Dr Hannah Hirst

School of Law

Lecturer in Law

Deputy Director of Student Wellbeing (UG)

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h.l.hirst@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6738

Full contact details

Dr Hannah Hirst
School of Law
AF21B
Bartolomé House
Winter Street
Sheffield
S3 7ND
Profile
Hannah is the Co-Director of the Child Law Research Group within the School of Law and convenes Children and the Law and Contemporary Issues in Law and Social Justice. She also provides lectures and tutorials to final year students on the Principles in Healthcare Law and Family Law modules. 
 
Hannah was recently awarded her PhD from the University of Liverpool. Her doctoral research was supervised by Professor Marie Fox and Professor Helen Stalford. It examined the administration of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in England through a children’s rights lens. Hannah was awarded a teaching fellowship for her PhD in 2017-2021 and taught undergraduate students Medical Law, Children's Rights and Public Law at Liverpool. 
 
Hannah is currently working on a project funded by the Socio-Legal Studies Association exploring gender diverse children's involvement in clinical decision-making. She has published on the topics of LGBTQ+ conversion 'therapy' and children's access to puberty blockers in England. Hannah is also involved in Professor Aoife Daly's  'Sex Education as a Human Right' research project and is an external member of the European Children's Rights Unit.
 
As a member of the European Children's Rights Unit, Hannah authored and co-authored briefing papers highlighting the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit on children's rights, organised an International Symposium on Children's Rights and helped to develop a series of master classes on how to bring theory to bear on children's rights research with ECRU colleagues. 
Qualifications
  • PhD, University of Liverpool 
  • LLM, University of Liverpool
  • LLB, University of Liverpool
Research interests
  • Child Law and Children's Rights 
  • Gender and the law
  • Healthcare Law 
  • Family Law 
Publications

Journal articles

Chapters

  • Hirst H (2023) How Do Practices to 'Convert' Childhood Gender Diversity Impact a Child's Right to Develop? In Trispiotis I & Purshouse C (Ed.), Banning 'Conversion Therapy' Hart Publishing RIS download Bibtex download

Other

  • Hirst H (2024) A Children's Rights Perspective on the Administration of Puberty Blockers and Cross-sex Hormones to Gender Diverse Youth in England. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hirst H () Visibility of Young Non-Cis Identities and Rights in Bell v Tavistock. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hirst H () The Impact of Covid-19 on Young Trans People. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
Teaching interests

Child Law and Children's Rights, Healthcare Law, Gender and the Law and Family Law.

Teaching activities

The UG modules I teach are:

  • Children and the Law 
  • Principles of Healthcare Law and Ethics 
  • Family Law 
  • Contemporary Issues in Law and Social Justice

PG modules

  • Dissertation
Professional activities and memberships

Hannah is a member of the Children's Rights Early Career Network, the Socio-Legal Studies Association and the European Children's Rights Unit. 

Hannah was shortlisted by the British Federation of Women Graduates of the North West Bursary Prize and invited to present her doctoral research to committee members and other PhD students at the Federation's Academic Presentation Day.