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Dr Laura Higson-Bliss' Outputs (34)

Seven police officers and a WhatsApp group: What could go wrong? (2024)
Journal Article
Higson-Bliss, L. (in press). Seven police officers and a WhatsApp group: What could go wrong?. Journal of Criminal Law,

Provides a case comment on the recent matter of Cobban & Borders v DPP [2024] EWHC 1908 (Admin) following a High Court Appeal on the Appellants original convictions of sending grossly offensive communications as prohibited under to s.127(1) of the Co... Read More about Seven police officers and a WhatsApp group: What could go wrong?.

"‘I’m my own biggest critic’ – an autoethnographic reflection of an early-career researcher’s first year as a Lecturer in Law" (2023)
Journal Article
Higson-Bliss, L. (2023). "‘I’m my own biggest critic’ – an autoethnographic reflection of an early-career researcher’s first year as a Lecturer in Law". The Law Teacher, 57(4), https://doi.org/10.1080/03069400.2023.2281765

Embedding my discussions in the wider literature around the neoliberal university and adopting an autoethnographic approach (the keeping of a diary), I explore the thoughts and feelings that I have felt over my first year of teaching and researching... Read More about "‘I’m my own biggest critic’ – an autoethnographic reflection of an early-career researcher’s first year as a Lecturer in Law".

Social Media and Academic Freedom: A Critical Reflection of Martin Weller’s The Digital Scholar: How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice (2023)
Journal Article
Higson-Bliss, L. (2023). Social Media and Academic Freedom: A Critical Reflection of Martin Weller’s The Digital Scholar: How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice. The Journal of Academic Development and Education, https://doi.org/10.21252/wdxt-g215

As the neoliberal state has taken hold of the university sector, we as academics are feeling increasing pressure to publicise ourselves, our scholarship, and our research online. In recent years there has been a drive in showcasing our work across so... Read More about Social Media and Academic Freedom: A Critical Reflection of Martin Weller’s The Digital Scholar: How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice.

“I’m my own biggest critic”: an autoethnographic reflection on an early-career researcher’s first year as a lecturer in law (2023)
Journal Article
Higson-Bliss, L. (in press). “I’m my own biggest critic”: an autoethnographic reflection on an early-career researcher’s first year as a lecturer in law. The Law Teacher, 57(4), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069400.2023.2281765

Embedding my discussions in the wider literature around the neoliberal university and adopting an autoethnographic approach (the keeping of a diary), I explore the thoughts and feelings that I have had over my first year of teaching and researching i... Read More about “I’m my own biggest critic”: an autoethnographic reflection on an early-career researcher’s first year as a lecturer in law.

‘I did not know I could learn so many skills, from playing games’ – Using reflection as a form of assessment in legal ed game-based learning. (2023)
Presentation / Conference
Higson-Bliss, L. (2023, September). ‘I did not know I could learn so many skills, from playing games’ – Using reflection as a form of assessment in legal ed game-based learning. Paper presented at Legend Fest 2023, Leeds University

Introducing game-based learning into teaching law to Foundation Year students has revolutionised the classroom. Not only has it allowed students to interact with each other and filled the classroom with laughter, it has allowed students to pick up tr... Read More about ‘I did not know I could learn so many skills, from playing games’ – Using reflection as a form of assessment in legal ed game-based learning..

Using the criminal law to regulate online behaviour (2023)
Presentation / Conference
Higson-Bliss, L. (2023, August). Using the criminal law to regulate online behaviour. Paper presented at School of Computing and Mathematics Research Seminar Series, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, England, UK

Discuss the use to the Malicious Communications Act 1988, s.127(1) and (2) of the Communications Act 2003 and part 10 of the Online Safety Bill to regulate behaviour online.

Social Media and Academic Freedom: A Critical Reflection of Martin Weller’s The Digital Scholar: How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice. (2023)
Journal Article
Higson-Bliss, L. (in press). Social Media and Academic Freedom: A Critical Reflection of Martin Weller’s The Digital Scholar: How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice. The Journal of Academic Development and Education,

As the neoliberal state has taken hold of the university sector, we as academics are feeling increasing pressure to publicise ourselves, our scholarship, and our research online. In recent years there has been a drive in showcasing our work across so... Read More about Social Media and Academic Freedom: A Critical Reflection of Martin Weller’s The Digital Scholar: How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice..

Will Someone not Think of the Children?’ The Protectionist State and Regulating the ‘Harms’ of the Online World for Young People (2023)
Presentation / Conference
Higson-Bliss, L. (2023, April). Will Someone not Think of the Children?’ The Protectionist State and Regulating the ‘Harms’ of the Online World for Young People. Paper presented at British and Irish Law Education and Technology Association, University of Amsterdam

Since 2018, following a green paper exploring the regulation of the online world (HM Government, 2018), the Conservative Government in the United Kingdom have continued the rhetoric that they wish to become one of the safest places in the world to go... Read More about Will Someone not Think of the Children?’ The Protectionist State and Regulating the ‘Harms’ of the Online World for Young People.

Prosecuting Communication Offences: Interpreting the Harms Model (2022)
Journal Article
Higson-Bliss, L. (2022). Prosecuting Communication Offences: Interpreting the Harms Model. Criminal Law Review, 271-289. https://doi.org/10.3316/agispt.20220322064068

This article explores the Law Commission’s 2021 paper - Modernising Communications Offences: a final report. The Commission recommends replacing the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and section 127(1) of the Communications Act 2003 with a new offen... Read More about Prosecuting Communication Offences: Interpreting the Harms Model.

REVAMPING THE TRADITIONAL PRESENTATION: USING TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE A MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT (2022)
Presentation / Conference
Higson-Bliss, L. (2022, January). REVAMPING THE TRADITIONAL PRESENTATION: USING TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE A MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT. Paper presented at Keele Education Conference 2022, Keele University, Keele, N-U-L, Staffs, England

Anxiety amongst university students is common across the sector (January, Madhombiro, Chipamaunga et al., 2018). Add to the mix public speaking as a form of assessment, anxiety levels rise (Raja, 2017). There is no doubt that there is a place for the... Read More about REVAMPING THE TRADITIONAL PRESENTATION: USING TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE A MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT.

Trial of the State: Law and the Decline of Politics by Jonathan Sumption. London: Profile Books Ltd, 2019, 112 pp (£8.99 softback). ISBN 978-1-78-816373-6. (2021)
Journal Article
Higson-Bliss, L. (2021). Trial of the State: Law and the Decline of Politics by Jonathan Sumption. London: Profile Books Ltd, 2019, 112 pp (£8.99 softback). ISBN 978-1-78-816373-6. Legal Studies, 1 - 4. https://doi.org/10.1017/lst.2021.9

<jats:p>The UK is currently experiencing what can only be described as a political crisis. As faith in politics declines amongst citizens, there is an increasing trend to turn to the courts for answers – this is the thesis of Jonathan Sumption's <jat... Read More about Trial of the State: Law and the Decline of Politics by Jonathan Sumption. London: Profile Books Ltd, 2019, 112 pp (£8.99 softback). ISBN 978-1-78-816373-6..

Regulating Social Media (2021)
Presentation / Conference
Higson-Bliss, L. (2021, March). Regulating Social Media. Paper presented at ELSA Birmingham, University of Birmingham

Expanding the Field: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly when it comes to Social Media (2020)
Presentation / Conference
Higson-Bliss, L. (2020, September). Expanding the Field: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly when it comes to Social Media

In a world that is becoming increasingly digital, academics often turn to the likes of Facebook and Twitter to showcase their work. In fact, we are often encouraged to use these platforms. It can therefore be argued that the field today goes beyond t... Read More about Expanding the Field: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly when it comes to Social Media.

The Protection from Harassment Act 1997: Failures by the Criminal Justice System in a Social Media Age (2019)
Journal Article
Higson-Bliss, L. (2019). The Protection from Harassment Act 1997: Failures by the Criminal Justice System in a Social Media Age. Journal of Criminal Law, 217 - 228. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022018319829262

<jats:p> This article will critically examine how the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 is currently being used to tackle online abuse. The use of the Internet to abuse another is on the increase, with the police receiving increasing reports concer... Read More about The Protection from Harassment Act 1997: Failures by the Criminal Justice System in a Social Media Age.

Students’ perceptions of assessed seminar performance in law (2019)
Journal Article
Higson-Bliss, L. (2019). Students’ perceptions of assessed seminar performance in law. Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, 1 - 15. https://doi.org/10.1108/heswbl-01-2019-0020

<jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Purpose</jats:title> <jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to examine assessed seminars in law modules across first-, second- and third-year students at a higher education academy in Lancashire... Read More about Students’ perceptions of assessed seminar performance in law.

The crown prosecution guidelines and grossly offensive comments: an analysis (2017)
Journal Article
Higson-Bliss, L. (2017). The crown prosecution guidelines and grossly offensive comments: an analysis. Journal of Media Law, 173 - 188. https://doi.org/10.1080/17577632.2017.1369574

This article will critically evaluate the Crown Prosecution Service guidelines concerning grossly offensive comments made via social media. Abusive comments conducted online have recently dominated newspaper headlines. The Crown Prosecution Service h... Read More about The crown prosecution guidelines and grossly offensive comments: an analysis.

Non-justiciability: A Get Out of Jail Free Card? (2015)
Presentation / Conference
Higson-Bliss, L. (2015, March). Non-justiciability: A Get Out of Jail Free Card?. Paper presented at Department of Law and Criminology Research Seminar

This paper focuses on the definition of non-justiciability, moving on to what the consequences are when it comes to a non-justiciable judgment being granted. Furthermore, I briefly critically examine the concepts of primary and secondary non-justicia... Read More about Non-justiciability: A Get Out of Jail Free Card?.

Social Media: The Changing Nature of Politics and Politicians – from MPs to ‘Celebrities’
Presentation / Conference
Higson-Bliss, L. Social Media: The Changing Nature of Politics and Politicians – from MPs to ‘Celebrities’. Presented at The continuing crisis: Exploring the moral significance of the developments in politics, economic policy and the law since the 2008 banking crisis

The dramatic advancement of social media since 2008 has changed how the public interact and hold political figures to account, where in some instances, politicians are seen more as celebrities - #dishyrishi. Though the likes of Twitter and Facebook e... Read More about Social Media: The Changing Nature of Politics and Politicians – from MPs to ‘Celebrities’.