Areas of Expertise

Criminal Law; Law and Humanities; Legal Theories; Jurisprudence; Legal Interpretation

Brief Bio

Prof. Dr. Penny Crofts is a Professor at the Faculty of Law, UTS. Professor Crofts is an international expert on criminal law, models of culpability and the legal regulation of the sex industry. Her research is cross-disciplinary, drawing upon a range of historical, philosophical, empirical and literary materials to enrich her analysis of the law. Her research is in the area of socio-legal studies coalescing around issues of justice in criminal law in practice and theory makes a distinctive contribution to critical evaluations of criminal legal models of culpability and enforcement. Many of her recommendations for the legal regulation of brothels have informed Parliamentary debates, influenced council planning policies and shaped proposed law reforms. Her analysis of criminal legal models of wickedness has contributed to a jurisprudence of blameworthiness.

Professor Crofts' socio-legal scholarship reflects her on-going commitment to the analysis of the impacts of criminal law and the development of pragmatic strategies for reform framed by sophisticated theoretical analysis. Her research is a call to responsibility - to the legal system, law-makers, legal academics, and the general community - to be more aware and critical of the models of culpability held out and enforced by criminal law.