Ursula Smartt JP
Associate Professor in Law LLB & Subject Leader for Public Law
Biography
Ursula Smartt is Associate Professor of Law at Northeastern University London and Legal Careers Counsellor for all students in the Humanities Faculty. She was awarded a Visiting Professorship at the Max Planck Institute in Freiburg, Germany, in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Systems with special research knowledge on the phenomena of stalking and public fear of crime. She holds a Visiting Fellowship at the Leeds Law School (Leeds Beckett University) and specialises in both legal and criminological teaching at higher education institutions.
As academic lawyer, Ursula has published extensively in international refereed law journals in media and entertainment law, on topics such as AI and the Law (mainly in relation to intellectual property law); Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (Slapps), regulating online harm, internet libel, privacy and freedom of expression. Smartt’s 700-page textbook, Media and Entertainment Law (Routledge) is the leading textbook on law and journalism courses in the UK and abroad. Other successful books include Media Law for Journalists; Law for Criminologists and Optimize Public Law.
As Criminologist with a Master of Philosophy degree in Social Policy and Criminology from the University of Hull, Ursula’s esteemed academic has focused extensively on prisoner labour research and correctional industries. She has undertaken large funded research projects for UK and international prison administrations and ministries of justice, and continues to act as consultant to governments in the economic aspects of prison industries, introducing real labour models into prison factories and incentivising outside contractors to manufacture their goods inside prisons, thereby paying prisoners realistic wages and increasing non-monetary incentives.
Ursula has advised on prisoners’ earnings legislation in the UK and other EU countries, such as Germany, Latvia and Moldova. Due to her multi-linguist skills, her track record in prison consultancies includes being able to read and converse in German, French, Spanish and basic knowledge of Italian. Her prison research experience includes, the USA (federal and state correctional industries), several German ‘Länder’; The Netherlands; Belgium; Italy; Sweden; Czech Republic; Hungary;; Canada (Ontario); Australia (New South Wales); the Turks & Caicos Islands (UK) and India. Until 2020 she served as presiding justice in youth and adult criminal courts in local magistrates courts of West London, and the southern English councils of Surrey and Sussex (magistrate – Justice of the Peace).
Ursula’s earlier career path includes teacher of PE and modern languages, as well as head of department comprehensive schools (11 – 18) in Yorkshire (Leeds), Glasgow (Scotland) and Surrey. She worked as Human Resource Manager for a luxury brand of five star hotels in Glasgow and London’s Bond Street, as well as radio showhost at BBC Radio Humberside in her earlier during and post her undergraduate studies at the University in Hull (BA English-German Joint Hons) in the Northeast of England.
Qualifications
MPhil, Social Policy and Criminology, University of Hull (1999)
Post Graduate Diploma in Law, University of West London (1998)
MA, German Politics and Social Policy, University of West London (1992)
PG Diploma in Hotel and Catering Management, University of Glasgow (1984)
General Teaching Council for Scotland Diploma, Jordanhill College, Glasgow
Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGCE), University of Hull (1976)
BA Joint Hons. English and German, University of Hull (1975)
Professional affiliations
Editorial board European Journal of Intellectual Property Review (EIPR)
Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS)
Society of Legal Scholars (SLS)
European Society of International Law (ESIL)
European Society of Criminology (ESC)
British Society of Criminology (BSC) Honorary Lifetime Member
Research
Law
Single authored publications in media and entertainment law are published annually in refereed international and UK communication, intellectual property and media law journals on topics including AI and copyright law; privacy; confidentiality; fake news; regulating online harm; streaming services and press regulation. Her mainstream book publications include ‘Media and Entertainment Law’ (Routledge); ‘Media Law for Journalists’ (Sage), ‘Optimize Public Law’ (Routledge).
Criminology and criminal justice
She has an extensive publication and research record in both English and German internationally refereed criminal justice and penology journals. This is based on Ursula’s long track record of internationally funded prison research including prisons in Moldova, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Hungary, the USA, Canada, New South Wales, the Turks and Caicos Islands and India. She was awarded a Visiting Professorship at the Max Planck Institute in Freiburg, Germany in 2001, specialising in fear of crime and stalking research. Mainstream book publications include, ‘Law for Criminologists’ (Sage) and ‘Grendon Tales’: stories from a therapeutic prison community’ (Waterside Press).
Consultancies and research (funded)
Sept 2020 – date Study into Economic Activities in Correctional Industries of the Republic of Moldova, funded by the German GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and the Swiss Agency for the Development and Cooperation (SDC) Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft.
2018 Southampton Football Club Academy Adviser: Social Media Training.
2017-2019 Adviser to Surrey Schools: Social Media Training.
2010 ‘Criminal process & court procedure’. Comparative research, Germany.
and England, Landgericht Münster, Westphalia, Germany.
2008 – 09 ‘Disclosure and CPR Rules’. Private Prosecutors’ Training. Middle Temple, London. ILEX Consultancy.
2007 ‘Evaluation of operational policy on response time to cases of domestic violence’. Thames Valley Police and CPS. HMCTS/MOJ.
2007 ‘Prison industries & contracting out prisoner labour’. Latvian Ministry of Justice, Riga.
2007 – 08 ‘Evaluation of Latvian prisons under human rights aspects’. Latvian Human Rights Centre, Riga. Council of Europe.
2002 – 03 ‘Homelessness in Guildford and Freiburg’. Comparative study, Anglo-German
Industrial Foundation and British Council.
1994 – 2000 Executive manager: ‘European Prison Industries Forum’, Home Office/ HM Prison Service. Remit: prisoner education & labour; correctional industries.
1998 – 2003 ‘Contracting out correctional industries under Private Finance Initiative (PFI)’. Rebbibia Penitentiary, Rome. Italian Ministry of Justice (Ministerio di Grazia e Giustizia, Roma).
2002 ‘Contracting-out correctional industries under PFI’. Sydney. Correctional Services of New South Wales, Australia.
2002 ‘Suicides and self-harm in prisons’. European Science Foundation, Brussels.
2000 Prison inspection Tihar Jail, New Delhi, India. Prisoner labour, human rights; mother and baby unit. Council of Europe/ Home Office, UK.
1994 – 1998 HM Prison Service, Senior Management Programme, Project Leader for overseas visits (e.g. German prisons; therapeutic prison communities; open imprisonment in the Netherlands). Prison Training College, Newbold Revel, Rugby. Home Office.
1994 – 2005 ‘Prison privatisation’; ‘Prisoner labour and Correctional Industries’; Ministries of Justice and prison departments in German Länder: Lower Saxony, Hanover; Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart; Bavaria, Munich; Berlin; Bremen; Hamburg; Hesse.
1996 – 2001 ‘Evaluation of therapeutic community prisons’: HMP Grendon; HMP Dovegate. Home Office.
1998 – 2000 ‘Religious faiths in prisons: The Kairos Prisons Ministry’. Home Office.
1997 – 1998 Prison Industries in Scotland, evaluation and report, Scottish Office,
Edinburgh.
1997 – 1998 Correctional Industries in France, evaluation and report, HM Prison Service.
1997/2003 ‘Prisoner employment & correctional industries in Belgium’. Ministry of Justice Bruxelles.
1996 – 2000 ‘Contracting-out of prison industries under PFI’. HMP Coldingley; HMP Featherstone. Feasibility study. Home Office.
1996 – 1998 Evaluation of prison industries in ten European countries. Home Office.
1996 – 1997 Correctional Industries in Belgium & The Netherlands. HM Prison Service.
1999 Prison regimes and prisoner correctional industries in Canada. Kingston region, Ontario Prison Administration.
1998 HMP Grand Turk prison inspection. Turks and Caicos Islands, British Caribbean Overseas Territories. HM Prison Inspectorate.
1998 Prison industries in Hungary. Ministry of Justice. Budapest.
1997 Prison regimes and industries in the Czech Republic. Ministry of Justice, Prague.
1994 – 1998 Prison Industries in Germany. Evaluation and Report. HM Prison Service.
1993 – 2003 Correctional Industries Association, Maryland. USA. Correctional labour.
Selected publications
Single authored books
Ursula Smartt (2025 forthcoming) Media and Entertainment Law 6th ed.
____ (2025/6 forthcoming) Mastering the SQE: Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Law. Routledge
_____ (2025/6 forthcoming) Mastering the SQE: The English Legal System. Routledge
____ (2025/6 forthcoming) Mastering the SQE: Criminal Law and Practice. Routledge
____ (2023) Media and Entertainment Law 5th ed. Foreword by Adrianne Page QC. Routledge. ISBN: 9871032168715 (paperback). ISBN: 9871032168746 (hardback).
_____ (2021) Media Law for Journalists 2n ed. Routledge. ISBN: 9780367421779 (paperback); ISBN: 9780367548476 (hardback).
_____ (2020) Media and Entertainment Law 4th ed. Routledge. Foreword by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC. ISBN: 9781138479135 (paperback) ISBN: 9781138479128 (hardback)
____ (2018)Paparazzi in: The Sage Encyclopedia of Surveillance, Security, and Privacy. Three Volume Set. Edited by: Bruce A. Arrigo. Charlotte, NC, USA, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, USA. ISBN: 9781483359946 Online ISBN: 9781483359922
______ (2017) Media and Entertainment Law 3rd ed. Routledge. Foreword by Sir Keir Starmer QC. ISBN: 9781138961883 (paperback); ISBN: 9781138961876 (hardback).
______ (2017) Optimize Public Law 2nd ed. Routledge. ISBN: 9781138670846
______ (2014) Media and Entertainment Law 2nd ed. Routledge. Foreword by Barrister Michael Mansfield QC. ISBN- 978-0-415-66269-7 (paperback); ISBN 978-0-415-66270-3 (hardback).
______ (2014) Optimize Public Law. Routledge. ISBN-13: 9780415844925 (paperback) ISBN: 0415844924 (hardback).
______ (2011) Media and Entertainment Law. Routledge. Foreword by Joshua Rozenberg. ISBN-10: 041557756 (paperback); ISBN-13: 9780415577564 (hardback).
______ (2011) Media Law Statutes. Pearson/ Longman (Surrey). ISBN: 9781849596923.
______ (2009) Law for Criminologists. Foreword by Baroness Lady Helena Kennedy QC. Sage. London/ New York. ISBN Cloth: 978-1-4129-4569-1; Paper: 978-1-4129-4570-7
______ (2009) Disclosure and CPR Rules and Practice Directions. ILEX Publication.
______ (2006) Media Law for Journalists. Foreword by Sir Harold Evans. Sage. London/ New York. Cloth ISBN Cloth: 9781412908467; Paper: 9781412908474.
______ (2006) Criminal Justice. Sage Publications. London/New York/ Delhi. ISBN Cloth: 9781412907064. Paper: 9781412907071.
______ (2001) Grendon Tales: Stories from a therapeutic community. Foreword by Lord Avebury. Waterside Press. ISBN 187287096 1.
Refereed journal articles
Ursula Smartt (2025) ‘Can Dabus now have a German passport? Judgment by the German Federal Court in DABUS’. 2025 47 E.I.P.R. 47 Issue 1, 40 – 42. ISSN 01420461.
____ (2024) ‘Can robots have feelings? Should we now apologise to the AI-beast called DABUS and compliment ANNs instead? 2024 46 E.I.P.R. 45 Issue 3, 184-188. ISSN 01420461.
____ (2023) ‘Are our law students robot proof? AI chatbots and the future of working with computer generated copyright works.’ 2023 E.I.P.R. 45 Issue 10, 562-565. ISSN 01420461.
____ (2023) ‘Vorsprung durch Copyright: The German Copyright reform Is not everyone’s ‘Tasse Tee’’. European Intellectual Property Review. 2023 E.I.P.R. 45, 241-244. ISSN 01420461.
____ (2023) ‘Net freedom in Germany or over over-regulation of harmful content?’ European Intellectual Property Review. 2023 E.I.P.R. 45, 270-275. ISSN 01420461.
____ (2022) ‘Associated Newspapers Criticised by UK Court of Appeal for ‘Lack of Clear Focus’ in its Meghan Markle judgment’. In European Intellectual Property Review. 44 E.I.P.R., Issue 3, 2022 pp. 181-185. ISSN 01420461.
Ursula Smartt (2020) ‘Are blogger and youtubers journalists?’. European Intellectual Property Review. E.I.P.R. 2020, 42(11), 728-737.
Ursula Smartt (2020) ‘Without fear or favour, affection or ill will: the lay magistracy in the 21st century’. Magistrates Magazine. July 2020.
Ursula Smartt (2018) ‘The three Rs: Remorse, Rehabilitation, Right to be forgotten: how de-listing is left up to the courts in NT1; NT2 and AR v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester’. European Intellectual Property Review. 40 E.I.P.R. 2019, pp. 804-811.
Ursula Smartt (2017) ‘The Dark Web’. Magistrates’ Magazine.
Ursula Smartt (2017) ‘Are Privacy Injunctions Futile in The Digital Age? Why Scottish Papers Choose to Name the Super Injunction A-Listers – and Why they Cannot not Do so Online’. European Intellectual Property Review. 39 E.I.P.R. 2017 Issue 7.
Ursula Smartt (2016) ‘Drones, Privacy and the Law’, Magistrates’ Magazine, Dec 2015/ Jan 2016, pp. 4 – 5.
Ursula Smartt (2015) ‘Prince Charles’s ‘black spider memos’: How a Guardian Journalist Succeeded in his 10-year Quest under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.’ European Intellectual Property Review. E.I.P.R., 37(8), 529-538.
Ursula Smartt (2015) ‘Why I was right to name the teachers’ teen killer’: naming teenagers in criminal trials and law reform in the internet age.’ Communications Law. Vol 20, No 1, 2015: 5 – 13.
Ursula Smartt (2014) ‘Internet libel: will the new Defamation Act 2013 make a real difference?’ Criminal Law and Justice Weekly (CLJW).
Ursula Smartt (2012) ‘Safety first: the Ryan Giggs superinjunction Part 2 of March 2012’. Communications Law Issue Vol 17, No.2.
Ursula Smartt (2011) ‘Twitter undermines superinjunctions’. Communications Law. Vol 16, No 4, 2011: 135 – 140.
Ursula Smartt (2010) ‘Criminal actions – copyright in the digital age.’ Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, CLJW 174 (42), 645 – 647.
Joint publications and book chapters
Ursula Smartt (2023) ‘Upholding digital rights and media plurality: does self-regulation by social media platforms contravene freedom of expression?’ in: The Palgrave Handbook of Media Misinformation. Eds: Julian McDougall and Karen Fowler-Watt. Palgrave – Macmillan. ISBN: 978-3-031-11976-7
Ursula Smartt and Sorin Hadarca (2020) ‘Economic activities in the penitentiary system of the Republic of Moldova: next steps for correctional industries’. Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Publication.
Ursula Smartt and Helmut (2007) ‘Domestic Violence: Comparative Analysis of German and UK Research Findings.’ Social Science Quarterly, Vol 88, No. 5, December 2007, pp. 1263 – 1280. Southwestern Social Science Association. Blackwell Publication, USA.
Helmut Kury and Ursula Smartt (2006) ‘Domestic violence: recent developments in German and English legislation and law enforcement.’ European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, Volume 14, Number 4, 2006, pp. 382-407(26), Martinus Nijhoff Publishers/ Brill, The Hague, Netherlands.
Ursula Smartt and Paul Ellis (2005) ‘Closing a Crack House’. Justice of the Peace, 169 (3) 33 – 34.
Ursula Smartt and Jon Vagg (2004) ‘What Works in Prison Industries? An Update.’ Prison Service Journal, No 154, July 2004, pp. 31 – 36.
Online media publications
Media and online publications – see Routledge featured authors: https://www.routledge.com/authors/i14937-ursula-smartt
24 January 2025 ‘Prince Harry settled in his phone hacking battle against Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers. This expert explains why it didn’t go to trial. Media law expert Ursula Smartt says News Group Newspapers settling out of court has been a “common theme” since the U.K. phone hacking scandal started.’: https://news.northeastern.edu/2025/01/24/prince-harry-settlement-phone-hacking/
31 July 2024: A knife attack left three young girls dead and sparked riots in Southport. So why can’t the British press name the suspect? Northeastern media law expert Ursula Smartt explains why the 17-year-old suspect has the right to anonymity under U.K. law: https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/07/31/southport-attack-suspect-british-press/
31 December 2022 Book Review Media and Entertainment Law 5th ed by Barrister Phillip Taylor for ‘The Barrister’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfqFYgIJiKQ&t=178s
26 November 2019 ‘A lawyer’s guide to navigating the clickbait era: a profile of Ursula Smartt’. News at Northeastern University, Boston: https://bit.ly/36ZlS7i
Media and Entertainment Law Book launch 4ed http://www.routledge.com/articles/media_entertainment_law_book_launch
4 December 2019 Media and Entertainment Law 4th ed book launch by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC at Northeastern University London at Northeastern University Boston, USA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLaEOsoJDVU&app=desktop
28 March 2014 Ursula Smartt’s book launch ‘Media and Entertainment Law 2nd ed.’ central London hosted by Michael Mansfield QC and Routledge Publishing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCGmnRDvb0&feature=youtu.be
5 Aug 2009 Expert’s view on assisted suicide ruling. BBC New Online update: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8185253.stm
5 Aug 2009 Analysis: Assisted suicide ruling House of Lords. BBC News Online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7698636.stm
29 Oct 2008 Assisted dying. Analysis of the suicide ruling in the Debbie Purdy case. BBC online: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7698636.stm
Professional conference papers and public speaking
November 2023 ‘Who’s slapping whom? Strategic lawsuits against public participation.’ Keynote speech at the new Harvard Theatre, Leeds Law School, Leeds Beckett University, 14 November 2023: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/events/business-lecture-series/lbs-ursula-smartt/
November 2022 ‘Diversity and the Judiciary’. Judicial Conference Northeastern University London, Ministry of Justice recruitment drive for magistrates in the community.
October 2021 ‘Upholding digital rights and media plurality. Does self-regulation by social media platforms contravene freedom of expression?’, keynote speech given at the LETS Lab Digital Lounge series, Greenwich University Law School, 10 October 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWscUhW1JzA
March 2021 ‘Transparency in digital electioneering and campaigning: are UK election laws fit for the digital age?’ Paper presentation at the University of Aberdeen. Lawyers Without Borders Student Division Conference (online) 26 March 2021.
December 2020 Presentation to the National Prison Administration of the Republic of Moldova and the Ministry of Justice of Moldova: Report and findings of the study into ‘Economic Activities in Correctional Industries of the Republic of Moldova’ with recommendations for legislation to enable the founding of correctional industries and for prisoners to work contractually for third party outside contractors whilst serving a prison sentence, 10 December 2020 (online during Coronavirus pandemic lockdown).
April 2020 ‘Regulating online harm’. Conference paper, British and Irish Law Education Technology Association (BILETA) Tilburg University, The Netherlands, 7-8 April 2020 (online during Coronavirus pandemic lockdown).
Papers and public speaking
10 October 2022 Conference Paper University of Greenwich ‘Does self-regulation by social media platforms contravene freedom of expression?’ Part of the Lab Digital Lounge series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWscUhW1JzA
‘Transparency in digital electioneering and campaigning: are UK election laws fit for the digital age?’ Paper presentation at the University of Aberdeen. Lawyers Without Borders Student Division Conference (online 2021).
‘Economic Activities in Correctional Industries of the Republic of Moldova’ Presentation to the National Prison Administration of the Republic of Moldova and the Ministry of Justice of Moldova. Interim report of research findings and recommendations for legislation to enable the founding of correctional industries and for prisoners to work contractually for third party outside contractors whilst serving a prison sentence (online conference organised by the Moldovan Government December 2020).
‘Regulating online harm’. Research paper presented at the annual conference of the British and Irish Law Education Technology Association (BILETA) ‘Regulating Transitions in Technology and Law’, Tilburg University (May 2020 online).
‘What’s the point of superinjunctions? Are privacy injunctions pointless in the digital age?’ Society of Legal Scholars, Annual Conference, Dublin (September 2017)
‘Will the Defamation Act 2013 make a real difference in the Internet age?’ Keynote speech at the Annual Law Society Conference, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk (February 2014).
Crime and the Media in the UK’. Keynote speech at Panteion University, Athens (January 2010).
‘Teaching non law students’. Teaching and learning conference, Thames Valley University (Reading Campus June 2008).
‘Purposeful activities in prison: research findings’ (presentation in German). Prison Governors’ Conference. Wagnitz Seminar. Wiesbaden (April 2008)
‘Trial by Media: teaching ‘contempt of court’ to non-lawyers’. Annual ‘Learning in Law Conference’, University of Warwick (January 2008)
‘Britain behind bars: lessons from abroad’. Keynes Forum, Goodenough College, London (November 2007).
‘Sozialisierung und Rehabilitation im Vollzug: Sind Gefängnisse die Achillessehne unserer Gesellschaft?’ (‘Resocialisation and rehabilitation: are prisons the Achilles-heal of our society?’). International Penal Reform Congress, Berlin, Reichstag: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (June 2007).
‘Journalism and the Law in Great Britain’, International Journalism School ‘Erich Brost Institut’, Dortmund University (June 2007).
‘Rehabilitation im Vollzug durch Gefangenenarbeit: internationaler Vergleich des vollzuglichen Arbeitswesens’ (‘Developments in Prison Industries and Prisoner Labour: international comparisons’). Prison Congress, Straubing, Bavaria (September 2006).
‘What works in prison programs?- European perspectives in prison industrial and educational programs.’ American Correctional Association (ACA) Annual Congress, Denver, Colorado, USA (March 2004).
‘Crimes of the privileged: motivational aspects of economic crime’. Annual Compliance Congress, Lloyds Bank, London (November 2002).
‘European and international developments of crime and punishment’. European Society of Criminology, Toledo, Spain (September 2002).
‘European aspects of prison labour and education’, Keynote speech, Correctional Services of New South Wales Conference, Sydney, Australia (January 2002).
‘Public Attitudes to Punishment in Germany’. International Symposium, Southwark Cathedral Conference (December 2001).
‘Therapeutic community prisons in England and Germany.’ Midland’s Centre for Criminal Justice, Loughborough University (February, 2001).
Drafting of UK legislation
Prisoners’ Earnings Act 1996 (amended 2011) Assisted Senior Civil Servant, Home Office, Mr Robert Fulton, with the drafting of the bill. Presented to Parliament by Hartley Booth (Lab) as private member’s bill.
Exhibitions and awards
December 2022 Book launch ‘Media and Entertainment Law’ 5th ed by Jeff Blackett HHJ, with a foreword by Adrienne Page KC, Northeastern University London 8.12.23.
December 2019 Book launch ‘Media and Entertainment Law 4th ed’, by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC at New College of the Humanities, London, Bloomsbury, 4.12.19.
March 2017 Book launch ‘Media and Entertainment Law 3rd ed’, at New College of the Humanities, Bloomsbury, introduced by Professor Adrian Zuckermann and Sir Keir Starmer QC.
April 2014 Book launch ‘Media and Entertainment Law 2nd ed’, at St Stephen’s Tavern, Westminster. Opening address by Michael Mansfield QC.
April 2013 Prison Photographic Exhibition: Opening of the new high security & remand prison, JVA Frankfurt 1, Preungesheim, Frankfurt.
May 2011 Book launch ‘Media and Entertainment Law’ Frontline Club, London, hosted by Routledge/ Taylor Frances publishers. Opening address by Mark Stephens OBE, Media Lawyer.
April 2008 Prison Photographic Exhibition: judicial college, Ministry of Justice, Land Hessen, Wiesbaden (Wagnitz Seminar ‘Momentaufnahmen’).
Dec 2009 Book launch ‘Law for Criminologists’ John Smith’s bookshop West London University, hosted by Sage Publications.
Nov 2006 Book launch of ‘Media Law for Journalists’, Frontline Club, London, hosted by Sage Publications.
May 2006 Book launch of ‘Criminal Justice’. Waterstone’s Bookshop, Goodge Street, London, hosted by Sage Publications.
May 2006 Book launch of ‘Media Law for Journalists’ hosted by Sir Harold Evans, former editor of the Times, at the International Press Association Congress, Edinburgh.
Aug 2001 Book launch of ‘Grendon Tales’, hosted by Lord Avebury at the House of Lords.
Jul 2001 Prison Photographic Exhibition: University Library, Thames Valley University. Opening address by His Hon Judge Sir Stephen Tumim. Reviewed in Independent on Saturday Magazine.
June 2000 Award: Prison Photographic Exhibition: World Exhibition, EXPO, Hannover.
Aug 1999 Award: European Woman of the Year. Professional category as prison researcher. European Women of Achievement Awards, Ceremony Grosvenor Hotel, London 9 July 1999.
Teaching
Ursula Smartt lectures in law and criminology. At Northeastern University London, Ursula is Module Convenor for: Constitutional Law and the experiential learning course, Constitutional Law in Context – where students follow active bills through parliament; English Legal Systems and Skills which includes legal online research, the use of AI legal software, court visits and oral advocacy. Her specialisms in Criminology include the teaching of theories of punishment, the management of prisons and comparative criminal justice systems in Europe and the United States.
She set up the NU London legal careers advisory service from scratch in 2017 (formerly New College of the Humanities) now providing personalised CV and applications one-to-one services for all law ad non-law students who wish to study for a postgraduate law qualification, either as solicitor or barrister. Ursula has provided an extremely large network of London city law firms including magic and silver circle legal practices, as well as links to all four inns of court and several chambers for the training of barristers.
Teaching appointments
Associate Professor in Law, Northeastern University London at Northeastern. LLB teaching (2015 – present).
Associate Professor in Law, University of Surrey, Guildford (2010 – 2018).
Associate Lecturer in Law, University of Portsmouth (2009 – 2014).
Visiting Professor, Max Planck Institute, Freiburg, Germany (from 2001).
Senior Lecturer in Law and Criminology, University of West London (1989 – 2009).
Course development
Developing various LLB syllabus (including revalidation of law degrees) at Northeastern University London (formerly New College of the Humanities (2015 – 2022)
Validation of the MSc in Criminology, External Adviser to the University of Cumbria (2020-21)
Validation of the Foundation Degree in Law, University of Law (Leeds Campus), External Adviser (2020-21)
Revalidation of the BA English, Internal Adviser/ Examiner, Northeastern University London (2020)
Revalidation of the LLB, Internal Validation Panel, Northeastern University London (2020)
Revalidation of the LLB, External Adviser/ Examiner, Edghill University, Lancashire (2015).
Professional activity
Ursula Smartt is an elected patient governor on the board of membership council of the Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS foundation trust, London. As part of the membership council she represents the interests of foundation trust members and stakeholders to the board of directors. As holders of this prestigious public office it is her duty to promote and support the principles by leadership and lead by example, accountable to the board, eye patients of Moorfields, and the wider community of London.
Ursula served as presiding justice magistrate (Justice of the Peace) from 2003 until 2020 in youth and adult criminal jurisdictions of first instance (West London; Surrey and Sussex). She also sat on criminal appeals at Crown Courts in West London and Surrey. She was an appraiser of magistrates as well as mentor to new magistrates. Ursula served as member of the Surrey and Sussex Joint Training, Appointments and Appraisal Committee (JTAAAC). She also served on the Surrey Magistrates’ Association Executive Committee.
External Examiner in Law, Leeds Beckett University (2020 – 2022)
External Examiner in Law, Cumbria University (2019 – 2021)
External Examiner in Law, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (2017 – 2020)
External Examiner in Law, Bournemouth University (2014 – 2017)
External Examiner in Law, Plymouth University (2010 – 2014)
External Examiner on the MSC Criminology, Birkbeck University, London (2008-2010)
Languages spoken
Fluent in English and German. Proficient in French, Spanish and Italian.
Contact
Ursula Smartt
ursula.smartt@nulondon.ac.uk
www.ursulasmartt.com
Northeastern University London is a charity
registered with the Charity Commission for
England and Wales (charity number 1189858).
Location
Devon House
58 St Katharine’s Way
London E1W 1LP, UK
+44 20 7637 4550
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