Warwick Law School welcomes new Assistant Professor to our community.

Joshua Pike joins us from the London School of Economics where he was a LSE Fellow teaching and researching in tort law and jurisprudence. Prior to that, Joshua taught at the University of Oxford for a number of years, where he also completed his BA, BCL and DPhil.

When asked about joining Warwick Law School, Joshua told us “I’m very excited to be joining Warwick Law School. As someone whose work sits at the intersection of law and philosophy, the School’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and the teaching of law in its wider theoretical and social context feels like the perfect fit”.

We chatted to find out more...

What are your research interests and what current research projects are you involved in?

I work primarily in moral and legal philosophy but have a broad interest in any area of philosophy that can help us to better understand the law (and vice-versa). I’m particularly interested in moral issues raised by tort law and criminal law. I’m currently working on a paper about what it is to suffer loss and how to make sense of problems in tort law where what would otherwise be losses can appear to be gains. If I’m negligently injured on my way to the airport and miss my flight, but the plane later crashes in an accident, has my injurer caused me loss or have they saved my life? I’ve also been thinking a lot recently about personal identity and the law of homicide: should causing permanent amnesia in another, for example, be treated the same as killing them?

Will you be involved in teaching this year?

I’ll be teaching tort law and criminal law this year. I try to use my research to help students think more deeply about whether the law ought to be the way it is, and how it could be different. It’s always exciting to see the students engage with the law as a living thing that has an impact (for better or worse) on so much of our lives, rather than just as a dry set of rules.

What do you like to do when you are not working?

Outside of work, I enjoy playing piano, going for long walks taking photos, and reading books.

Professor Andrew Williams, Head of School has said "I am delighted to welcome our new colleagues to our academic team. They are outstanding scholars in a variety of fields who each promise to become a major part of our community over the coming years".

Good luck in your first term Joshua, we are thrilled to have you with us.