Dr Yates is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Criminology and Socio-legal Studies within our School of Social Sciences and Professions.
More about Dr. Shaun S. Yates
Dr Yates is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Criminology and Socio-legal Studies. In this role, Dr Yates has served London Met as course leader for the Criminology and Law BA and Criminology and International Security BA courses within the School of Social Sciences and Professions. He currently serves as the university’s Crime Challenge Champion Lead; in this post he is the Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Crime & Justice Dissertations and he has engaged with a range of non-governmental organisations and community projects to maximise their criminal justice impact (these include CourtWatch London and Angel Islington BID). Dr Yates has also served as the Editor-in-Chief for the Centre for Applied Research in Empowering Society Working Paper Series (CARES-WPS).
Dr Yates’s research focuses on lower criminal court justice (summary justice). He received his PhD from Anglia Ruskin University in 2022. His writings have been submitted to independent reviews of the criminal justice system and his expert commentary has appeared in The Times, Leading Britain’s Conversation and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. His research has also appeared in NGO reports and wider media, including those produced by Transform Justice, The Law Society Gazette, The Howard Journal of Crime & Justice, The Standard and the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Dr Yates coined the term ‘over-efficiency’, which he has used to critique criminal court policy that promotes speediness and cost savings at the expense of due process and social justice. His current work investigates the use of technology (including artificial intelligence tools) in the criminal courts and the crime-prevention potential of problem-solving courts.
Dr Yates has held various posts within the UK criminal justice system, including His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the National Probation Service. He has also worked on a range of research projects in partnership with Greater Manchester Police, the Design Against Crime Solution Centre (DACSC) and Essex Police.
As Senior Lecturer, Dr Yates has designed and taught a breadth of criminology and socio-legal modules. These include:
• Criminological theory
• Research methods (both qualitative and quantitative)
• Crime prevention and environmental design
• Key concepts in policing
• Explaining violence
In addition to these, Dr Yates supervises PhD and Master’s students. He has also served as a United Nations Volunteer. In that role, Dr Yates contributed to the module ‘Statistics for Decision Making’ for the Sierra Leone-based project, Africa Youth for Peace and Development.
In his role as course leader, Shaun teaches a breadth of subjects including criminological theory, research methods (both qualitative and quantitative), police studies and courtroom justice. He also has experience teaching child safeguarding and situational crime prevention.
Shaun enhances student learning by drawing upon his prior professional practice and research. He also oversees undergraduate dissertation projects.