Rhiannon Griffiths

Profile

Biography

BA (Hons) Japanese and History, SOAS

LLM International Human Rights Law and Practice, University of York

MA Social Research, University of York

Rhiannon defended her thesis in January 2024 and is now a Research Associate at the York Law School. She has also taught on several undergraduate and postgraduate modules, including the York Law School's problem-based learning programme.

Before returning to higher education, Rhiannon worked as a lecturer in English and drama in Kagoshima, Japan, and later as the Studio Project Manager for a foreign language media company. She also spent several years as a lead activist with Amnesty International UK as the Japan Country Coordinator and as Research Officer for the Anti-Death Penalty Project.

Research

Overview

Rhiannon is currently researching the development of constitutional theory in pre-war Japan, with a particular interest in the late-1800s. The project considers how ancient and contemporary Japanese traditions informed constitutionalism and the ways in which Western theories were transformed, subverted, and adopted by Japanese intellectuals.

Rhiannon's PhD, titled 'Historical Harm, Modern Mending: conceptualising transitional justice as social control in post-war Japan', focused on the legacy and memory of the Asia-Pacific War through three case studies: the Tokyo Trial, Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, and the Women's Active Museum. She proposed a new theoretical framework for understanding post-conflict mechanisms as behavioural coercion and demonstrated how this impacted Japan.