Professor Gavin Dingwall

Gavin Dingwall was appointed to a Readership in Law at De Montfort University in 2005 and was awarded a Personal Chair in 2012. He worked in the Department of Law and Criminology at Aberystwyth University between 1992 and 2005. He held a Visiting Professorship at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy in 2016 and a Visiting Scholarship at Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide in 2004.

At undergraduate level, Gavin teaches modules in Criminal Law and Penology. He also contributes to the Faculty Doctoral Training Programme. Gavin served on the Executive Committee of the Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA) from 2008 until 2014 and co-organised the Association's annual conferences at De Montfort University in 2009 and 2012. He was invited to serve on the Howard League Research Advisory Group in 2018.

Gavin has written extensively on many aspects of Criminal Justice, as well as in Criminal Law, Criminology, Evidence and Procedure. Most of his work is conceptual, although he has adopted comparative, doctrinal and empirical methodologies. His work includes books on alcohol and crime, diversion in the criminal justice process and rural crime. His latest book, written with his colleague Tim Hillier, is entitled Blamestorming, Blamemongers and Scapegoats: Allocating Blame in the Criminal Justice Process (Policy, 2016). The book was the subject of a discussion on BBC Radio 4's Thinking Allowed series broadcast in June 2016.

He is currently working on three major projects: 'truth' and criminal justice; sentencing provisions for 'dangerous' offenders, with a particular emphasis on Imprisonment for Public Protection; and prison reform.

Gavin's Twitter account @GavinDingwall focuses on penal policy and has over 2,500 followers.  

Click here to see a full listing of Gavin Dingwall's publications and outputs.

Dingwall, G. and Hillier, T. (2015) Blamestorming, Blamemongers and Scapegoats: Allocating blame in the criminal justice process Bristol: Policy Press

Dingwall, G. (2006) Alcohol and Crime Cullompton: Willan Publishing

Dingwall, G. and Moody, S. (eds.) (1999) Crime and Conflict in the Countryside Cardiff: University of Wales Press

Dingwall, G. and Harding, C. (1998) Diversion in the Criminal Process London: Sweet & Maxwell

• Alcohol and crime;
• Sentencing policy and theory
• Criminal justice policy

• Criminal Law
• Penology

LLB (Warwick) MPhil (Wales)

• Criminal Law LLBP1015
• Penology LLBP3016
• Supervision of undergraduate projects
• Supervision of LLM dissertations
• Supervision of PhD students
• Doctoral Training Programme modules

• Member, Howard League Research Advisory Group
• Member, ESRC Peer Review College
• Executive Committee, Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA), 2008-2014
• Book Prize Committee, Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA), 2011-2014
• Seminar Prize Committee, Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA), 2012-2014
• External Panel Member, Sabbatical Committee, Wolverhampton University, 2013
• External Panel Member, LLM / MSc Criminal Justice and Penal Change Validation Panel, Strathclyde University, 2012
• External Panel Member, Academic Programme Review, School of Law, Brunel University, 2010
• External Panel Member, Periodic Review, School of Law, University of Reading, 2008
• External Penal Member, LLB Law with Criminology Validation Panel, University of Hull, 2008
• External Panel Member, Periodic Review, School of Law, University of Wales, Swansea, 2007

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• British Society of Criminology
• Centre for Crime and Justice Studies
• Northumbria Centre for Evidence and Criminal Justice Studies
• Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA)

Dingwall, G. 'Dangerous Children: Reflections on age-specificity and the legitimacy of incapacitative sentencing', Socio-Legal Studies Association Conference, University of Leeds, April 2019

Conference Organisation

Co-Organiser (with Stefano Bertea and Maria Cecilia Fregni), Joint Conference of De Montfort University, Leicester University and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Schools of Law, Leicester University, April 2019

Co-Organiser (with Francesco Belvisi, Stefano Bertea, Luigi Foffani, Maria Cecilia Fregni and Vincenzo Pacillo), Joint Conference of De Montfort University, Leicester University and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Schools of Law, De Montfort University, May 2018

Co-Organiser (with Francesco Belvisi, Stefano Bertea, Luigi Foffani, Maria Cecilia Fregni and Vincenzo Pacillo), Joint Conference of De Montfort University, Leicester University and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Schools of Law, Leicester University, April 2016

Co-Organiser (with André Naidoo), Socio-Legal Studies Conference, De Montfort University, Leicester, April 2012

Co-Organiser (with Trevor Buck), Socio-Legal Studies Conference, De Montfort University, Leicester, April 2009

Sentencing and Punishment Stream Convenor (with Tim Hillier), Socio-Legal Studies Conference

Papers

2019

Dingwall, G. 'How Can We Keep Minor Offenders Out Of Prison?', Department of Law and Criminology, Abersywtyth University, March 2019

Gallagher, J. and Dingwall, G. 'Unlocking the Prison Crisis: Does Scotland hold the key for England and Wales?', Centre for Law, Crime and Justice, Strathclyde University Law School, Glasgow, January 2019

2018

Bates, D. and Dingwall, G. 'Reconsidering the Process of Release: Evidence, accountability and parole decision-making', Centre for Applied Legal Research, University of the West of England, Bristol, November 2018

Bates, D. and Dingwall, G. 'Exploring Evidential Flaws from Complaint to Post-Conviction in the Radford Litigation', Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Hull, October 2018

Bates, D. and Dingwall, G. ‘How has the John Worboys Decision Altered Parole Board Decision-Making?’, Research Seminar, Sexual Violence Domestic Violence (SVDV) Research Network, De Montfort University, Leicester, September 2018

Dingwall, G. ‘Legitimacy, Transparency and the Release of Dangerous Offenders’, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, Bristol University, March 2018

2017

Dingwall, G. 'Punishability and the Restriction of Interests', British Society of Criminology Midlands Branch, Why Punish? symposium, De Montfort University, Leicester, December 2017

2016

Dingwall, G. and Hillier, T. 'Achieving Meaningful Prison Reform whilst Denouncing Deliberate Decarceration: A critique of the current penal reform proposals', British Criminology Conference, Nottingham, July 2016

Dingwall, G. and Hillier, T. 'The Use and Abuse of Blame in Determining the Limits of Criminalisation', Research Seminar, School of Law, University of Leicester, June 2016

Dingwall, G. 'Michael Gove's Dilemma: Can you reform prisons without reforming sentencing?', Joint Conference of De Montfort University, Leicester University and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Schools of Law, Leicester University, April 2016

Dingwall, G. 'The Minor Majority and the Limits of a Risk Penology', Socio-Legal Studies Conference, Lancaster University, April 2016

2015

Dingwall, G. ‘Circumstantial Luck and the Attribution of Blame in International Criminal Justice’, Bangor Centre for International Law, School of Law, Bangor University, December 2015

Dingwall, G. 'Reflections on the Correlation between Moral Fault and Mens Rea', Research Seminar, Northumbria Centre for Evidence and Criminal Justice Studies, Northumbria University, November 2015

Dingwall, G. 'Criminal Liability and Intoxicated Offenders: Comparing three European approaches', Leicester-Modena Conference on Law and Rights, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy, April 2015

Dingwall, G. 'Conceptualising a Low Risk Penology', Risk Symposium, Centre for Criminological Research, University of Sheffield, February 2015

Dingwall, G. and Hillier, T. 'Blamestorming, Blamemongers and Scapegoats: Some reflections on the allocation of blame in the criminal justice process', Staff Research Seminar, School of Law, Criminology and Sociology, Royal Holloway, University of London, January 2015

2013

Dingwall, G. ‘A Dangerous Decade? Risk, rights and the sentencing of violent and sexual offenders’, Justice in the Criminal Courts in the 21^st Century, Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, University Of Leeds, June 2013

Bettinson, V. and Dingwall, G. ‘Challenging the Ongoing Injustice of Imprisonment for Public Protection’, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, University of York, March 2013

2012

Bettinson, V. and Dingwall, G. ‘Do Generic Sentencing Aims Result in Optimised Outcomes in Domestic Violence Cases?’, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, De Montfort University, Leicester, April 2012

2011

Dingwall, G. and Hillier, T. ‘A Crisis of Legitimacy: conflicting notions of justice in responding to war crimes’, 2^nd Biennial War Crimes Conference, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London, March 2011

2010

Hillier, T. and Dingwall, G. ‘The Blame Game: how international justice seeks to exonerate the rest of us’, 10^th Conference of the European Society of Criminology, Liège, Belgium, September 2010 (presented by Tim Hillier)

Dingwall, G. ‘A New Way of Doing Sentencing? Will the increased visibility of British minority parties end the punitive consensus?’, 10^th Conference of the European Society of Criminology, Liège, Belgium, September 2010

Dingwall, G. and Sidki, K. ‘Developing an Effective Response to Problem Drinking in the Leicester Sikh Community’, BME National Workshop, Department of Health Alcohol Improvement Programme, Peterborough, July 2010

Dingwall, G. ‘The Ex-Factor: Recidivism, relevance and rhetoric’, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, University of the West of England, Bristol, March 2010

Merritt, J. and Dingwall, G. ‘Does Plural Suit Rural? Problematising the role of Police Community Support Officers in a rural environment’, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, University of the West of England, Bristol, March 2010

2009

Dingwall, G. ‘Alcohol, Crime and Disorder: Four unresolved issues for the criminal courts’, keynote lecture, Youth, Alcohol & Crime (Problems & Effective Responses) conference, Alcohol & Health Research Unit, University of the West of England, Bristol, November 2009

Dingwall, G. ‘Responding to Intoxicated Offending: An evaluation of four approaches’, keynote lecture, Drugs, Alcohol and Violent Crime – policy and practice? conference, Newport Centre for Criminal and Community Justice, University of Wales, Newport, April 2009

Dingwall, G. ‘Voices on the Margins? Sentencing policy and ‘minority’ parties in the United Kingdom’, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, De Montfort University, Leicester, April 2009

2008

Dingwall, G., Allen, M. and Graham, L. ‘Reprimands and Warnings’, The Crime and Disorder Act: 10 years on, Thematic Conference, Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, University of Leeds, May 2008

Dingwall, G. ‘Exploring the Effect of Sentencing Guidance on Sentencing Justification’, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, University of Manchester, March 2008

2007

Dingwall, G. ‘Sober Responses to Intoxicated Offending’, Guest Lecture, Department of Criminology, University of Leicester, November 2007

Hillier, T. and Dingwall, G. ‘International Criminal Tribunals and their Penal Philosophies’, British Criminology Conference, Mannheim Centre for Criminology, London School of Economics, September 2007 (presented by Tim Hillier)

Dingwall, G., Denscombe, M. and Hillier, T. ‘Researching Taxi Drivers’ Experiences of Crime: Some issues of ethics and methodology’, British Criminology Conference, Mannheim Centre for Criminology, London School of Economics, September 2007

Dingwall, G. ‘Deserting Desert? Reflections on the current role of retributivism’, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, University of Kent, Canterbury, April 2007

2006

Dingwall, G. ‘Hoodies and Goodies: Some critical reflections on current youth justice strategy’, Oxford University Howard League Group, Wadham College, University of Oxford, May 2006

Dingwall, G. ‘Just How Culpable is the Drinking Offender?’, British Society of Criminology Conference, Glasgow Caledonian University, July 2006

Dingwall, G. ‘Intoxicated Mistakes and Failure of Proof’, Staff Research seminar, School of Law, University of Wales, Swansea, March 2006

Dingwall, G., Gillespie, A.A. and Koffman, L. ‘Restricting the Rights of Juvenile Offenders in England and Wales: A triumph of form over substance?’, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, University of Stirling, March 2006

Gillespie, A.A. and Dingwall, G. ‘Rescuers, Duties and the Criminal Law’, Socio-Legal Studies Conference, University of Stirling, March 2006 (presented by Alisdair A. Gillespie)

2005

Dingwall, G. ‘What Shall We Do with the Drunkard? Jail Her? Sentencing and the intoxicated offender’, Research Seminar, Criminal Justice Unit, University of the West of England, Bristol, November 2005

Dingwall, G. ‘Will the Government’s ‘Blitz’ on ‘Alcohol-Related’ Crime and Disorder Work?’, British Society of Criminology Conference, University of Leeds, July 2005

Dingwall, G. ‘Alcohol, Crime and Responsible Responses’, Staff Research Seminar, Sussex Law School, Sussex University, March 2005

2004

Dingwall, G. ‘Jurisprudential Priorities and the Boundaries of Consent in Rape’, Staff Research Seminar, Faculty of Law, Monash University, Melbourne, April 2004

Dingwall, G. ‘What Shall We Do with the Drunkard? Jail Her? Sentencing and the intoxicated offender’, Staff Research Seminar, Department of Criminology, University of Melbourne, April 2004

Dingwall, G. ‘Theorising at the Margins: Reassessing the importance of intoxication in criminal law’, Staff Research Seminar, School of Law, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, March 2004

2002

Dingwall, G. ‘Alcohol, Crime and Responsibility’, Guest Seminar, Joint Meeting of the Northern Ireland Branch of the British Society of Criminology and the Institute of Criminology, Queen’s University, Belfast, November 2002

Dingwall, G. ‘Desert, Deterrence and the Demon Drink: How penal theory should inform the substantive criminal law on intoxication’, International Conference on Sentencing and Society, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, June 2002

Dingwall, G. ‘Wasted and Wounded, This ain’t what the moon did, We’ve got what we paid for now: The case for a principled approach to alcohol-induced offending’, Socio-Legal Studies Association Conference, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, April 2002

2000

Dingwall, G. ‘The Fundamental Dilemmas of Double Jeopardy’, Scrymgeour Law Lecture, Department of Law, University of Dundee, May 2000

Dingwall, G. ‘Sexual Coercion and the Boundaries of Consent in Rape’, Staff Research Seminar, School of Law, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, May 2000

1999

Dingwall, G. and Harding, C. ‘Desert and the Punitiveness of Imprisonment’, International Conference on Sentencing and Society, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, June 1999

1997

Dingwall, G. ‘Criminal Justice Policy and Practice: The rural dimension’, British Criminology Conference, Queen’s University, Belfast, July 1997

1995

Dingwall, G. ‘Selective Incapacitation after the Criminal Justice Act 1991: A proportional response to protecting the public?’, British Criminology Conference, University of Loughborough, July 1995

Professor Dingwall is interested in supervising research degree students who wish to explore aspects of criminal justice (particularly the relevance of 'blame', the politics of criminal justice, pre-trial diversion, sentencing and punishment), criminology (particularly alcohol-related crime and disorder) and criminal law (particularly intoxication and criminal liability, prior fault, 'moral luck', defences, mens rea, theories of criminalisation).

Past or present students have adopted comparative, doctrinal, empirical, socio-legal and theoretical approaches. Feel free to contact Gavin to discuss possible proposals prior to making a formal application.

• Jackie Elton (first supervisor) 'Expert Evidence and Miscarriages of Justice: Is there a formulation of the law relating to expert evidence which would reduce the risk of miscarriages of justice in cases where expert evidence is central to the conviction?'

• Reviewer, British Journal of Community Justice
• Reviewer, Criminology & Criminal Justice
• Reviewer, Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology
• Reviewer, Liverpool Law Review
• Reviewer, Medical Law Review
• Reviewer, Modern Law Review
• Reviewer, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management
• Reviewer, Addison Longman
• Reviewer, Oxford University Press
• Reviewer, Willan Publishing
• Reviewer, AHRC grant applications
• Reviewer, ESRC grant applications
• Reviewer, L’Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France) grant application
• Media interview, BBC Politics Show
• Media interview, BBC Wales
• Media interview, LBC