Professor Suzanne Ost
ProfessorResearch Overview
My main research interests are unknowing victims of crime (BJC2023, IJPSM2023), the legal and societal responses to child abusive images (IRV2018), the sexual grooming of children and child sexual exploitation, health care/medical law and bioethics (particularly exploitation in health care, breaches of the sexual boundaries between doctors and patients and the impact of criminal law on bioethics and health care practice) and law and literature. I have recently completed a book analysing exploitation (conceptually, ethically and legally) in the doctor-patient relationship. I have recently completed a project on unknowing victims of child abusive images, funded by the British Academy.
Career Details
Professor of Law since 2012. Senior Lecturer in Law (September 2007-March 2012). Lecturer in Law at the University of Manchester (2004-2007), and Lecturer in Law at the University of Central Lancashire (2000-2003).
Professional Role
Director of Research Enhancement for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
External Roles
Member of the Law sub-panel under Panel C, REF2021
Member of the AHRC Peer Review College
Expert Adviser for Jersey's Citizens' Jury on Assisted Dying, 2021
2011-2020: former Editor in Chief for the Medical Law Review journal
Output assessor for the Law sub-panel under Panel C, REF14
Peer Review Assessor for the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the NHS Research for Patient Benefit Programme and the Wellcome Trust
Reviewer for numerous law journals and bioethics journals, including the Oxford Journal of Law Studies, Legal Studies, Modern Law Review, Medical Law International, Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, Bioethics, BMJ Open, Clinical Ethics, SSM - Population Health and the Journal of Medical Ethics
Reviewer of books and book proposals for Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Person-Longman, Routledge-Cavendish and Sweet and Maxwell.
I have been an External Examiner at numerous universities, including the Universities of Essex and Manchester.
Research Grants
I have been awarded research funding from the AHRC, the British Academy and the Socio-Legal Studies Association.
Current Teaching
2023-2024:
Law300 Health Care Law and Ethics
PhD Supervisions Completed
Dr Ernest Owusu-Dapaa, ‘Towards Empowerment of Patients in Ghana: is there a Need for a Distinct Body of Health Care Law?’ (degree awarded 2016, Lancaster University).
Dr Jamie-lee Mooney, 'The Challenges of Child Sexual Grooming: a Critical Appraisal of Responses in Law and Society' (degree awarded 2015, Lancaster University).
Dr Alexandra Mullock, End-Of-Life Law and Assisted Dying in the 21st Century: Time for Cautious Revolution? (degree awarded 2012, University of Manchester).
Dr Noraiza Abdul Rahman, Facing Up to In Vitro Fertilisation Treatment in Malaysia: Questions of Why and How Treatment Should be Regulated within the Framework of Malaysian Cultural and Religious Values (degree awarded 2012, Lancaster University).
Dr Judith Robertson, An Exploration of the Effects of Litigation on the Midwife and Her Practice (degree awarded 2010, University of Manchester).PhD Supervision Interests
Professor Ost is happy to supervise research degrees on medical law and bioethics, legal and social issues surrounding child abusive images and sexual grooming, child sexual exploitation and other areas related to her research interests.
Selected Publications
Recognizing the Paradigm of the Unknowing Victim and the Implications of Liminality
Ost, S., Gillespie, A. 26/06/2023 In: British Journal of Criminology. 17 p.
Journal article
Exploitation, Ethics and Law: Violating the Ethos of the Doctor-Patient Relationship
Ost, S., Biggs, H. 26/08/2021 Routledge. 208 p.
Monograph
To know or not to know: should crimes regarding photographs of their child sexual abuse be disclosed to now-adult, unknowing victims?
Ost, S., Gillespie, A.A. 1/05/2019 In: International Review of Victimology. 25, 2, p. 223-247. 25 p.
Journal article
Breaching the sexual boundaries in the doctor-patient relationship: should English law recognise fiduciary duties?
Ost, S. 4/02/2016 In: Medical Law Review. 24, 2, p. 206-233. 27 p.
Journal article
All Publications
Designing a Model of Restorative Justice for Victims of Online Child Abusive Images
14/05/2021 → 01/03/2023
Research
Tackling child sexual exploitation: Offences and victims
01/02/2013 → 31/12/2013
Research
Exploitation in the doctor-patient relationship
01/11/2011 → 31/07/2021
Other
The Impact of the Criminal Process on Health Care Ethics and Practice
01/01/2008 → 31/07/2011
Other
Child Pornography and Sexual Grooming: Legal and Societal Responses
01/05/2006 → 31/12/2009
Other
Hewitt Fertility Centre Ethics Committee (External organisation)
Membership of committee
AHRC (External organisation)
Membership of council
Expert Adviser to Jersey Citizens’ Jury on Assisted Dying
Expert Opinion
REF2021 (Event)
Other Membership
Medical Law Review (Journal)
Editorial activity
- Centre for Law and Society
- Security Lancaster (Policy, Law and Ethics)