Andrew Lika

Criminology (2024 cohort)

Truancy laws hold parents accountable for their children's school attendance. In England and Wales, the state can punish parents harshly if their children fail to attend school through hefty fines and imprisonment. Government data shows that the majority of parents affected are mothers, and research shows that single mothers are most affected. Local authorities issued nearly 400,000 fines to parents in the 2022/2023 academic year, yet we know very little about legal and extra-legal processes underlying the enforcement of truancy laws. Since 2016, local authorities have been able to punish parents through the Single Justice Procedure (SJP). The magistrates in charge of delivering justice via the procedure have stated that it needs reform if the procedure is to become and be viewed by the public as "fair and transparent" (Magistrates' Association, 2024). My DPhil research aims to clarify the legal processes surrounding truancy laws. I plan to conduct qualitative research by and for parents impacted by these procedures and the local authorities that enforce them. I aim to amplify parents' voices, in contrast to the secretive nature of the SJP, which existing research has shown silences parents. I hope my research will enhance our understanding of how two branches of the state, local government and our legal system, regulate family life.

I hold a BA in Law from St John's College, University of Cambridge, where I earned the Larmor Award and Gold Pro Bono Award for my voluntary work with Level Up and Advocacy After Domestic Abuse. Since 2019, I have been an Ask Me Ambassador for Cambridge Women's Aid, raising awareness of domestic abuse through community outreach and fundraising. I have gained valuable legal experience as a trainee solicitor with Vardags and a Public Law and Human Rights paralegal with Irwin Mitchell. I have recently worked as a SEND Teaching Assistant at Impington Village College and a Law Tutor with Oxford Summer Courses. These diverse experiences in the legal world and the education sector have significantly contributed to shaping my research project.

I am currently on the 1+3.5 pathway and am deeply grateful to the ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership for their generous support in funding my postgraduate studies.