In 2024 and 2025, Dr Laura Jenkins (Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy) and Dr Emma Richardson (Communication and Media) launched Forensic Conversations, a hybrid symposium uniting researchers using Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis (EMCA) and Discursive Psychology (DP) to examine communication across policing, legal and justice contexts. Joined by Dr Alexandra Kent (Keele University), the organisers created what many participants described as the first dedicated networking space for scholars working in the specialist field. The events featured keynote speakers Dr Emma Tennent (Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand) and Professor Jan Svennevig (University of Agder, Norway), drawing in researchers from six continents to consolidate and establish new international collaborations and generating overwhelmingly positive feedback.
The success of Forensic Conversations has already led to several new research outputs, including a forthcoming Palgrave double-volume edited collection led by Dr Jenkins and Dr Richardson, featuring 18 chapters from contributors working across a range of international jurisdictions. The collection is due to be published in Spring 2027.
Building on this momentum, Dr Jenkins and Dr Richardson joined a wider collaboration led by Dr Alexandra Kent, alongside Dr Sarah Atkins (Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistic), Dr Carrie Childs (University of Derby), and Dr Magnus Hamann (University of Oxford). Together, the team successfully secured £15k funding from the British Academy and Wellcome Trust for the Voices of Justice project.
The proposal was ranked among the top three submissions and selected for a showcase event at the British Academy’s headquarters.
The resulting two-day Voice of Justice conference welcomed more than 80 delegates in person and over 30 online participants from various aspects of academia and professional practice. Expanding on the foundations established Forensic Conversations, the conference engaged with a broader range of linguistic and interdisciplinary approaches to communication in justice settings. Speakers explored topics including emergency service calls, police interviews, youth justice, probation practice, courts and sentencing, as well as communication in international legal contexts. The event provided an opportunity for researchers to share emerging projects, exchange ideas and develop future collaborations.
The conference also featured a keynote address from Professor Elizabeth Stokoe (London School of Economics Political Science), whose research on communication has influenced policy and professional practice across a range of sectors. A central theme throughout the event was the importance of bringing researchers and practitioners together to improve understanding of communication within justice systems. Participants highlighted the value of interdisciplinary perspectives, new partnerships, and the opportunity to share examples of effective practice that can inform future research and professional work.
Plans are already underway for the next Forensic Conversations event, which will be hosted at Loughborough University. Further details will be announced in due course.