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Emma Curryer

Profile summary

  • Central Academic Staff
  • Head of Department, Law School
  • The Faculty of Business & Law
  • The Open University Law School
  • The Law School
  • emma.curryer

Professional biography

Emma Curryer joined The Open University in February 2016, first as an Associate Lecturer before being a Student Experience Manager and is now a lecturer with the law school teaching subjects including criminal, evidence, and family law. Emma also leads the Criminal Justice Clinic and the Mediation project that is part of the award winning, Open Justice Centre.

Emma is a specialised criminal law solicitor who has worked in prosecution and defence work for 21 years. She was a Senior Crown Prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service for 16 years where she dealt with serious crime.  She has also been a defence lawyer, with a defence practice in Buckinghamshire.  Emma is a member of the criminal litigation accreditation scheme.  

Research interests

Criminal law, Justice and Evidence

Emma’s research relates to her interest in criminal law, and in particular the law of evidence and disclosure. She is exploring whether disclosure laws need amending to reflect recent high-profile failings of the Crown Prosecution Service and new technologies. Related to this, she is interested in youth justice and how age of consent compares internationally. Particularly interested in the concept of justice, and the vulnerable, Emma also has expertise in Egyptology and is using that to complement her knowledge of crime to consider the law in the context of antiquities.

Open Justice and Pro bono work

As part of her role as lead for the Criminal Justice Clinic, Emma is conducting research into outcomes for students participating in pro bono work during their undergraduate studies

Teaching interests

Emma brings her experience from professional practice as a criminal lawyer to her teaching. She will be teaching on the new criminal law module, currently teaches on public law and crime and is currently writing on the forthcoming family law module. Emma works as part of the Open Justice Centre and is the mediation and Criminal Justice Clinic lead. Emma is keen to expand opportunities for students to work on criminal law cases and is currently developing some new exciting projects.