About
Biography
Dr Finch is a criminologist and criminal lawyer with extensive experience in criminological research. Her first book The Criminalisation of Stalking won a Cavendish Book Prize in 2001. Since then, she has published extensively in the areas of stalking, drug-assisted rape and identity fraud. Her research on stalking has been influential in influencing policy-makers both on a domestic and international level (Scottish Executive Stalking and Harassment in Scotland). Her recent research into drug-assisted rape was rated 'outstanding' by the Economic and Social Research Council and has been internationally recognised and instrumental in shaping the law in other jurisdictions (R v. Sturm [2005] NZCA 137 para 46, New Zealand Court of Appeal). She also won the 2005 British Association for the Advancement of Science Joseph Lister Award for her work on identity fraud. Dr Finch has worked within numerous organisations advising on the human element of fraud prevention and also on offender profiling.
Research interests
- Dishonesty
- Jury decision-making
- Internet crime.
Teaching
- Law of Evidence
- Criminal Law.
Departmental duties
- Programme Leader Combined Honours LLB.
Publications
Books
The Criminalisation of Stalking (Cavendish Publishing, London 2001)
Contributions to edited collections
'Identity Theft' in Dictionary of Policing (Willan, Cullompton 2007)
'The Problem of Stolen Identity and the Internet' in Jewkes, Y (ed) (Willan, Cullompton 2006)
'Stalking' in Ritzer, G (ed) Encyclopaedia of Sociology (Blackwell-Wiley, Hoboken 2005)
'The Boundaries of Drug-Assisted Rape: the Findings of a Pilot Study' in Cottee, S, Smith, C and Wincup, E (eds) Selected Papers from the British Criminology Conference 2003 (with Munro, VE)
'What a Tangled Web We Weave: Identify Theft and the Internet' in Jewkes, Y (ed) dot.cons: Crime, Deviance and Identity on the Internet (Willan, Cullompton 2002)
Academic journal contributions
'Contemplating Criminal Liability for the Consequences of Unlawful Data Disclosure' (2012) Policy and Internet, vol 3, issue2, pp. 1-13
'Strategies of Adaptation and Diversification: the Impact of Chip and PIN Technology on the Activities of Fraudsters' (2011) Security Journalvol. 24, pp. 251-268
'Lifting the Veil? The Use of Focus Groups and Trial Simulations in Legal Research' (2008) 35 Journal of Law and Society 30-51 (with Munro, VE)
'The Demon Drink and the Demonised Woman: Socio-Sexual Stereotypes and Responsibility Attribution in Rape Trials involving Intoxicants' (2007) 16 Social and Legal Studies 591-614 (with Munro, VE)
'Breaking Boundaries: Sexual Consent in the Jury Room' (2006) 26 Legal Studies 303-320 (with Munro, VE)
'Juror Stereotypes and Blame Attribution in Rape Cases involving Intoxicants: the Findings of a Pilot Study' (2005) 45 British Journal of Criminology 25-38 (with Munro, VE)
'Of Bodies, Boundaries and Borders: Intoxicated Sexual Consent under the Law of Scotland and England' (2005) 1 Juridical Review 53-72 (with Munro, VE)
'Intoxicated Consent and Drug Assisted Rape Revisited: the Sexual Offences Act 2003' [2004] Criminal Law Review 789-840 (with Munro, VE)
'The Boundaries of Intoxicated Consent' [2003] Criminal Law Review 773-787
'Stalking the Perfect Stalking Law: an Evaluation of the Efficacy of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997' [2002] Criminal Law Review 703-719
'Violent Crimes and Crimes of Violence' [2002] Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 422-433
'Confidentiality in Research into Criminal Activities: the Legal and Ethical Dilemma' [2001] Mountbatten Journal of Legal Studies 34-50
'Contingent Criminality and the Inadvertent Stalker' (2000) Journal of Civil Liberties 273
'Protesters, Harassment and Reasonableness: the Implications of R v. Moseley' (1999) 5 Web Journal of Current Legal Issues