Rate My Professor Claire McDiarmid

Professor Claire McDiarmid is Professor of Criminal Law and Children's Rights and Head of the School of Law at the University of Glasgow, a position she took up on 1 October 2023. Prior to joining Glasgow, she worked at the University of Strathclyde for 24 years, serving as Head of its Law School from 2019 to 2023 during the global pandemic period. She previously held the role of Associate Dean for Postgraduate Research in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences from 2013 to 2015. A qualified non-practising solicitor in Scotland, McDiarmid was seconded to the Scottish Law Commission’s project on Homicide for four months in 2018. Her career reflects extensive experience in legal academia, teaching, and contributions to criminal law development.

McDiarmid's research specializations encompass criminal law generally, with particular focus on Scots criminal law, children who offend—examining the legal system's responses, the child’s criminal capacity, the age of criminal responsibility, the Scottish children’s hearings system, and the concept of childhood and crime—as well as the law of homicide. Key publications include her monograph Childhood and Crime (Dundee University Press, 2007), which addresses the criminal justice system's treatment of child offenders; Criminal Law Essentials (Dundee University Press, 2010); and Scottish Criminal Law Essentials. Notable articles comprise 'Children who murder: what is Her Majesty's pleasure?' (2000), 'Age of criminal responsibility: raise it or remove it?' (2001), 'Something wicked this way comes: the mens rea of murder in Scots law' (2012), 'An age of complexity: children and criminal responsibility in law' (2013), 'After the age of criminal responsibility: a defence for children who offend' (2016), and 'Between accidental killing and murder: culpable homicide' (2023). She co-authored Scots Criminal Law: A Critical Analysis with Pamela R. Ferguson. Her teaching aligns with these research interests, underscoring her expertise in criminal law.