Institute of Criminal Justice Studies

Profile

Qualifications

BA (Hons) - University of Southampton
MPhil - University of Birmingham (Thesis: ‘Forensic Evidence of Torture: Investigations into Human Rights Violations’)
LLB (Hons) - College of Law / Open University
PGDip (LPC) - Bournemouth University
LLM - University of Central England (now Birmingham City University)

Profile

Prior to joining the ICJS Marika had worked in the forensic field for several years.
She has worked for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Kosovo, on an identification project for deceased civilians, and later with the development of a large scale torture rehabilitation project.
Marika has also worked at an institute of forensic medicine in Denmark and at the California Innocence Project in San Diego.
In addition, she has carried out consultancy work for the National Criminal Investigations Department of the Swedish Police, primarily on identification issues and forensic archaeology.
Marika joined the ICJS as a full-time lecturer in September 2009.

Teaching and Academic Activities

Marika is the co-ordinator for the units ‘Introduction to Forensic Science’ (level 1) and ‘Miscarriages of Justice’ (level 2).
She is also a seminar tutor for various units on the BSc programme Criminology and Forensic Studies.
In August 2010, Marika was made co-director of the University of Portsmouth’s Innocence Project, which is run by the law school.

Research Interests

• Innocence Projects
• Miscarriages of Justice
• ‘Junk science’ and the use and abuse of science in criminal investigations and at trials
  
• Forensic science in court
• Quality assurance for criminal investigations
• Criminal law in California
• Recidivist statutes in the US