Dr Craig Allen

• PhD, Oxford Brookes University, 2021
• LLM, University College London (Distinction), 2016
• LLB, Oxford Brookes University, (First Class), 2014

Craig joined the University of Birmingham in 2021. Prior to this, Craig held concurrent posts as an Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes School of Law (2018-2021) and as a Teaching Assistant at Queen Mary University of London School of Law (2018-2021). Through both roles Craig gained experience teaching Criminal Law, Equity and Trusts Law, Public Law, Equality Law (Module Leader), Advanced Legal Research Methods (LLM), Inequality, Diversity and Human Rights (LLM).

• Land Law (29884, 26320, 29883)
• Criminal Law (29401, 26315, 29398)
• Law, Justice and Ethics (33527)

My main area of interest is in the interaction of law and religion. My PhD thesis addressed how religious fraud and religious undue influence should be regulated by courts in England and Wales by exploring both criminal law (Fraud Act 2006), and the civil law doctrine of undue influence in equity. To develop domestic regulation, I draw comparative lessons from the US and Australia. After identifying the doctrinal, theoretical and rights-based challenges, I developed a conception of autonomy to better establish when courts consider individuals to have voluntarily entered into financial transactions in a religious context. This account of autonomy gives more legitimacy to decisions on defendant liability, and, more generally, contributes to the understanding and rationale of both legal wrongs. I passed my Viva examination without corrections.

I intend to publish a modified version of my PhD thesis as a monograph.

I have since written on the key themes examined in my PhD. I have written a book chapter on the significance of Allcard v Skinner (1886), how it inspired the development of doctrinal understandings of presumed undue influence and when religious influence becomes undue in Australia and Hong Kong. I am also working on an article entitled ‘Presumed Undue Influence and The Erroneous Application of Status based Presumptions of Influence.’ I call for the abolishment of automatic presumptions of influence given their outdated and typically unjustified nature in many contexts.

Conferences

• September 2020, Virtual SLS Conference 2020, Property and Trusts panel, “Severing Gifts in Presumed Undue Influence Claims: Lessons from the US.”
• April 2020, Virtual LARSN PhD Workshop at Oxford Brookes University, “Severing Gifts in Presumed Undue Influence Claims: Lessons from the US.
• June 2019, Oxford Brookes University Research Student Symposium, “Regulating Religious Fraud under s2 Fraud Act 2006: Comparative Lessons from the US.”
• February 2019, The Regulation of Financial Abuse of Religious and Spiritual Capital Workshop at Oxford Brookes University, “The Challenges of Convicting Religious Racketeers under s2 Fraud Act 2006.”
• December 2019, Nottingham Trent University Flashpoints Human Rights, Law & Religion Conference, “Religious Influence or Religious Undue Influence? The Challenges and Risks of Enforcing the Doctrine of Undue Influence.”
• May 2018, LARSN PhD Workshop at Oxford Brookes University, “The Challenges of Religious Fraud for English Criminal Law.”
• April 2018, Oxford Brookes University Law Lunchtime Lecture Series, “The Challenges of Religious Fraud for English Criminal Law.”