Ms Vanessa Bettinson

Vanessa Bettinson has worked at DMU since 2004 teaching to all undergraduate levels.  Vanessa currently teaches criminal law, human rights law and immigration and refugee law to undergraduates.  She also teaches by distance learning a module called sports’ participant and the courts on the LLM Sports Law and she is the pathway leader of DMU’s new distance learning LLM in International Human Rights Law.  Vanessa has several publications spanning criminal justice, asylum law, domestic violence in the criminal justice system and human rights. 

• Loss and Denial of Refugee Status
  Bettinson, V. (2013) Loss and Denial of Refugee Status. In: Rafiqul Islam and Jahid Hossain Bhuiyan eds. An Introduction to International Refugee Law. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
• Applying generic sentencing aims in domestic violence cases in England and Wales.
  Bettinson, V. and Dingwall, G. (2012) Applying generic sentencing aims in domestic violence cases in England and Wales. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 40 (3). pp. 242–254.
• Restraining Orders following an aquittal: better prosecutorial after care in domestic violence cases?
  Bettinson, V. (2012) 'Restraining Orders following an aquittal: better prosecutorial after care in domestic violence cases?'. Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference. De Montfort University, Leicester, 3rd-5th April.
• Do generic sentencing aims result in optimised outcomes in domestic violence cases?
  Bettinson, V. and Dingwall, G. (2012) 'Do generic sentencing aims result in optimised outcomes in domestic violence cases?'. Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference, De Montfort University, Leicester, 3rd-5th April.
• Calling for a higher maximum sentence in child abduction cases : R v Kayani; R v Solliman [2011] EWCA Crim 2871.
  Bettinson, V. (2012) Calling for a higher maximum sentence in child abduction cases : R v Kayani; R v Solliman [2011] EWCA Crim 2871. Journal of Criminal Law, 76 (2), pp. 117-122.
• Restraining a prosecution? : R (on the application of Smith) v Crown Prosecution Service [2010] EWHC 3593 (Admin).
  Bettinson, V. (2011) Restraining a prosecution? : R (on the application of Smith) v Crown Prosecution Service [2010] EWHC 3593 (Admin). Journal of Criminal Law, 75 (4), pp.256-259.
• Has the Court of Appeal extended the per incuriam exception : R v Cooper [2011] EWCA cRIM 1872.
  Bettinson, V. (2011) Has the Court of Appeal extended the per incuriam exception: R v Cooper [2011] EWCA cRIM 1872. Journal of Criminal Law, 75 (6), pp.448-452.
• Deportation of migrant following criminal conviction: European Convention on Human Rights, Article 8 : Omojudi v United Kingdom (Application No. 1820/08, 24 November 2009).
  Bettinson, V. (2010) Deportation of migrant following criminal conviction: European Convention on Human Rights, Article 8 : Omojudi v United Kingdom (Application No. 1820/08, 24 November 2009). Journal of Criminal Law, 74 (2), pp. 113-117.
• Extended sentences for domestic volence offences : R v Fazli [2009] EWCA Crim 939.
  Bettinson, V., (2009) Extended sentences for domestic volence offences: R v Fazli [2009] EWCA Crim 939. Journal of Criminal Law, 73 (6), pp. 463-466.
• Abandoning an appeal against sentence from the Magistrates’ Court : R (on the application of Dembo Goumane) v Canterbury Crown Court and Crown Prosecution Service [2009] EWHC 1711 (Admin).
  Bettinson, V. (2009) Abandoning an appeal against sentence from the Magistrates’ Court : R (on the application of Dembo Goumane) v Canterbury Crown Court and Crown Prosecution Service [2009] EWHC 1711 (Admin). Journal of Criminal Law, 73 (5), pp. 375-377.

Click here| to see a full listing of Vanessa Bettinson's publications and outputs.

V. Bettinson and G. Dingwall, ‘Applying Generic Sentencing Aims in Domestic Violence Cases in England and Wales’ International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice (2012) 40 242-254

V. Bettinson, ‘Restraining Orders Following an Acquittal in Domestic Violence Cases: Securing Greater Victim Safety?’ Journal of Criminal Law (2012) 76(6) 512-527

Vanessa Bettinson’s current research interest is focused on the criminal justice system and whether it achieves or can improve upon justice outcomes for domestic violence victims.  Her recent publications considers the suitability of applying a variety of sentencing aims to these cases and the use of restraining orders following an acquittal.

Vanessa also has research interests regarding areas of asylum law specifically in the context of HIV/AIDS and gender-related issues

Criminal law, human rights law, immigration and refugee law    

2008-2010  De Montfort University PGCertHE with distinction

2001-2003 University of Leicester LLM in International Human Rights Law

1997-2001 Brunel University 2:1 LLB (Hons) Law

Socio-legal Studies association 2005 to present, member

Society of Legal Scholars 2005 to present, member

Conference Organisation

Stream Organiser and Themes Convenor, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, Leicester De Montfort University Law School April 2009

Stream Organiser and Criminal Justice Stream Convenor, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, Leicester De Montfort University Law School April 2012 

Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Stream Co-Convenor (with Ben Livings, University of Sunderland), Socio-Legal Studies Conference, York University, March 2013

Conference papers

Paper on N v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2005] 2 WLR 1124 at LSE Interdisciplinary Conference: Crossing the Boundaries March 24^th 2006.

Paper entitled “Resisting removal due to a lack of effective medical treatment for HIV/AIDS” at the Annual SLS Conference in Keele September 4^th 2006

Staff Seminar, ‘The Case of N v secretary of the State for the Home Department [2005] 2 WLR 1124 and the future of Article 3 ECHR claims in the migration and HIV/AIDS context’ at Leicester De Montfort University Law School November 8^th 2006

V. Bettinson, ‘The future of claims to resist removal by HIV+ Sufferers: The mother and child claim’ at the Annual SLSA Conference at the University of Kent, April 4^th 2007

V. Bettinson, “Restraining Orders following an acquittal: Better Prosecutorial After Care in Domestic Violence Caes?” at the Annual SLSA Conference at Leicester De Montfort University Law School April 5^th 2012

V. Bettinson and G. Dingwall, “Do Generic Sentencing Aims Result in Optimised Outcomes in Domestic Violence Cases?” at the Annual SLSA Conference at Leicester De Montfort University Law School April 5^th 2012

V. Bettinson, “Preventing continued victimisation: Making the case for further specialisation in courts for domestic violence victims” at the Symposium – ‘Legal Perspectives on the Victim’ at Nottingham Trent University December 19^th 2012

Case Note Editor (Assistant) for the Journal of Criminal Law 2011- present

Guest Editor for the Liverpool Law Review, a special edition on ‘Historical and Contemporary Legal issues relating to HIV/AIDS,’ Vol. 28 (2) 2007

Reviewer for Legal Studies 2010

Editorial Board member, Journal of Criminal Law (from 2011)

Reviewer for Oxford University Press

Reviewer for Routledge