Projects per year
Personal profile
Personal Statement
Adam is currently a Lecturer in Public Law at the University of Strathclyde. From 2019-2022 he worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, on the international and interdisciplinary FATAL4JUSTICE? Programme. He was responsible for developing and delivering research pertaining to social and legal issues in the use of algorithmic decision-making (ADM) tools in criminal justice. During his time at Birmingham, Adam also served as a founding member of the LEADS Lab (Legal, Ethical and Accountable Digital Society).
Prior to his role at Birmingham, Adam worked as a Research Assistant for King's College London and the Public Law Project, investigating the use of ADM tools by public authorities in England and Wales. He also holds a PhD in Law from Queen's University Belfast, funded by the Leverhulme Interdisciplinary Network on Cybersecurity and Society (LINCS).
Research Interests
Adam's research is primarily motivated by a desire to critically analyse and understand the ways in which the exercise of public power - conferred upon public authorities in pursuit of defined legal duties and obligations - is transformed and/or displaced through the design and deployment of digital decision-making tools and platforms. He is concerned about the potential for abuse(s) of power in this regard, and this leads his research towards engagement with concepts including constitutionalism, surveillance, privacy and data protection, human rights, and legal and political theory.
Adam has published his research in a range of academic journals, including Legal Studies and Public Law. He has provided expert advice on the use of ADM tools in the public sector, to organisations and public bodies including the Public Law Project, and the Raad Van State in the Netherlands.
Teaching Interests
Adam currently teaches on various Public Law modules at Strathclyde:
Semester 1 (Beginning Autumn 2023)
- Public Law 2
- Constitutional Law (Honours)
Semester 2 (Ongoing)
- Public Law 1
- Administrative Law (Honours)
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 1 Active
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INTERNALLY FUNDED: Strathclyde Centre for Doctoral Training in Human Rights-based Decision-Making (£132,000)
Harkens, A., Miyake, E., Nicol, E., Ntona, M., Schippers, B. & Webster, E.
1/10/23 → 31/03/27
Project: Internally funded project
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How algorithmic policing challenges fundamental rights protection in the EU: lessons from the United Kingdom
Harkens, A., 15 Mar 2024, (Accepted/In press) The Challenges of Artificial Intelligence for Law in Europe . Springer, 25 p. (Data Science, Machine Intelligence, and Law).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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How do "technical" design choices made when building algorithmic decision-making tools for criminal justice authorities create constitutional dangers? (Part I)
Yeung, K. & Harkens, A., 30 Apr 2023, In: Public Law. 2023, April, p. 265-286 22 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile13 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
- 1 Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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Office for AI Expert Workshop: AI life cycle accountability
Adam Harkens (Participant)
1 Jun 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course