Image of Dr Ben Stanford

Dr Ben Stanford

School of Law

Faculty of Business and Law

Ben specialises in matters of public law and human rights. His current research focuses on political rights, democracy and accountability. He has published widely in these areas in journals such as Public Law and the European Human Rights Law Review. Ben is a joint Editor-in-Chief for ‘The Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law’. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has previously acted as LLB course director, led two student field trips to The Netherlands, and co-ordinated Erasmus exchange programmes. He has acted as an independent election observer accredited by the Electoral Commission in 2018, 2023 and 2024 for the General Election. In August 2021 he was appointed by the Ministry of Justice as a Lay Observer to monitor the welfare of people held in court custody. Ben also has some experience in the third sector, having worked for Peace Brigades International (UK), Rights Watch (UK) and the Human Rights Lawyers Association.

Degrees

2017, University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, PhD
2013, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, LLM
2012, Lancaster University, United Kingdom, LLB

Certifications

2019, Higher Education Academy, Fellow
2019, National Co-Ordinating Centre for Public Engagement, Engage Researchers’ Academy

Highlighted publications

Stanford B. 2024. Who Watches the Watchmen? Independent Observers, Constitutional Principles and Democratic Accountability The Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, 8 :79-108 Publisher Url

Stanford B. 2024. Dealing with the bad apples: The Recall of MPs Act 2015 Public Law, 2024 :581-590 Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B, Pasculli L. 2022. Form and Flexibility: The Normalisation of ‘Magnitsky Sanctions’ in the Face of the Rule of Law Hague Journal on the Rule of Law, DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B, Foster S, Berdud CE. 2021. Global Pandemic, Security and Human Rights Comparative Explorations of Covid-19 and the Law Routledge 9781032010250

Stanford B. 2020. Power to the People! Public Spaces Protection Orders and the Devolution of the Preventive State Public Law, 2020 :719-739

Stanford B. 2018. The 2018 English Local Elections ID Pilots and the Right to Vote: A Vote of (no) Confidence? European Human Rights Law Review, :600-613

Stanford B. 2018. The multi-faceted challenges to free speech in higher education: frustrating the rights of political participation on campus Public Law, 2018 :708-724

Stanford B. 2018. Compulsory Voter Identification, Disenfranchisement and Human Rights: Electoral Reform in Great Britain European Human Rights Law Review, 23 :57-66

Stanford B, Ahmed Y. 2016. The Prevent Strategy: The Human Rights Implications of the United Kingdom’s Counter-Radicalisation Policy Questions of International Law, 24 :35-58

Journal article

Stanford B. 2024. Who Watches the Watchmen? Independent Observers, Constitutional Principles and Democratic Accountability The Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, 8 :79-108 Publisher Url

Stanford B. 2024. Dealing with the bad apples: The Recall of MPs Act 2015 Public Law, 2024 :581-590 Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B. 2024. The Introduction and Implementation of Voter ID in the United Kingdom: A Project Summary LJMU Student Law Journal, 3 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B, Pasculli L. 2023. Forma e flessibilità: la normalizzazione delle «sanzioni Magnitsky» nel rispetto della legalità negli U.S.A., in Canada, nel Regno Unito ed in Australia Diritto Penale XXI Secolo, 22 :53-96

Stanford B, Pasculli L. 2022. Form and Flexibility: The Normalisation of ‘Magnitsky Sanctions’ in the Face of the Rule of Law Hague Journal on the Rule of Law, DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B. 2022. Case Comment - R (on the application of Coughlan) v Minister for the Cabinet Office Coventry Law Journal, 27 :126-129 Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B. 2022. The Elections Bill: the arrival of voter ID (and a whole lot more) Coventry Law Journal, 26 :41-48 Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B. 2021. Covid in the Courts: Challenges to Lockdown Measures in the United Kingdom Coventry Law Journal, 26 :100-106 Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B. 2021. Case Comment - Yam v United Kingdom Coventry Law Journal, 25 :127-130 Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B. 2020. Power to the People! Public Spaces Protection Orders and the Devolution of the Preventive State Public Law, 2020 :719-739

Stanford B, Foster S. 2020. Enhancing student knowledge and skills with publishing opportunities: a case study at Coventry University Coventry Law Journal, 25 :57-65

Stanford B. 2020. Electoral Reform and the Authorisation of Voter ID Pilot Schemes Coventry Law Journal, 24 :88-94

Stanford B. 2019. Justice in Exile? The Implications of ‘Temporary Exclusion Orders’ for the Right to a Fair Trial Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, 3 :494-507 DOI Publisher Url

Stanford B. 2019. Barriers at the Ballot Box: The (In)accessibility of UK Polling Stations Coventry Law Journal, 24 :87-92

Stanford B. 2019. Case comment - R. (Salman Butt) v Secretary of State for the Home Department Coventry Law Journal, 24 :122-125

Stanford B, MacLennan S, Foster S. 2019. Case comment - Banks v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2018] UKFTT 617 (TC) Coventry Law Journal, 23 :112-115

Stanford B. 2019. Case comment - Mehmet Hasan Altan v Turkey (13237/17); Sahin Alpay v Turkey (16538/17) Coventry Law Journal, 23 :115-119

Stanford B, MacLennan S, Foster S. 2019. Case comment - Banks v HMRC: human rights and relief for political donations British Tax Review, 64 :15-21

Stanford B. 2018. The 2018 English Local Elections ID Pilots and the Right to Vote: A Vote of (no) Confidence? European Human Rights Law Review, :600-613

Stanford B. 2018. The multi-faceted challenges to free speech in higher education: frustrating the rights of political participation on campus Public Law, 2018 :708-724

Stanford B. 2018. Case comment - Abu Zubaydah v Lithuania (46454/11) and Al Nashiri v Romania (33234/12) unreported 31 May 2018 (ECHR) Coventry Law Journal, 23 :87-90

Stanford B. 2018. Compulsory Voter Identification, Disenfranchisement and Human Rights: Electoral Reform in Great Britain European Human Rights Law Review, 23 :57-66

Stanford B, Vogelvang E. 2017. Weighing up the ICTY: The Trial of Ratko Mladic and the Future for International Criminal Justice Coventry Law Journal, 22 :58-62

Stanford B. 2017. Counter-terrorism and the Prospects of Human Rights: Securitizing Difference and Dissent (Book Review) European Human Rights Law Review, 22 :525-527

Stanford B. 2017. The Complexities of Contemporary Terrorism Trials Laid Bare Criminal Law & Justice Weekly, 181 :594-596

Stanford B. 2017. Once More Unto The Breach: The Deployment of British Soldiers Overseas and the UK’s Human Rights Obligations Coventry Law Journal, 22 :80-86

Stanford B. 2017. To Helmand and Back Criminal Law & Justice Weekly, 181 :322-324

Stanford B, Yiannaros A, Nyombi C. 2016. TTIP Negotiations in the Shadow of Human Rights and Democratic Values International Company and Commercial Law Review, 27 :316-322

Stanford B, Ahmed Y. 2016. The Prevent Strategy: The Human Rights Implications of the United Kingdom’s Counter-Radicalisation Policy Questions of International Law, 24 :35-58

Stanford B. 2015. The "War on Terror": Perpetual Emergency Edinburgh Student Law Review, 2 :1-16

Stanford B. 2015. The War on Terror and the Laws of War: A Military Perspective: Book Review Utrecht Journal of International and European Law, 31 :100-103 DOI Publisher Url

Stanford B, Borelli S. 2014. Troubled Waters in the Mare Nostrum: Interception and Push-Backs of Migrants in the Mediterranean and the European Convention on Human Rights Uluslararası Hukuk ve Politika – Review of International Law and Politics, 10 :29-69

Stanford B. The Past, Present and Future of Voter ID in Great Britain – Voter Turnout, Rejection and Confidence Liverpool Law Review: a journal of contemporary legal issues, Publisher Url Public Url

Other

Stanford B. 2024. Written Evidence to Joint Committee on Human Rights, Inquiry: The role of human rights in the UK democratic process Publisher Url

Stanford B. 2022. No ID? No vote! Voter ID comes to Great Britain LSE Politics and Public Policy Blog, Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B. 2021. Written Evidence to Joint Committee on Human Rights, Inquiry: Freedom of Expression, (21 September 2021) Publisher Url

Stanford B. 2021. Written evidence to Joint Committee on Human Rights, Legislative Scrutiny: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill Publisher Url

Stanford B. 2018. The results of the 2018 voter ID pilots and why this is not the time for a national roll-out LSE Politics and Public Policy Blog, Publisher Url

Stanford B. 2017. Voter ID plans could disenfranchise millions The Conversation, Publisher Url

Chapters

Stanford B, Foster S, Espaliú Berdud C. 2021. Human Rights and Security in the COVID-19 Era Stanford B, Foster S, Espaliú Berdud C. Global Pandemic, Security and Human Rights Comparative Explorations of Covid-19 and the Law Routledge 9781032010250

Li L, Foster S, Espaliú Berdud C, Stanford B. 2021. The Pandemic Crisis and its Global Legal Impact on Information Protection, Creative Economy, and Business Activities Li L, Foster S, Espaluí Berdud C, Stanford B. Global Pandemic, Technology and Business Comparative Explorations of Covid-19 and the Law Routledge 9781032010281

Li L, Foster S, Espaliú Berdud C, Stanford B. 2021. Reflections on COVID-19 Li L, Foster S, Espaliú Berdud C, Stanford B. Global Pandemic, Technology and Business Comparative Explorations of Covid-19 and the Law Routledge 9781032010281

Stanford B, Foster S. 2021. Human Rights in Times of Emergency: COVID-19 Taking the United Kingdom into Uncharted Territory Stanford B, Foster S, Espaliú Berdud C. Global Pandemic, Security and Human Rights: Comparative Explorations of COVID-19 and the Law Routledge 9781032010250 Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B, Foster S. 2019. Enhancing Key Legal Skills and Student Engagement through an Innovative, Authentic Assessment Simmons C. Teaching and Excellence the Coventry Way Coventry University Higher Education Corporation 978-1-84600-092-8 Publisher Url Public Url

Stanford B. The Restraint, Reassertion and Realities of Parliamentary Sovereignty: Reassessing the United Kingdom’s Post-Brexit Constitutional Identity Guinchard E, Panara C. The New Relationship between the UK and the EU Springer Publisher Url Public Url

Books (authored)

Stanford B, Foster S, Berdud CE. 2021. Global Pandemic, Security and Human Rights Comparative Explorations of Covid-19 and the Law Routledge 9781032010250

Li L, Berdud CE, Foster S, Stanford B. 2021. Global Pandemic, Technology and Business Comparative Explorations of Covid-19 and the Law Routledge 9781032010281

Media Coverage:

Interview with Cumberland Lodge to discuss voter registration and identification prior to the 2024 General Election 2024

Interview on BBC Merseyside with Claire Hamilton to discuss the impact of voter identification following the May 2024 Local Elections 2023

LJMU Corporate Communications - Photo ID – Did it impact on voter rights in Liverpool? 2023

Quoted on Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform 2023

Quoted in The Independent, "Voter ID explained: What are the new rules at polling stations for upcoming local elections?" 2023

Quoted in The SocialTalks, "No ID, No Vote: Is The UK Voter Identification Policy Appropriate?" 2023

Quoted by Kirsten Oswald MP for East Renfrewshire 2023

Quoted in The South West Londoner, "How will new photo ID voting regulations affect local elections?" 2023

Quoted in The Peterborough Telegraph, "Local elections 23: Don’t be put off by voter ID changes" 2023

Quoted in Channel 4 News FactCheck, "Why will voter identification be required for elections in Great Britain and what ID will polling stations accept – explained" 2023

LJMU Corporate Communications - Research supports fears of UK voter suppression 2023

Panel discussion on BBC Newsnight to discuss MPs cash for access scandal 2015

Other Professional Activity:

Electoral Commission: Accredited Individual Observer. Attended polling stations to conduct voter identification research and interview election officials.. 2023

Ministry of Justice / Lay Observers’ National Council: Lay Observer. Member of UK’s National Preventive Mechanism. Independent public appointee role to monitor welfare and access to justice of people being brought to court and held in custody. 2021

Electoral Commission: Accredited Individual Observer. Attended polling stations to conduct voter identification research and interview election officials.. 2018

External committees:

LLB Degree Programme - Law, Swansea University, External Examiner. 2021

BA Degree Programme - Crime, Terrorism and Global Security, Easton and Otley College (University of East Anglia affiliated), External Examiner. 2017

Editorial boards:

The Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Co Editor-in-Chief. 2018

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