Research Interests
Open to PhD applications in:
- The legal framing of sexual consent
- Rape reform
- Responses to sexual and gender based violence in international and domestic criminal law
- Feminist legal theory
Public outreach & key achievements
- Produced two policy briefs from a Socio Legal Studies Association (SLSA) funded project on sexual consent in Northern Ireland; distributed to key stakeholders working within the sexual violence sector in Northern Ireland: https://slsa.ac.uk/index.php/news/socio-legal-publications-2#June26_01
- Submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women’s thematic report on rape as a grave and systematic human rights violation and gender-based violence against women, May 2020
- Chair, Outreach event on the Gillen Review into the Investigation and Prosecution of Serious Sexual Offences in Northern Ireland, January 2019
- Response to the Preliminary Report of the Gillen Review – Chapter on Consent, January 2019
- Consent Training delivered to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, June 2018
- Published short blogs in The Conversation, including ‘An International Response to #MeToo, Rape and Sexual Abuse is Needed’, https://theconversation.com/an-international-legal-response-to-metoo-rape-and-sexual-abuse-is-needed-95617
- Contribution to agendaNI Magazine, ‘Rape and Consent: Ongoing Challenges’, 28 April 2018 https://www.agendani.com/rape-and-consent-ongoing-challenges/
- Submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women’s call for submissions on the adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women, with Dr Y Brunger, November 2016
- Contributed to School of Law Human Rights Centre submissions to international judicial bodies in the case of The Prosecutor v Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo before the International Criminal Court: L Moffett, R Killean, Y Brunger, E Dowds, L Dempster, K Schwarz and S Gilmore (2016). Submission by QUB Human Rights Centre on reparations issues pursuant to Article 75 of the Statute
Research students
| PhD area | How can anti-carceral feminism influence Chinese feminist legal discourse? |
| Name | Qingran Yan |
| PhD area | The Evolution of Women's Rights to Political Participation in Modern China: Shanghai, 1840-1949 |
| Name | Ningning Liu |
Alumni: Where are they now
| PhD area | He Who Shall Not Be Named? Rethinking Northern Ireland's Approach to Defendant Anonymity in Serious Sexual Offence Cases |
| Name | Dr Chloe Hanna |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2025 |
| Quotation | "I am incredibly grateful to Dr Eithne Dowds, my primary supervisor, for her friendly and approachable nature, which created a supportive environment where I always felt comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance. She helped me throughout every stage of the PhD journey, from shaping my proposal and applying to undertake my research at QUB, to preparing for and completing the viva. Her endless encouragement and reassurance made a real difference to my PhD experience, especially during the more challenging stages of the process." |
| PhD area | A Critical Evaluation of the Admission of Sexual History Evidence in Northern Ireland Trials: Prevalence, Impact and Reform. |
| Name | Dr Chloe Templeton |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2025 |
| PhD area | Addressing misogyny: The law, hate crime and new feminist approaches |
| Name | Dr Meghan Hoyt |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2024 |
| Current Position | Women's Sector Lobbyist Policy Assistant, WRDA |
| Quotation | "Dr. Dowds is a wonderful supervisor. She was supportive and thorough when commenting on my work, and always happy to discuss any issues arising. I remain thankful for her kind, flexible approach to supervision which undoubtedly made my PhD process more pleasant. I also benefited from Dr. Dowds' knowledge and expertise in my field of study and am grateful for the many productive conversations which helped to shape and improve my work." |
| PhD area |
Ethical value pluralism as a constitutive element of legal sovereignty: The case of the United Kingdom |
| Name | Dr Leanne Cochrane |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2020 |
| Current Position | Senior research analyst, Trilateral Research Ltd |
| Quotation | "I could write a story on my PhD experience, or rather, experiences. Looking back, I can most simply say that it is a journey well worth embarking on!" |
Discover More
- Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- School of Law
- Human Rights Centre
- Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- QUB Gender Network
Get ahead: tips on how to prepare your application to study for a PhD at QUB Law
Read our guidance on the steps in our PhD applications process and how to present your research proposal.