Professor Gavin Dingwall

Professor

Department: Northumbria Law School

Gavin joined the Law School as a Professor in 2024. Before moving to Northumbria University, Gavin worked as Head of Policy and Communications at the Sentencing Academy and in the Law Schools at De Montfort and Aberystwyth Universities. He has held visiting appointments at Kings College London, the University of Birmingham, the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and Flinders University of South Australia.

He has published extensively on criminal justice, criminology, criminal law and criminal procedure and evidence. His work includes the following books: Minority Ethnic Prisoners and the Covid-19 Lockdown: Issues, Impacts and Implications (with Avril Brandon, 2022); Criminal Justice and the Pursuit of Truth (with Tim Hillier, 2021); Blamestorming, Blamemongers and Scapegoats: Allocating Blame in the Criminal Justice Process (with Tim Hillier, 2015); Alcohol and Crime (2006); Crime and Conflict in the Countryside (ed with Susan R. Moody, 1999); Diversion in the Criminal Process (with Christopher Harding, 1998).

At De Montfort University, Gavin won University and Faculty awards for his innovative research-enabled teaching practice. The approach was the subject of a podcast by the British Society of Criminology's Learning and Teaching Network. He also held a number of Faculty leadership roles, including Chair of the Faculty Professoriate, Chair of the Faculty Research Ethics Committee and Faculty Head of Research Students. He is often invited to speak at prestigious national and international events, a recent example being the annual Empirical Legal Research Network Lecture at the University of Edinburgh in 2024. He has engaged with policy makers throughout his career. This included presenting oral evidence to the House of Lords' Justice and Home Affairs Select Committee about the role of non-custodial sentences in 2023. Gavin enjoys commenting on criminal justice matters in the media, including for the BBC, ITV and LBC.