Room: MB738B
Phone: 0121 204 3861
Email: k.haworth@aston.ac.uk

I joined the Centre for Forensic Linguistics at Aston in 2009. I originally qualified as a barrister, and practised civil and criminal law in Liverpool before moving to the Parliamentary Counsel Office, Whitehall, where I worked as part of a small team of specialist lawyers responsible for drafting primary legislation. Combining long-standing interests in both language and law, I completed an MA in Applied Linguistics and subsequently a PhD on police interviewing at the University of Nottingham. My research interests include all aspects of language and communication in legal contexts, especially spoken interaction and the use of language data as evidence.

Since 2013 I work part-time at Aston, and am available on Tuesdays to Thursdays only.

Language and law, especially police interviews; language as evidence; (critical) discourse analysis; language and identity; forensic linguistics; institutional discourse; spoken interaction; interdisciplinarity. 

Director of Postgraduate English & member of English Management Group, 2016-19

Programme Director, MSc Forensic Linguistics, 2013-19

Programme Director, MA Applied Linguistics, 2011-12

My teaching at Aston has included:

Undergraduate

• The Language of the Law
• Language as Evidence
• Introduction to English Language: Social Applications

Postgraduate

• Analysing Written and Spoken Discourse 
• Linguistics in Legal Contexts 
• Introduction to Forensic Linguistics 
• Spoken Language in the Legal System 
• Research Methods 

Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (HEA)

British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL)

International Association of Forensic Linguists (IAFL) 

International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG)

The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple

2013: PG Certificate in Professional Practice (Higher Education), Aston University.

2004-8:Ph.D.: ‘An analysis of police interview discourse and its role(s) in the judicial process’, University of Nottingham.

2003-4:MA Applied Linguistics, University of Nottingham – with Distinction.

1998-9:PG Diploma in Professional Legal Skills (Bar Vocational Course), The Inns of Court School of Law/ City University, London.

1997-8:PG Diploma in Law (CPE), The College of Law, Chester. With Commendation.

1995-6:Master of Studies (M.St.) Greek and Latin Languages and Literature, Magdalen College, Oxford.

1992-5:BA Hons Classical Studies, First Class, The University of Liverpool.

ESRC Studentship for PhD, Nottingham University, 2004-7 (PTA-030-2004-00907).

Harmsworth Scholarship, Hon. Soc. of the Middle Temple, for the Bar Vocational Course, Inns of Court School of Law, 1998. 

Harmsworth Scholarship, Hon. Soc. of the Middle Temple, for the Common Professional Examination, College of Law, 1997. 

British Academy Studentship, MSt Greek and Latin Language and Literature, Magdalen College, Oxford, 1995.

2001-3: Assistant Parliamentary Counsel, Parliamentary Counsel Office, Whitehall.

1999-2001: Barrister at Oriel Chambers, Liverpool. Civil and criminal law; prosecution and defence.