After gaining my PhD, I joined Southampton Law School in 2002. My thesis sparked my interest in the interaction between law and policy; both the initial creation of the law and subsequently when the courts adjudicate areas of law which have a highly political context. My interest in administrative justice developed initially in relation to the use in social security law of ‘bright line’ rules and thus arguments of cost-effectiveness. Since then I have explored administrative justice issues within residential tenancies, and I am particularly interested in routine administrative decision-making where competing values are often opaque. My current research explores the extent to which the homelessness appeals process meets the requirements of article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights and so raises important questions of principle in routine administrative decision-making.
