Dr Ray Nickson
Senior Lecturer - Criminology
School of Law and Justice
- Email:ray.nickson@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 4921 8509
Career Summary
Biography
I am Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Newcastle. Previously, I was Associate Professor and Director of Criminology at Fresno Pacific University, within the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies. I completed my PhD at the Australian National University in 2014, where my doctoral studies evaluated whether the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia assisted victims and communities in the wake of mass violence and conflict. During this period, I also assisted legal teams at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia on cases prosecuting genocide and other crimes against humanity. My research focuses on restorative justice, the role of victims in the justice system, and international criminal justice. More recently, I have also begun projects examining the intersection of disability and the criminal justice system.
Beyond my current research, I have developed expertise in additional fields, especially in my professional roles, including working as a criminal defence lawyer and in national security and counter-terrorism. Recently, I have sought to weave together my expertise in criminology and my affection for pop culture, particularly comics and related mediums, in the PopCriminology initiative. This will soon be available as a resource for students and those interested in better understanding crime and justice, and how they are represented in our most iconic entertainment franchises.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University
- Bachelor of Law and Legal Pratice (Honours), Flinders University
Keywords
- Legal Aid
- Post-Conflict Justice
- Prison Education
- Restorative Justice
- Terrorism
- Transitional Justice
- Victimology
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 440204 | Crime and social justice | 40 |
| 440215 | State crime | 30 |
| 440218 | Victims | 30 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Senior Lecturer - Criminology | University of Newcastle School of Law and Justice Australia |
Academic appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 2/1/2017 - 31/5/2022 | Associate Professor and Director of Criminology | Fresno Pacific University United States |
| 27/4/2015 - 21/10/2016 | Lecturer | The University of New England Australia |
Professional appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 6/1/2014 - 24/4/2015 | Analyst | Department of Defence Australia |
| 3/9/2007 - 31/3/2010 | Lawyer | Legal Services Commission of South Australia Criminal Law Australia |
Teaching
| Code | Course | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRIM3001 |
Criminal Justice Placement Newcastle Law School | University of Newcastle |
Course Coordinator | 1/6/2022 - 31/12/2022 |
| CRIM1020 |
Victimology Newcastle Law School | University of Newcastle |
Course Coordinator | 1/6/2022 - 31/12/2022 |
| CRIM2030 |
Criminology in the Legal Context Newcastle Law School | University of Newcastle |
Course Coordinator | 1/6/2022 - 31/12/2022 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Book (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 |
Nickson R, Neikirk A, Managing Transitional Justice, Springer International Publishing (2018)
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Chapter (11 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 |
Nickson R, Neikirk A, 'The Media and Expectations of the Tribunal and Chambers', Managing Transitional Justice, Springer International Publishing 107-144 (2018)
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| 2018 |
Nickson R, Neikirk A, 'Introduction', Managing Transitional Justice, Springer International Publishing 1-12 (2018)
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| 2018 |
Nickson R, Neikirk A, 'Courting Justice in Transitions', Managing Transitional Justice, Springer International Publishing 13-43 (2018)
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| 2016 |
Nickson R, 'Participation as restoration: The current limits of restorative justice for victim participants in international criminal trials', Restorative Justice in Transitional Settings 95-114 (2016)
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| Show 8 more chapters | ||||||||
Journal article (12 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Neikirk A, Nickson R, 'Transitions without Justice: Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE, [C1]
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| 2024 |
Neikirk A, Nickson R, Rijal S, 'Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Protection of Refugees and Refugee Camps', Journal of Refugee Studies, 37 117-133 (2024) [C1]
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| 2023 |
Neikirk A, Nickson R, 'Towards a Spatial Analysis of Refugees Working Outside Camps', Journal of Human Trafficking, 1-14
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| 2021 |
Neikirk A, Nickson R, 'Potlatch justice', SN Social Sciences, 1 [C1]
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| 2017 |
Neikirk AM, Nickson R, 'States of Impunity: Bhutanese Refugee Camps in Nepal', State Crime Journal, 6 (2017) [C1]
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| Show 9 more journal articles | ||||||||
Conference (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Nickson R, 'Unmet Expectations and the Legitimacy of Transitional Justice Institutions The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia', TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE: ENGAGEMENT, LEGITIMACY AND CONTESTATION, Int Inst Sociol Law, Onati, SPAIN (2017) |
Other (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Nickson R, 'By Recognizing Broader, Deeper, and Longer Conceptions of Justice Through Complementarity, the ICC Can Transcend a Narrow, Western Approach to International Criminal Justice', ICC Forum. Los Angeles: UCLA Law School (2022) |
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 8 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $177,449 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20232 grants / $14,941
Public Defence: The Criminal Justice System and the Role of Legal Aid and Public Defence Lawyers$9,941
Funding body: College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle
| Funding body | College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Alice Neikirk (Lead) Ray Nickson (CoInvestigator) |
| Scheme | CHSF - Pilot Research Scheme: Projects, Pivots, Partnerships |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2023 |
| Funding Finish | 2023 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
CHSF New Start Grant 2023$5,000
Funding body: College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle
| Funding body | College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Scheme | CHSF - New Start Scheme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2023 |
| Funding Finish | 2023 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20181 grants / $4,500
Peacegiving Courts in Southwestern Oregon$4,500
Funding body: Fresno Pacific University
| Funding body | Fresno Pacific University |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Provost Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2018 |
| Funding Finish | 2019 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20161 grants / $50,600
Reducing crime and incarceration rates in Aboriginal communities: What impact does the ‘Yes I Can’ Adult literacy program have on crime and incarceration rates in NSW Aboriginal communities?$50,600
Funding body: Australian Institute of Criminology
| Funding body | Australian Institute of Criminology |
|---|---|
| Project Team | A/Prof Bob Boughton, Adjunct Prof Jack Beetson, Dr Ray Nickson, Dr Jenny Wise, Dr Bridget Harris, |
| Scheme | Criminology Research Projects |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | C1500 - Aust Competitive - Commonwealth Other |
| Category | 1500 |
| UON | N |
20152 grants / $13,658
Restoration of Justice: The Role of a Rural Peacegiving Court$8,158
Funding body: The University of New England
| Funding body | The University of New England |
|---|---|
| Scheme | BCSS Research Seeding Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
VC Scholar's Project$5,500
Funding body: The University of New England
| Funding body | The University of New England |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Vice Chancellor's Fund for Special Projects |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20102 grants / $93,750
Australian Postgraduate Award$78,750
Funding body: Australian Federal Government
| Funding body | Australian Federal Government |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Australian Postgraduate Award |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2010 |
| Funding Finish | 2013 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Scheme is obsolete |
| Category | DELE |
| UON | N |
RegNet Research Support Funding$15,000
Funding body: Regulatory Institutions Network, Australian National University
| Funding body | Regulatory Institutions Network, Australian National University |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Research Support |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2010 |
| Funding Finish | 2012 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | External |
| Category | EXTE |
| UON | N |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Completed0
Current5
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | PhD | A Comparison of the Construction of the Social Problems of Wrongful Convictions by Claims-Makers Before and After Reforms to Committal Proceedings in New South Wales | PhD (Law), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2024 | PhD | Innocence Initiatives in Australia and the United States of America: A Comparative Study | PhD (Law), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2022 | PhD | Genetic Genealogy in Australia for Cold Cases and Missing Persons Investigations: Legal and Social Implications. | PhD (Law), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2022 | PhD | Improving the Right of Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities | PhD (Law), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2022 | PhD | Sex Estimation of Human Mandibles using Advanced Scanning Technologies: A Comparative Study for Forensic Purposes | PhD (Law), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
News
News • 7 Feb 2024
How International Recognition of Cultural Practices could be a new way to Protect Refugees
More than 6.6 million refugees live in camps located largely in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. In these camp communities, unique cultural practices can arise. In our new research, we found the oral histories and healing practices of the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal changed over the decades they spent in camps.
Dr Ray Nickson
Position
Senior Lecturer - Criminology
School of Law and Justice
College of Human and Social Futures
Contact Details
| ray.nickson@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | (02) 4921 8509 |
Office
| Room | NuSpace Level 5 |
|---|---|
| Building | NuSpace |
| Location | NUSpace , |
Connect with me
NEWS • Feb 07.2024
How International Recognition of Cultural Practices could be a new way to Protect Refugees
More than 6.6 million refugees live in camps located largely in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. In these camp communities, unique cultural practices can arise. In our new research, we found the oral histories and healing practices of the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal changed over the decades they spent in camps.