Academic Profile

I studied Law at Southampton University (LLB), Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Sheffield (MA) and completed a PhD in Law, also at the University of Sheffield. I have worked as a lecturer at the University of Sheffield since 2001, having been previously employed by the Audit Commission.

I have developed an expertise in the ombudsman institution and have become a recognised national and international authority after writing widely on the topic, including the book "The Ombudsman Enterprise and Administrative Justice (with Trevor Buck and Brian Thompson (Ashgate))". My work has been widely cited, for instance in the Law Commission’s 2008 and 2010 reports on 'Administrative Redress: Public Bodies and the Citizen' and its later work on "Public Services Ombudsmen". I have also written on a range of other constitutional and administrative law topics, which are the topics I am responsible for teaching and coordinating in the School of Law. I am currently the Assistant Director of Postgraduate Research, responsible amongst other things for PhD recruitment and am the Director of the Centre for the Study of Law in Society.

Member of the Centre for the Study of Law in Society research cluster.

Qualifications

PhD, University of Sheffield
MA Socio-Legal Studies, University of Sheffield
LLB Law, University of Southampton

Teaching and Learning

The modules I teach are:

Undergraduate	Postgraduate and MA
Public Law I	Administrative Law (Convenor)
Public Law II

Research Interests

• Ombudsman
• Constitutional theory
• Administrative justice
• Complaints mechanisms

Key Publications

Buck T, Kirkham, R. and Thompson B. (2011) The Ombudsman Enterprise and Administrative Justice (Farnham: Ashgate)

Kirkham, R. (2006) The Constitutional Role of the Ombudsman. The International Ombudsman Yearbook, 10, Kluwer Law International, The Hague, The Netherlands (nb published in 2009), 120-140.

Kirkham, R., Thompson B. and Buck T. (2009) The Ombudsman's Place in the Constitution. Parliamentary Affairs, 600-617.

Kirkham, R., Thompson B. and Buck T. (2008) When putting things right goes wrong: enforcing the recommendations of the ombudsman. Public Law, 510-530.

Kirkham, R. (2007) The Parliamentary Ombudsman: Withstanding the test of time. Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: London.
This has been published as a House of Commons Paper: HC 421 of 2006-07

Kirkham, R. (2006) Challenging the authority of the Ombudsman: The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s special report on wartime detainees [2006]. Modern Law Review, 76, 792-818.

View my full publication list

Recent Invited Papers and Keynote Lectures

2010
Kirkham R. “Administrative Justice in Context: A manifesto for further study” at 2010 Socio-Legal Studies conference, University of West of England (March 26 2010).

2009
Kirkham R., Thompson B. and Buck T., Devolution and Administrative Justice, seminar presentation to the annual conference of the Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council. London, (19-20 May, 2009)

Kirkham R, The Rise of Ombudsmanry, staff seminar to Lancaster Law School, (13 May, 2009)

Kirkham R. and Thompson B., The Ombudsman Enterprise and Administrative Justice, plenary lecture to the biennial conference of the British and Irish Ombudsman Association, Warwick, (7-8 May, 2009)

Kirkham R., Thompson B. and Buck T., Future Challenges for the Ombudsman Community, seminar presentation to the quarterly meeting of the Public Sector Ombudsmen in the UK, Millbank, London, (6 March, 2009)

Key Projects/Grants

Awarding Body:	Swindon: Economic and Social Research Council
People Involved:	Kirkham, R., Thompson, B. and Buck, T.
Title/Description:	Public Services ombudsmen and administrative justice: models, roles, methods and relationships
Years Funded for:	2007-2008
Amount:	£77,115

Kirkham, R., Thompson, B. and Buck, T. (2007-08) Public Services ombudsmen and administrative justice: models, roles, methods and relationships (£77,115) (Swindon: Economic and Social Research Council)

Professional Activities and Recognition

• Editor of Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law
• Member of British and Irish Ombudsman Association
• Witness for the Committee on Standards in Public Life

Areas of Research Supervision

• Administrative Justice
• Ombudsmen
• Public Law