Criminology lecturer Tamara O’Doherty challenges the institution of law by observing what’s not functional or fair in its application, especially among marginalized peoples, and seeking to improve it. She describes her research and teaching philosophy as an empirical, yet community-based approach.

In her PhD, which examined the concept of victimization in the Canadian off-street sex industry, O’Doherty collaborated with sex workers on all aspects of each of her major studies. Her research contributed to law reform: it was used in the Canada (Attorney General) v Bedford legal case that ultimately stuck down Canada’s prostitution laws in 2013.

More recently, she investigated harm reduction strategies in the classroom as co-investigator on a recent SFU Teaching and Learning Development Grant. The study has opened up a dialogue with students and faculty about what strategies are currently used in the classroom setting and the effectiveness of these strategies.

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