Natalie Kyneswood

Dr Natalie Kyneswood is a Wellcome Trust Early-Career Fellow at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) and Principal Investigator of the Wellcome-funded project: 'Care in the Courtroom: Trauma-informed Specialist Courts and the Medicalisation of Justice'. This five-year, interdisciplinary project commenced in January 2025 and explores the role of trauma-informed care and neuroscience in transforming trial procedures, courtroom environments, and the treatment, questioning and wellbeing of victims of sexual violence. It includes an empirical, qualitative analysis of the pilot of Specialist Sexual Violence Support (SSVS) project courts in England and the creation of a trauma-informed Sexual Offences Court for Scotland. 

Natalie's Wellcome Trust Early-Career Award builds upon her previous research and the ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship she completed at the CSLS in 2024: 'The Extension of Pre-recorded Cross-examination and Related Special Measures to Adult "Intimidated" Complainants in Sex Offence Cases'. This one-year Fellowship consolidated Natalie's doctoral research investigating the application of pre-recorded cross-examination under s. 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to adult "intimidated" witnesses in sexual offence cases. As part of her Fellowship, Natalie was involved in advising the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government on the implementation of pre-recorded cross-examination and provided evidence to the Justice Select Committee inquiry into the Use of Pre-recorded Cross-examination and the Law Commission's Consultation on Evidence in Sexual Offences Prosecutions. Natalie also produced Which Special Measure? - a user-friendly information video and related leaflet for victims and survivors about the pros and cons of using special measures, including pre-recorded cross-examination, when testifying in rape and sexual assault cases.

Natalie's ESRC-funded PhD in Law (Socio-Legal Studies Pathway) was awarded by the University of Warwick in 2023. Natalie is a Barrister of the Middle Temple (non-practising), a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), holds an MSc in Socio-Legal Studies with Distinction from the University of Bristol, and is a member of the Law and Society Association and Socio-Legal Studies Association. Natalie has also served as Senior Editor of the CSLS Frontiers of Socio-Legal Studies blog.