Dr Eliza Watt is a lecturer in law at Middlesex University. Prior to joining the Law School, Dr Watt held positions of lecturer at Bournemouth University (LL.M International Dispute Resolution (Module Leader); LLB Commercial Law and Transactions (Module Leader)) and visiting lecturer at Westminster Law School (LLB Contract Law).
She obtained the LLB, LL.M, L.LM and PhD degrees from King's College London and University of Westminster. She is also a non-practicing barrister called to the Bar at the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple.
Dr Watt worked as a legal consultant for a UK based environmental remidiation company, gaining experience in commercial, environmental, licencing and employment related matters.
Having returned to academia, she was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy for her PhD thesis, Cyberspace, Surveillance, Law and Privacy. The thesis examined the impact of mass cyber surveillance programs of the intelligence agencies of the 'Five Eyes' coalition of States on the right to privacy of communications under international and regional human rights frameworks.
Qualifications
Dr Watt currently teaches at postgraduate and undergraduate levels Law of the International Sale of Goods (LL.M), International Commercial Litigation and Arbitration (LL.M), English and International Commercial Law (LLB) and Tort Law (LLB). In addition, she has teaching experience in English Legal System (LLB) and Contract Law (LLB).
Teaching
Module Leadership Responsabilities
Dr Watt's area of research relates to cyber law, in particular State sponsored cyber surveillance and international human rights, focusing on the right to privacy. Her other scholarly interests include cyber security, cyber espionage, cyber crime, data privacy, internet governance and public international law.
She is the author of a monograph titled, State Sponsored Cyber Surveillance: The Right to Privacy of Communications and International Law (Edward Elgar Publishing, forthcoming 2020). Her work has been widely published in peer reviewed journals and other international publications, including the International Journal of Human Rights, Journal of Conflict and Security Law, the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs and NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre, Tallinn Estonia.
Dr Watt welcomes PhD proposals in the fields of international arbitration, international commercial law, international law of cyber security and data protection
Conferences and Public Events:
Dr Watt presented her reseach at a number of international conferences and public events, including NATO International Conference on Cyber Conflict, at University College London, Westminster Law School, Middlesex University and University of Hull.
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Watt, Eliza (2019) Russell Buchan, Cyber Espionage and International Law. Oxford: Hart Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc., 2019, 195 pp. ISBN 9781782257349. [Book review]. Journal of Conflict and Security Law , 24 (3). pp. 638-642. ISSN 1467-7954 (Published online first)
Watt, Eliza (2017) Cyberspace, surveillance, law and privacy. PhD thesis, University of Westminster.
Watt, Eliza (2017) 'The right to privacy and the future of mass surveillance'. The International Journal of Human Rights , 21 (7). pp. 773-799. ISSN 1364-2987
Watt, Eliza (2017) The role international human rights law in the protection of online privacy in the age of surveillance. In: 9th International Conference on Cyber Conflict: Defending the Core, 30 May - 02 Jun 2017, Tallinn, Estonia.
Watt, Eliza (2015) Proposed US and UK laws will entrench surveillance powers across the atlantic. The Conversation .
Dr Watt participated in the public consultation process conducted under the auspieces of Laiden University and made a contribution to the Commentary to UN Group of Government Experts 2015 Cyber Norms Proposal-Recommendation (e) published in the UN Report 'Voluntary, Non-Bindig Norms for Responsible State Behaviour in the Use of Information and Communication Technology: A Commentary' (2017) United Nations Office of Disarmament Affaris.
Dr Watt is a peer reviewer for the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies and the International Journal of Human Rights.
She held editorial positions of Westminster Law Review (2014-2016) and Bournemouth Law Review (2017-2018).
She is a member of: