Margaret Doyle
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Email
mdoyle@essex.ac.uk -
Location
Colchester Campus
Profile
Biography
Margaret Doyle is a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Essex School of Law. Her research interests include rights-based mediation and redress mechanisms, particularly for complaints about public services; the relationship between different redress mechanisms such as mediation, ombuds, and courts and tribunals; and policy development in dispute resolution. Specific areas of interest are education, disabilities, equalities and discrimination, and intergenerational dispute and complaints. . Previously, Margaret was Senior Research Officer with the UK Administrative Justice Institute (UKAJI), which is based at the School. She managed its website (www.ukaji.org), commissioned and conducted research, and coordinated the UK-wide network. As part of her work on administrative justice with the UKAJI project, Margaret conducted a knowledge exchange project on young people's participation in resolving disputes about their special educational needs and disabilities support. This work is funded by an ESRC IAA Fund grant and the Garden Court Chambers Special Fund. The project website is https://aplaceatthetablesend.wordpress.com. Margaret was principal investigator for a mapping study of informal resolution approaches by ombuds in the UK, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. She manages the project website and ongoing blog at www.ombudsresearch.org.uk. Margaret is also a consultant in appropriate dispute resolution (ADR) and an independent mediator. She is accredited to mediate in disputes involving special educational needs and disabilities and disputes involving older people. Her mediation website is at www.domarmediation.,co.uk. She is an Associate with Garden Court Chambers and a member of the College of Mediators and the Elder Mediation International Network.
Qualifications
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Master’s in Research in Law and Sociolegal Studies Birkbeck, University of London,
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BA (Hons) Barnard College, Columbia University,
Appointments
University of Essex
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Visiting Research Fellow, University of Essex School of Law (2019 - present)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
A Place at the Table: Young people's participation in SEND dispute resolution
A knowledge exchange project exploring issues about young people's involvement in resolving disputes with local authorities about their special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support need.
Human Rights in Small Places: Re-imagining Administrative Justice
Book in progress (contract with Palgrave Macmillan): Administrative justice has been perceived as a 'system' of decision-makers and mechanisms for challenge and redress, one subject to ad hoc design over the course of its development. More than that, however, it is 'an approach, a way of looking at the interaction between people and the governments and other public bodies that make decisions about a wide range of aspects of everyday life' (UK Administrative Justice Institute 2018). Administrative justice and human rights are kept apart for two main reasons: first, they seem to occupy different territory, human rights being associated with substantive civil and social rights entitlement, and administrative justice being associated with procedural fairness in decision-making; secondly, they seem to comprise different forms of ‘social ordering’, human rights being associated with legal adjudication and ‘enforcement’, and administrative justice with non-judicial decision-making and forms of mediation. How can bringing these together illuminate both concepts and so make them more effective channels of something larger than either component part, namely, social justice?
Designing a Public Services Ombud scheme for Jersey
The aim of the project is to develop costed options for a Jersey public services ombud and to explore best practice in terms of jurisdiction and powers, governance, accessibility, and techniques. To seek out lessons for Jersey from experiences in other jurisdictions, we are studying ombud schemes in smaller countries and territories and looking at how ombud schemes in the UK have been designed and redesigned.
Mediation in Medical Treatment Disputes
Consultant on research project led by Dr Jaime Lindsey (University of Essex) to examine the role of mediation in medical treatment disputes.
Publications
Journal articles (3)
Bondy, V., Doyle, M. and Reid, V., (2005). Mediation and Judicial Review – Mind the Research Gap. Judicial Review. 10 (3), 220-226
Doyle, M. and Fenn, P., (2003). Ombudsmen. Arbitration. 69 (4), 243-251
Doyle, M., (2001). Settling public sector disputes. Adviser (May/June 2001), 4-6
Books (2)
Doyle, M. and O'Brien, N., (2019). Re-imagining Administrative Justice: Human Rights in Small Places:. Palgrave MacMillan. 9783030213879
Doyle, M., (2000). Advising on Adr The Essential Guide to Appropriate Dispute Resolution. 0953743918. 9780953743919
Book chapters (2)
Doyle, M. and Bondy, V., (2018). What’s in a Name: A Discussion Paper on Ombud Terminology. In: Research Handbook on the Ombudsman. Editors: Kirkham, R. and Hertogh, M., . Edward Elgar. 1- 608. 978 1 78643 124 0
Bondy, V. and Doyle, M., (2018). What's in a name? A discussion paper on ombud terminology. In: Research Handbook on the Ombudsman. 485- 506. 9781786431240
Reports and Papers (8)
Doyle, M., (2019). A Place at the Table: A report on young people's participation in resolving disputes about special educational needs and disabilities
Sunkin, MS., Doyle, M. and Bondy, V., (2018). A Research Roadmap for Administrative Justice
Doyle, M., (2018). Relationships, trust and learning to drive: A report on a discussion of young people's participation in SEND dispute resolution Report on a roundtable discussion for the project A Place at the Table
Doyle, MT., Bondy, V. and Hirst, C., (2014). The use of informal resolution approaches by ombudsmen in the UK and Ireland: A mapping study
Bondy, V. and Doyle, M., (2011). Mediation in Judicial Review: A practical handbook for lawyers
Bondy, V., Mulcahy, L., Doyle, M. and Reid, V., (2009). Mediation and Judicial Review: An empirical research study
Doyle, M., (2006). Evaluation of the Small Claims Mediation Service at Manchester County Court
Doyle, M., Ritters, K. and Brooker, S., (2004). Seeking resolution: The availability and usage of consumer-to-business alternative dispute resolution in the United Kingdom
Thesis dissertation (1)
Doyle, M., (2006). “Just” resolutions? An exploration of the use of mediation in public law disputes
Grants and funding
2014
Proposal for a mapping study of the use of Informal resolution approaches by ombudsmen in the uk
Nuffield Foundation
