Northumbria Centre for Evidence & Criminal Justice Studies

Northumbria Centre for Evidence & Criminal Justice Studies is a nationally renowned research centre. Its mission is to conduct research of interest to academic and practitioner communities on all aspects of legal evidence and procedure (including civil, criminal and international systems of justice and comparative research) and other aspects of criminal justice.

Courts cannot deliver justice without fair procedures and accurate methods of assessing evidence. New forms of evidence, notably scientific and digital evidence pose particular challenges in this respect.

The Centre for Evidence and Criminal Justice Studies, established in 2007, brings together academics and practitioners to discuss and research all aspects of evidence and procedure.

 We have a particular focus on expert and scientific evidence. For example, the report of the NorthumbriaUniversity Digital Forensics Project (2024) provides the broadest and most holistic study to date  of the use, effectiveness and impact of digital forensics across the criminal justice system to date.

We also hold events and conduct research on all aspects of criminal justice, including its international and comparative dimensions: for example our recent conference ‘Lessons and Challenges of ICL and IHL’ on Issue and Challenges in International Humanitarian and Criminal Law.