Raphael Schlembach

Raphael Schlembach is a Principal Lecturer in Criminology in the School of Humanities and Social Science. Before coming to the University of Brighton in 2015, he taught sociology and criminology at UCLan, Liverpool Hope and Sussex and received his PhD from the University of Manchester. Raphael lived in Belgium, Germany and France before studying at Kent (BA) and Manchester (MSc).

Raphael has published two books and over 20 articles and chapters, in leading academic journals such as Citizenship Studies, Critical Social Policy, Environmental Politics and the European Journal of Social Theory.

His most recent book is titled ‘Spycops’ and was the first academic examination of the 2015-2026 Undercover Policing Inquiry, with a focus on the contest between secrecy and disclosure. It is the outcome of a 10-year research project into the undercover policing of social movements in Britain. Raphael has communicated his findings to a range of public audiences through talks, blogs and interviews. 'Spycops' has been cited in legal submissions to the Undercover Policing Inquiry and in the 2024 report of the House of Lords statutory inquiries committee.

Raphael’s first monograph, ‘Against Old Europe’, was concerned with the study of European social movements and examined critical theory approaches to globalisation, including work by Touraine, Habermas, Negri, Holloway and Postone.

Most recently, Raphael has carried out research on the Brook House Inquiry into the mistreatment of immigration detainees, partly funded by the Socio-Legal Studies Association.

Raphael is interested in receiving proposals for doctoral studies across politics, sociology and criminology. His areas of expertise include critical approaches to protest and social movements; criminal justice and social policy; migration and citizenship; policing and security; nationalism and the far right; critical and democratic theory; and public inquiries.

For current funding opportunities see: http://www.southcoastdtp.ac.uk/apply/