Archives

• No. 1 (2023)

  Foreword

  I am very pleased to introduce the first edition of our student journal, the Sunderland Journal of Law and Criminology.  I would like to thank all of the students and staff involved in the editorial team and all of our peer reviewers who helped in the creation process of the journal.  In particular, I thank Dr Helen Williams for acting as the liaison between me and the school of criminology and in promoting the journal in her department to allow us to be a cross faculty publication.   Thanks must also go to Dr Donna Peacock (now of the University of Strathclyde) for all of the support and advice she gave us in setting up the journal and to Dr Ashley Lowerson (Northumbria University) for the ground work that she put in place with our previous iteration, the Sunderland Law Journal, without which we would not have had as solid a foundation to build upon.  Finally, thanks go to our student authors who’s hard work and enthusiasm in producing their articles and case notes allows us to create this publication to showcase all of their excellent work. 

  The journal is a cross faculty production which showcases work from our students across all levels and programmes in the schools of law and criminology respectively.  In this issue, Louise Ward discusses the rise in fake news and how, in the digital age, social media is able to amplify this.  In her article she asks whether the spreading of untruths should be considered a social harm and how it can be used to drive moral panic.  Kayleigh Atkins presents a case study on the Covid-19 pandemic and uses zemiology as a means of making sense of the responses that the UK government implemented during the crisis.  Next, Paige Scully explores the tragic killing of Lee Irving and how discrimination played a key role in his murder.  She asks whether further research is needed within the fields of law and criminology to recognise the diverse number of disabilities in society and whether reform is needed to protect those with disabilities within the criminal justice system.  In her second article of the issue, Louise Ward asks whether our understanding of crime should move away from asking why people commit offences and instead ask why individuals stop committing crimes.  She goes on to explore whether desistance is an individual act rather than a social act.   Finally, Joshua England considers the case of Joseph McCann, a serial sexual offender, and uses this case study to ask whether we can do better in balancing out the approaches of rehabilitation and retribution when sentencing offenders.

  This issue also contains three case notes, the first of which, by Ismail Anil Kuru, explores how a decision of the German Supreme Court ending the recognition of the ‘British style’ limited company used by German after the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, impacts German businesses going forwards.   Next, Miurin Kanijude Amarnath considers a recent Sri Lankan case which looks at the use of corporal punishment in that jurisdiction, asking whether a higher degree of protection is needed for children subjected to physical punishment.   Finally, Syeda Miah discusses the complexities involved in English law in the absence of clear guidelines when sentencing offenders who are involved in people smuggling, where manslaughter occurs as a result of their involvement in the conspiracy. 

  I hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together and we look forward to bringing you issue 2 in the Autumn of 2024. 

  Zach Leggett

  Editor in Chief