Elizabeth Peatfield

Dr Elizabeth-Jane Peatfield is a Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice at Liverpool John Moores University and a respected voice in critical discussions surrounding justice, inequality, drug policy, and social harm in the UK.

Growing up in 1970s Liverpool, Dr Peatfield experienced first-hand the realities of poverty, violence, and social exclusion. Leaving home at the age of fifteen and facing significant structural barriers, she developed a deep understanding of the inequalities that continue to shape many lives within the criminal justice system. These lived experiences became the foundation of her lifelong commitment to social justice, widening participation, and challenging systemic inequality through education, research, and public engagement.

Before entering academia, Dr Peatfield worked extensively within Liverpool’s nightlife as a bouncer through the late 80s , 90s and into the new millennium, experiences that provided valuable insight into the intersections of crime, vulnerability, substance use, social class, and marginalisation. Combined with her later academic and judicial career, this practical experience continues to inform her research and teaching, grounding theory within real-world contexts.

Dr Peatfield is also a retired Criminal Court Justice, where she witnessed directly the effects of austerity, reductions in legal aid, and the growing challenges surrounding access to justice within the lower courts. Her research critically examines procedural fairness, the experiences of duty solicitors, and the broader impact of criminal justice policy on marginalised communities. Her work sits at the intersection of criminology, law, and social policy, drawing on both professional expertise and lived experience.

Her scholarship focuses particularly on UK drug policy, structural harm, and the contradictions between alcohol regulation and the criminalisation of other substances. She is known for challenging dominant narratives surrounding “problematic” and “functional” drug use, limitations to free speech and justice through equity and equality while highlighting the disproportionate impact of policy on disadvantaged groups.

Dr Peatfield is deeply committed to widening participation in higher education and believes education should serve as a route to empowerment for individuals historically excluded from academic spaces. She has extensive experience working with hard-to-reach communities and incorporates this ethos into her teaching, encouraging students to critically engage with issues of power, inequality, and justice.

Alongside her academic work, Dr Peatfield is also the author of published faith-based books, reflecting her wider interest in ethics, resilience, identity, and personal transformation.

Her contributions to academia and public life have been widely recognised. She has received several awards, including the Merseyside Woman of the Year Award, the Kirsty Raynor Award for Academic Excellence, and the Rising Star Award for Teaching.

Dr Peatfield is also a strong advocate for free speech and academic freedom. She works alongside organisations including the Academic Freedom Alliance and the Free Speech Union, supporting the protection of open debate within universities and championing the importance of intellectual diversity within higher education.