From Humanitarian Aid Work to Human Rights Research: the Essex Human Rights Centre Clinic as a Bridge to Academia

At the 2025 Human Rights Centre Clinic Annual Conference, “On the Frontlines of Global Justice”, alumni and current members of the Essex Human Rights Centre Clinic gathered to reflect on their journeys through human rights practice and research. Among them was Vanessa Topp, a SeNSS DTP-funded PhD candidate at Essex Law School. Vanessa shared her experiences of working on Clinic projects during her time at Essex, and how these have helped to bridge her time in the humanitarian aid sector with her doctoral research. 

Vanessa’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of combining practical experience with academic insight. Vanessa’s current PhD research, supervised by Professor Geoff Gilbert, Dr Matthew Gillett, and Dr Esin Küçük, explores the criminalisation of humanitarian assistance provided to people on the move in the European Union. Before embarking on her doctoral studies, Vanessa gained significant experience of humanitarian aid work, including in Somalia/Somaliland, Kenya, the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan, and Greece. This included supporting displaced populations and advocating for migrant rights – experiences that laid the foundation for her academic pursuits. “I wanted to understand how the law is used not only to protect but also to punish those who act in solidarity”, she explained during her talk.
Her time at the Human Rights Centre Clinic was key in bridging the gap between practical experience and academic study, enriching her perspective and sharpening her research skills: “it was a space where theory met practice. And that’s exactly what I needed to take the next step in my career”. During her studies at Essex, Vanessa worked on all three kinds of projects offered by the Clinic – module-based, multi-year, and ad hoc projects. 

Her module-based project, in collaboration with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Conflict, examined the UK’s Special Forces operations in a report on a “Accountability and Oversight of UK Special Forces”. The report challenges the UK’s “no comment” policy regarding its Special Forces and the absence of a relevant external oversight and accountability framework, arguing that these gaps may breach international and domestic laws. The Clinic team researched existing laws and policies surrounding Special Forces around the world and conducted interviews with experts. The Clinic report was shared more widely by key organisations working in the field.
Vanessa was also a member of the inaugural cohort of the Arbitrary Detention Redress Unit (ADRU), now in its third year. As an ADRU member, Vanessa had the opportunity to work on live cases brought before the UN, as well as present her research findings on arbitrary detention and disinformation to members of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the ADRU’s partner organisation. Following the meeting, one member of the Working Group commented that “the students were all very impressive and motivated to protect human rights”.

Finally, Vanessa worked on an hoc project supervised by Professor Carla Ferstman, Member of the Council of Europe Expert Council on NGO Law. Research assistance provided by the group of students contributed to a Thematic Study prepared by the Expert Council on NGO Law, on the criminalisation of NGO activities in Member States of the Council of Europe, particularly in the context of humanitarian efforts targeting refugees and other migrants. The study was launched at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, at a meeting organised by the Expert Council on NGO Law, at which Vanessa and other team members presented their findings.
With respect to all three projects, Vanessa emphasised the importance of the Clinic’s interdisciplinary approach: “we weren’t just looking at black-letter law – we were encouraged to consider the social, political, and ethical dimensions of legal practice”.

Now, as a doctoral researcher, Vanessa continues to draw on the lessons she learned through the Essex Human Rights Clinic. Her work contributes to a growing body of scholarship that challenges the criminalisation of solidarity and advocates for more humane migration policies. “The Clinic didn’t just prepare me for academia,” she reflected. “It prepared me to be a more thoughtful, effective advocate for human rights”.

Dr Sabina Garahan, Director of the Human Rights Centre Clinic, commented: “I am delighted that the Clinic has been able to serve as a bridge between Vanessa’s impressive humanitarian fieldwork and academic inquiry. Her invaluable contributions to a number of Clinic projects show the impact of combining human rights theory and practice – the fundamental aim of the Clinic”.