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Staff Profile

Dr Ruth Houghton

Degree Programme Director for Global Law LLB

Background

Ruth is a Senior Lecturer at 缅北禁地 Law School. She is the Degree Programme Director for the Global Law LLB.


She joined 缅北禁地 in September 2017 and prior to that she worked at Durham Law School.

She was the founding co-lead of 缅北禁地's Constitutionalism and Governance research group, she co-founded the 缅北禁地 Cluster for Utopian, Speculative and Prefigurative Research () and is the thematic lead for "Global Democracy and Legitimacy" for the (Durham).


Ruth's research is situated within global constitutional scholarship, with a particular interest in constituent power and democracy. She is currently working on a number of related projects on feminist approaches to global constitutionalism: (1) feminist perspectives on sovereignty; (2) feminist perspectives on constituent power in global constitutionalism; (3) utilising utopias, science-fiction and feminist manifestos as methodology (with Professor Aoife O'Donoghue); (4) feminist approaches to populism (with Professor Ana Micaela Alterio); (5) a project concerning Madame de Staël's constitutional theory (with Dr Adam Rowe); (6) an exploration and critique of Gertrude Bell's role in constitution-making (with Dr Bronwen Jones). 


Alongside Professor Aoife O'Donoghue and Dr Cher Weixia Chen, Ruth is the editor of the . She is co-lead on the AHRC with Professor Mathias Thaler and Professor Davina Cooper. She is also a member of the UK team for the Open Research Area funded study on .


Ruth has held visiting positions at the Centre for Global Law and Governance at the University of St Andrew's (2024) and at São Paulo State University UNESP in Franca, Brazil (2024).


Qualifications

  • PhD (Durham University)
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Durham University)
  • LLM (University College London)
  • GDL (University of Birmingham)
  • BA in English and History (University of York)


Roles and Responsibilities

  • DPD for Global Law LLB
  • PGR Deputy DPD and / Lead (2021-2024)
  • Co-coordinator of the Group at 缅北禁地 Law School (2021-2024)
  • , Academic Lead (2019-2023)
  • Director of Impact (2018-2021)
  • Client Interviewing Coordinator (2019-2020)
  • Client Interviewing and Client Negotiation Coordinator (2018-2019)


Memberships

  • Member of
  • Member of ICON-S Interest Group on Critical Public (International) Law
  • Associate Member of the International Association of Electoral Law
  • Fellow of the and thematic lead for "Global Democracy and Legitimacy" (Durham University)
  • Society of Legal Scholars
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
Research

Throughout her research in global constitutionalism, feminist constitutionalism and international law, Ruth uses feminist methodologies and constitutional and political theory to challenge the disciplinary assumptions on democracy and constituent power. Ruth's most recent work utilises law and humanities methodologies, including work on speculative fiction, utopias and feminist manifestos as well as theatre productions to understand (re)constructions of constitutional moments and provide novel re-imaginings of constituent power.


Research Topics

  • Global Constitutionalism
  • Feminist Constitutionalism
  • Utopia
  • International Law
  • Democratic Theory
  • Constitutional Theory


Research Projects

AHRC Network, Failure and Utopia

Alongside Professor Mathias Thaler (Edinburgh) and Davina Cooper (KCL), Ruth is organising three workshops as part of this AHRC funded network. This network will explore critical perspectives on utopia and failure alongside others that re-evaluate failure - conceptually, methodologically, and practically. Information about the project is available on the website:

Open Research Area 7, Unwritten Constitutional Norms and Principles: A Comparative Study

Led by the Principal Investigator, Professor Se-shauna Wheatle, Ruth is a member of the UK Team on this comparative study investigating unwritten constitutional norms.


Research Funding

  • 2021 - British Academy Virtual Sandpits: 'Understanding international law's role in mis- and disinformation' (with Dr Nora Jansen)
  • 2021 - British Academy Virtual Sandpits: (with Dr Jane Rooney and Dr Aliya Khalid, and Dr Kate Spencer-Bennett and Alana Farrell)
  • 2020 - Society of Legal Scholars (SLS): 'Finding Magna Carta in Shakespeare's King John'
  • 2015-2017 - Durham University Institute of Advanced Study: 'Scaling Global Governance' and 'Scale, Constitutionalism and Tyranny' (with Prof. Aoife O'Donoghue, Dr Maria Anna Corvaglia and Dr Alan Greene)
  • 2015 - Durham Global Security Institute: 'Global and Comparative Law' (with Dr Se-shauna Wheatle)


PhD Supervision

I welcome PhD applications within the fields of Global Constitutionalism, Public International Law and Constitutional Theory. 

Current PhD Supervisions

  • Latin American approaches to federalism in Global Constitutionalism
  • Feminist Approaches to Digital Constitutionalism

Completed PhD Supervisions

  • Dr Yuki Motoyoshi - The Legality of Military Operations against Non-State Actors, when the Territorial State is Unwilling or Unable to Suppress the Threat of Non-State Actors
  • Dr Li Wang - An Analysis of Constitutional Environmental Design in China


Selected Invited Papers

  • ‘Decolonial Methods: Gender, History and Law through Literature’, Thinking Gender, History and International Law, Warwick Law School Seminar Series (January 2025)
  • ‘Feminist Approaches to Global Constitutionalism’, Oxford Feminist Jurisprudence Discussion Group, Oxford University (December 2024)
  • ‘Feminist Approaches to Global Constitutionalism’, Practical Philosophy Colloquium at FU Berlin, Germany (December 2024)
  • ‘Democracy as an Unwritten Constitutional Norm in Global Constitutionalism’, Demoicracy: Constitutional Structures for a “Government of Peoples”, Durham University Leverhulme Workshop (November 2024)
  • ‘Methods for Feminist Utopian Constitutionalism’, Research Café at Westminster Law School (November 2024)
  • ‘Constituent Power as Utopian Impulse’, Workshop on Time and Constitutions at Maastricht University (October 2024)
  • ‘Feminist Approaches to Global Constitutionalism’, St Andrews University (February 2024)
  • ‘Feminist Constitutionalism in Global Constitutionalism’, Keio University, Japan (online) (June 2023)
  • ‘Constituent Power as a new approach for International Law and Democracy’, Workshop on Constituent Power, University of Liverpool (June 2019)
  • ‘Constituent Power and Referenda: Tales from Global Constitutionalisation’, The Role of Referendums in the UK Constitutional order, Durham University (January 2019)
  • ‘Attempts to democratise the UN: representation, participation, and NGOs’, UN and Global Order Programme, University of Reading (April 2018)
  • ‘International perspectives’, Treaties, Brexit and the Constitution, Jesus College, Oxford University (March 2018)

Selected International Papers

  • ‘Locating Democracy: Unwritten Constitutional Norms in Global Constitutionalism’, Unwritten Constitutionalism and Informality Conference at Masaryk University (MUNI, Czechia) (February 2026)
  • ‘Constituent Power as Utopian Impulse’, RECONNET at Maastricht University (June 2025)
  • 'Feminist Approaches to Global Constitutionalism', USP (São Paulo, Brazil) (November 2024)
  • 'Law and Democracy: Constituent Power in Global Constitutionalism', PUCPR (Curitiba, Brazil) (October 2024)
  • 'Feminist Approaches to Global Constitutionalism', NINC at UFPR (Curitiba, Brazil) (October 2024)
  • Constituent Power as Utopian Impulse', Workshop on Time and Constitutions at Maastricht University (October 2024)
  • ‘Feminist Approaches to Constituent Power’, Hannah Arendt Centre at the University of Verona (June 2024)
  • 'Feminist Approaches to Constituent Power', ‘The Revival of Constituent Power A Key Category of Democratic Legitimacy for the 21st Century?’ at University of Hamburg (March 2024)
Teaching

Ruth is the Degree Programme Director for the Global Law LLB.


In 2023, Ruth was named 'Law Teacher of the Year' at the Northern Law Awards. In 2021, Ruth was awarded a 缅北禁地 Teaching Excellence Award (TEA) for Outstanding Contribution to Personal Support.


Ruth has been a Guest Lecturer at the Durham Global Security Institute (DGSI) (2015-2019), the University of Verona (Online in March 2020; May 2024), São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil (Online in July 2023; October 2024), the German Studienstiftung Summer Academy in Flensburg (July-August 2023), Masaryk University (MUNI) in Czechia (November 2024), and Freie Universität Berlin (December 2024).


Undergraduate Teaching

  • LAW1222: Introduction to Global Law (GLS LLB) (Module Leader 2025- )
  • LAW3017: Public International Law (LLB) (Module Leader 2021- )


Previous teaching:

  • LAW1110/LAW1210: Legal Institutions and Methods (LLB) (Module Leader 2018- 2022)
  • LAW2163: Equity (LLB) (Seminars 2017-2019)
  • LAW3034: Fundamentals of Human Rights Law (LLB) (Seminars 2023)
  • LAW3032: Legal Theory (Lecture 2026)
  • LAW8091: Legal Research: Theory and Method (PGT Seminar 2022; 2025)
  • LAW8559: Contemporary Problems of International Law and Dispute Settlement (LLM) (PGT seminar 2017-2018)


PhD Supervision

I welcome PhD applications within the fields of Global Constitutionalism, Public International Law and Constitutional Theory. 

Current PhD Supervisions

  • Latin American approaches to federalism in Global Constitutionalism
  • Feminist approaches to Digital Constitutionalism

Completed PhD Supervisions

  • Dr Yuki Motoyoshi - The Legality of Military Operations against Non-State Actors, when the Territorial State is Unwilling or Unable to Suppress the Threat of Non-State Actors
  • Dr Li Wang - An Analysis of Constitutional Environmental Design in China


Publications

  • Articles

    • Thaler M, Cooper D, Houghton R. . European Journal of Social Theory 2026. In Press.
    • Houghton R. . Revista de Estudos Jurídicos da UNESP 2026. In Press.
    • Houghton R. . Global Constitutionalism 2026, epub ahead of print.
    • Brugnerotto T, Houghton R. . Revista de Investigações Constitucionais 2025, 12(3), 1-25.
    • Rowe A, Houghton R. . Pólemos 2025, 19(2), 281-307.
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A. . Law Text Culture 2024, 27, 204-227.
    • Houghton R. . Law and Humanities 2024, 18(2), 190-219.
    • Houghton R, Murray CRG, O'Donoghue A. . Feminist Theory 2024, 25(4), 608-625.
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A. . Global Constitutionalism 2023, 12(3), 412-437.
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A. . Global Constitutionalism 2023, 12(3), 403-411.
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A. . Global Constitutionalism 2019, 9(1), 38-75.
    • Houghton R. . Leiden Journal of International Law 2018, 32(3), 465-482.
    • Freedman R, Houghton R. . Human Rights Law Review 2017, 17(4), 753-769.
    • McGlynn C, Rackley E, Houghton R. . Feminist Legal Studies 2017, 25(1), 25-46.

  • Book Chapters

    • Houghton R. . In: Nicolini M, ed. Shakespeare at Large: Law and the First Folio. Routledge, 2026. In Press.
    • Chen CW, Houghton R. . In: Aoife OʼDonoghue , Ruth Houghton, and Cher Weixia Chen, ed. Research Handbook on Global Governance. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2025, pp.2-12.
    • Houghton R. . In: Diamantidis M; Rosenfeld M, ed. Research Handbook on the Law and Politics of Sovereignty. Edward Elgar, 2025. In Press.
    • Abraham KJ, Houghton R. . In: Aoife OʼDonoghue , Ruth Houghton, and Cher Weixia Chen, ed. Research Handbook on Global Governance. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2025, pp.29-55.
    • Chen CW, Houghton R, O'Donoghue A. . In: Aoife OʼDonoghue, Ruth Houghton, and Cher Weixia Chen, ed. Research Handbook on Global Governance. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2025, pp.593-605.
    • Houghton R, Godden-Rasul N, O'Donoghue A, Vincenzotti S. . In: Godden-Rasul N; Kula L, ed. Research Handbook on Gender Violence and Law. Edward Elgar, 2025. In Press.
    • Houghton R. . In: Thomas Sparks and Anne Peters, ed. The Individual in International Law: The History and Theory of International Law. Oxford University Press, 2024, pp.251–272.
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A. . In: Peter Niesen; Markus Patberg; Lucia Rubinelli, ed. Oxford Handbook of Constituent Power. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2024. In Press.
    • Houghton R. . In: Lang AF: Wiener A, ed. Handbook on Global Constitutionalism. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2023, pp.185–206.
    • Freedman R, Houghton R. . In: Fassbender B; Traisbach K, ed. The Limits of Human Rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.
    • O'Donoughe A, Houghton R. . In: Rimmer SH; Ogg K, ed. Research Handbook on Feminist Engagement with International Law. Cheltenham, UK; Northampton, MA, USA: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2019.
    • Houghton R. . In: Lemay-Herbert N; Freedman R, ed. Hybridity: Law, Culture and Development. London and New York: Routledge, 2017, pp.74-88.
    • Houghton R. . In: O'Donoghue, A, Enright, M, McCandless, J, ed. Northern / Irish Feminist Judgments Judges' Troubles and the Gendered Politics of Identity. Hart Publishing, 2017.
    • Turner C, Houghton R. . In: Saul, M; Sweeney, J, ed. International Law and Post Conflict Reconstruction Policy. Routledge, 2015.

  • Digital or Visual Media

    • Fanning A, Clark C, Tongue Z, Houghton R. . Oxford: Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, 2026.
    • Paige T, O'Donoghue A, Houghton R, Chen C. . Berlin: SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG, 2026.
    • Brooks T, Jones H, Houghton R, Douglas B. . Durham: Durham Cathedral, 2025.
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A, Leggatt M, Knight L. . Stockholm: Spotify, 2025.
    • Oni O, Houghton R. . Warwick: School of Law, University of Warwick, 2025.
    • O'Donoghue A, Houghton R, Morrissey J. . San Bruno, California: YouTube, 2024. Podcast.
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A, Jones J, Enright M, O'Rourke C. . Belfast: LawPod; Queen’s University Belfast, 2024. Podcast.
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A. . Warwick: Critical Legal Thinking; The Warwick Centre for Critical Legal Studies, 2021.

  • Online Publications

    • O'Donoghue A, Houghton R, Chen CW. 'Why Bother? Reclaiming Global Governance in Troubled Times. 2025. Available at: https://elgar.blog/2025/12/05/why-bother-reclaiming-global-governance-in-troubled-times/. In Preparation.
    • Houghton R. . The Digital Constitutionalist, 2025. Available at: .
    • O'Donoghue A, Houghton R, Chen CW. . Durham: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2025. Available at: .
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A. . Berlin: Max Steinbeis Verfassungsblog gGmbH, 2025. Available at: .
    • O'Donoghue A, Houghton R. . Coventry: CLT (Holding) Ltd, 2025. Available at: .
    • Houghton R. . Bristol: University of Bristol, 2024. Available at: .
    • Houghton R. . Berlin: Max Steinbeis Verfassungsblog gGmbH, 2024. Available at: .
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A. . Online: OpinioJuris, 2023. Available at: .
    • Houghton R, O'Donoghue A. . Coventry: CLT (Holding) Ltd, 2021. Available at: .
    • O'Donoghue A, Houghton R. A Manifesto for Feminist Global Constitutionalist Order. 2018. Available at: https://criticallegalthinking.com/2018/08/01/a-manifesto-for-feminist-global-constitutionalist-order/.
    • Houghton R. The Unspoken Legacies of Magna Carta. 2015. Available at: https://lacuna.org.uk/openlacuna/the-unspoken-legacies-of-magna-carta/.

  • Reports

    • Houghton R, Hickey R, de Londras F, Strecker A, King A, Munro VE, Andrade LY, Bunworth R, Fanning A, Crompton L. . Doing Feminist Legal Work, 2024. Best Practice Guides 3.
    • Houghton R. . Rochester, NY: SSRN, 2022.
    • Houghton R, Jansen N. . 缅北禁地 upon Tyne: 缅北禁地, 2021. 缅北禁地 Law School Research Briefing.

  • Reviews

    • Houghton R. Arts Review: The Words that Bind Us, an art installation by Nicola Anthony, featured in the exhibition Magna Carta and the North, Durham Cathedral, UK, from 11 July to 2 November 2025. Law and Humanities 2026. In Press.
    • Houghton R. . Law and Literature 2025, 37(2), 459-464.
    • Houghton R. . Polemos 2025, 19(1), 219-224.
    • Houghton R. . International Journal of Constitutional Law 2024.
    • Houghton R. . Global Policy 2023.
    • Houghton R. . International Journal of Law in Context 2023, 19(Special Issue 1), 91-95.
    • Houghton R. . European Human Rights Law Review 2019, (4), 453-455.
    • Houghton R. . Legal Studies 2015, 35(1), 189-190.
    • Houghton R. Book Review: Negotiating in Civil Conflict: Constitutional Construction and Imperfect Bargaining in Iraq by Haider Ala Hamoudi. LSE Review of Books 2014.
    • Houghton R. Book Review: Free Country: Selected Lectures and Talks by Sydney Kentridge QC. LSE Review of Books 2013.
    • Houghton R. Book Review: Democracy, Social Resources and Political Power in the European Union by Niilo Kauppi. LSE Review of Books 2013.
    • Houghton R. Book Review: After the Spring: Probation, Justice Reform and Democratization from the Baltics to Beirut by Johannes Wheeldon. LSE Review of Books 2013.