access to justice for asylum seekers in the UK and the difficulties marginalised groups face when trying to flee their home nations.
Dr Katerina Sidiropoulou - Employment law, contract law, alternative/online dispute resolution, common law and EU law. Research and its intersection with issues of inclusion are focused on workplace discrimination, harassment/bullying and gender identity minorities.
Professor Rohan Kariyawasam - research interests emerged out of his previous professions working as a communications engineer in industry and later as a solicitor in private practice for large tech companies and observing the concept of “market power” in global corporations, such as Microsoft and Google. Through their innovations and purchases of smaller companies, the tech giants have accumulated a measure of control over access to the Internet and, as access to the World Wide Web is currently on its way to becoming a right in and of itself, this is concerning in regards to access to justice and inclusion.
Dr Ryan Hill - International human rights law and the nexus between philosophy and law. Specific focus on rights of people with dementia.
Dr Stefan Mandelbaum - Legal and political philosophy and also a focus on aspects of inclusivity and justice in the international adjudicative practice.
Tom Serby - Employment, civil litigation and sports law, specifically the quality and fairness of sports governance. Focus on critically discussing fairness of the disciplinary processes imposed on athletes by sports governing bodies involving 'compelled arbitration'.
The Centre hosts a packed programme of activities that contribute towards a vibrant, inclusive and collaborative research environment within the Faculty of Business and Law. This programme includes guest speakers, webinars, coffee and research sessions, conferences and continuing professional development, in order to promote the exchange of ideas and collaboration on issues of access to justice and inclusion.