Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Inclusive Public Space (Law)

Do you have a research interest in making society more inclusive for disabled people, older people, people with young children and others?

Do you want to further develop your career in one of the UK’s leading research-intensive Universities, acquiring transdisciplinary skills and experience as part of an exciting multidisciplinary team?

You will work with Professor Anna Lawson, two other Postdoctoral Research Fellows and a Research Project Officer. The other two Postdoctoral research positions will bring additional expertise in Computer Science and Social Science to the project team and these posts are also currently being advertised. You will work within the Centre for Law and Social Justice and the Centre for Disability Studies on a 5-year European Research Council (Advanced Grant) project – ‘Inclusive Public Space: Law, Universality and Difference in the Accessibility of Streets’. You will play a key role in this project, working closely with the Principal Investigator (Anna Lawson) to lead and deliver the project’s Work Package on ‘Legal Responsiveness’. This is broadly concerned with advancing understanding of how law of different types (eg human rights, equality, tort, planning and criminal law) is and could be used to make public space more inclusive, in particular by:

(a)exploring the extent to which exclusionary public space is covered by different types of domestic law in the 5 project countries (China, Kenya, the Netherlands, the United States and the United Kingdom), and the nature and effectiveness of its enforcement and usage;

(b)exploring how international initiatives (eg the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals) influence law relating to exclusionary public space and trigger change;

(c)identifying how law relating to public space is understood and used in the 5 project countries; and

(d)producing guides to enhance awareness of legal entitlements and how to claim them.

You will also work with all team members to deliver other aspects of the project. You will have a PhD at the time that your appointment commences or very soon afterwards; and an interest in work on equality law, legal theory, and comparative and international law. Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work to deadlines are essential – as is the ability to work as part of a team and independently. Intellectual initiative, creativity and curiosity are also essential. You will be supported to develop research skills and transdisciplinary expertise through a dedicated training programme for the project team, as well as through training and support available through the School and University. The post will involve extensive travel, including spending a period of 6 weeks in non-UK project countries.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, including about the project’s other two Postdoctoral Research Fellow positions, please contact:

Anna Lawson, Professor of Law

Email: a.m.m.lawson@leeds.ac.uk