Personal profile
Biography
Kirsty Blewitt joined Northumbria University in 2023. She is a Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology, with a specialism in language use in legal settings.
Kirsty completed her PhD in Applied Linguistics at Newcastle University, focusing on a linguistic analysis of US courtroom interactions. Her current research and interests include: the (co)construction of narratives in legal interactions; domestic violence; identity and narrative(s) of victims/surviours; crime and identity in media; and ethics in research.
Research interests
(co)construction of narratives in legal interactions; domestic abuse/violence; identity and narrative(s) of victims/surviours; crime and identity in media; ethics in research
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, ‘I hurt her. I hurt her bad. She’s dead.’: An interdisciplinary exploration of interactions between the state and the individual in legal settings‘I hurt her. I hurt her bad. She’s dead.’: An interdisciplinary exploration of interactions between the state and the individual in legal settings, Newcastle University
Award Date: 19 Jul 2018
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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The last word: power, resistance, and interactional authority in courtroom testimony
Blewitt, K. E. & Duffy, S. E., 20 Feb 2026, In: Frontiers in Communication. 11, 7 p., 1754272.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile13 Downloads (Pure) -
The role of narrative time in legal storytelling: a comparative analysis of opening statements in the Grant and Amanda Hayes trials
Blewitt, K. E. & Duffy, S. E., 2 Mar 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Linguistics Vanguard.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile70 Downloads (Pure) -
The Routledge Handbook of Ethics in Forensic Linguistics
Nick, I. M. (Editor) & Blewitt, K. E. (Editor), 22 Jan 2026, London: Routledge. 544 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
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Police gaslighting in UK domestic abuse cases
Blewitt, K. & Canning Pask, P., 9 Dec 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Discourse and Society. p. 1-18 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)9 Downloads (Pure) -
Time on trial: Narrative time and discourse strategies in criminal courtroom closing statements
Duffy, S. & Blewitt, K., 6 Dec 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: International Journal of Legal Discourse.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile19 Downloads (Pure)