Caroline Hunter
BA (Oxon); PG Dip. Housing Admin, Barrister
Contact details
Email: cmh516@york.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1904 32 5806
Office: York Law School, ADS/010
Biography
After working in housing advice, I trained as a barrister and developed a specialist practise in housing and local government. I moved into academia in 1990 and, prior to moving to York Law School, have worked at the University of Nottingham, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Manchester. My teaching has been with both law students and undergraduate and postgraduate students of housing policy and management. At Sheffield Hallam University I was instrumental in developing the post graduate certificate in anti-social behaviour law and policy. My current teaching responsibilities include module convenor for both Property Law 1 and Public Law 1.
Over the last 15 years I have worked on a wide range of empirical studies looking at the interaction of law and policy and practice. Funding for these has been from major government and charitable funders, including: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now DCLG), Department for Constitutional Affairs (now Ministry of Justice), Home Office, Housing Corporation, Nuffield Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Disability Rights Commission, Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group.
Through my work on empirical scholarship and membership of the SLSA executive I have become convenor of the working party leading the Legal Empirical Research Support Network (www.lersnet.ac.uk). I am also carrying out a small study funded by the Nuffield Foundation on the use of empirical research in the undergraduate law curriculum.
I retain a door tenancy at Arden Chambers, London and continue to undertake advisory work. I also provide training on legal issues for a number of organisations including Legal Action Group and in-house for social landlords.
I am a guest scholar in the law school at Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia.
Description of current research/research interests
My main research interests relate to housing and other urban regeneration issues, and the role of law in implementing and hindering the policy process. In particular I have become a national expert in the responses of housing organisations and local authorities to the issue anti-social behaviour. This research has also extended to the development of similar policies in Australia. My research has also had a particular focus on dispute resolution mechanisms in housing. I have recently become increasingly interested in the application of feminist theories to my work. I am currently taking part in a “Feminist Judgements” project which involves producing a feminist judgement of a leading House of Lords decision.
Selected recent publications
Book Contribution:
Hunter C. and Nixon J. (2008) 'Disciplining Women: Anti-Social Behaviour and the Governance of Conduct' in Millie A. (ed) Securing Respect: Behavioural expectations and anti-social behaviour in the UK Bristol: Policy Press
Articles:
Carr H. and Hunter C. (2008) 'Managing vulnerability: homelessness law and the interplay of the social, the political and the technical', Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 30:4, 293-307
Hunter C. (2008) 'Denying the severity of mental health problems to deny rights to the homeless' People, Place and Policy Online, 2:1 (3)
Hunter C., Nixon J., and Blandy S. (2008), 'Researching the judiciary: exploring the invisible in judicial decision making', Journal of Law and Society, 35:1, pp. 76-90
Hunter C., Hodge N., Nixon J., Parr S. (2008) 'Anti-social behaviour and disability – the response of social landlords', People, Place and Policy Online, 2:1 (5)
Carr H., Cowan D., and Hunter C. (2007) 'Policing the housing crisis', Critical Social Policy, Vol 27 (1), pp.100-127
Research Reports:
Hunter C., Hodge N, Nixon J., Parr S., Willis B. (2007) Disabled people’s experiences of anti-social behaviour and harassment in social housing: a critical review DRC
Professional activities
Lawyer chair of the Residential Property Tribunal Service.
Deputy General Editor: Journal of Housing Law
Joint Editor: Arden and Partington’s Housing Law, Cross on Local Government Law (Housing Chapter)