Dr. Hayley Roberts is an international lawyer with a specialisation in the law of the sea. She was educated at the University of Wales, Bangor, completing a PhD on the legal protection of underwater cultural heritage in UK, US and international law in 2012. She joined as a Lecturer in Public International Law in 2013 and became Senior Lecturer in 2019.

Dr. Roberts’ main research interests are in the areas of the protection of underwater cultural heritage, issues relating to climate change and the oceans/heritage, and specific matters relating to the dispute settlement procedure in the Law of the Sea Convention. She is currently writing a monograph on State-owned Shipwrecks and International Law, to be published with the University of Wales Press in 2023. She is also PI on a AHRC-funded grant that examines marine cultural heritage as a climate adaptation priority, working with a team of researchers in the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Please see the research tab for full details on research activity.

Dr Roberts is Vice-Chair of the Board of Commissioners to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, and has been appointed to the UK National Decade Committee for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. She also sits on the Law Council of Wales, and is Chair of the Welsh National College's Law, Criminology and Policing Subject Panel. Dr. Roberts has been consultant to UNITAR for law of the sea training. 

Dr. Roberts is particularly interested in supervising PhDs related to issues of underwater cultural heritage, climate change and ocean policy, and selected dispute resolution issues in the law of the sea. She is also prepared to consider strong applications with interesting research proposals relating to cultural heritage law or the law of the sea more generally.

Teaching  

Dr. Roberts was awarded a Bangor University Teaching Fellowship in 2017 and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Undergraduate

• SXL 3142: International Law of the Sea (module leader)
• SXL 3110: International Law and Contemporary Issues
• SCL-2139/3139: Cyfraith Datganoli
• SCL-3113: Traethawd Hir

Postgraduate

• International Law LLM (programme director)
• SXL 4040: Public International Law (module leader)
• SXL 4048: International Law of the Sea (module leader)
• SXL-4850: Sustainable Seas (module leader)
• SXL-4851: Cultural Heritage in International Law (module leader)
• SXL-4052: International Climate Change Law & Policy

Dr. Roberts is Chair of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol's Law, Criminology and Policing Subject Panel. She is also external examiner for law and criminology at Aberystwyth University.

Dr. Roberts’ main research interests are in the areas of the protection of underwater cultural heritage, issues relating to climate change and the oceans/heritage and specific matters, and some matters in respect of the dispute settlement procedure in the Law of the Sea Convention. She is also interested in the relationship between international law and devolved nations.

Dr. Roberts is Commissioner (Vice Chair) to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, sits on the UK National Committee for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and the Law Council of Wales. 

Books and Monographs

• H. Roberts, State-owned Shipwrecks in International Law (University of Wales Press) forthcoming 2023.

Selected Publications

• G. Holly, A. Rey da Silva, J. Henderson, C. Bita, W. Forsythe, Z. Alexandre Ombe, C. Poonian, H. Roberts, ‘Utilizing Marine Cultural Heritage for the Preservation of Coastal Systems in East Africa’ (2022) 10(5) Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 693.
• H. Roberts, 'Climate Mitigation, Adaptation, and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea' in R. Caddell and P. McCormack, Research Handbook on Climate Change and Biodiversity Law (Edward Elgar 2022) forthcoming. 
• H. Roberts, 'Identifying 'Exclusionary Agreements': Agreement Type as a Procedural Limitation in UNCLOS Dispute Settlement' (2021) 52 Ocean Development & International Law 113
• H. Roberts, 'Review: Maritime Legacies and the Law: Effective Governance of WWI Wrecks' (2020) 7(2) Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies 128
• H. Roberts, ‘The British Ratification of the Underwater Heritage Convention: Problems and Prospects’ (2018) 67(4) International & Comparative Law Quarterly 833
• H. Roberts, ‘Responses to Sovereign Disputes in the South China Sea’ (2015) 30 International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law 199
• H. Roberts, ‘Review: Copyright and Cultural Heritage: Preservation and Access to Works in a Digital World’ (2011) 16 Comms Law 89

Reports and Consultations

• Written evidence to the International Relations and Defence Committee in its inquiry, UNCLOS: fit for purpose in the 21st century? (November 2021)
• Written response to the Welsh Government's consultation, Managing the Marine Historic Environment of Wales (August 2019)
• Written evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights in its inquiry on the UK’s record on children’s rights (with Prof. Alison Mawhinney) (October 2016)
• Written response to the Welsh Government Consultation, Proposed changes to Planning Policy Wales Chaper 6: The Historic Environment (June 2016)
• H. Roberts et al, ‘Evaluating Barriers to Entering the Assembly: What Prevents Us From Standing’ (July 2014) Report to the National Assembly for Wales’ Independent Remuneration Board
• Written response to the Welsh Government Consultation, Proposed amendments to the criminal offences and defences in sections 2, 28 and 42 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, 2014 (April 2014)
• Written response to the Welsh Government Consultation, Proposals for the Historic Environment of Wales, 2013 (October 2013)

Other Publications

• H. Roberts, 'Turning back migrant boats: what does the international law of the sea say?' (The Conversation, September 2021)
• N. Abrams, H. Roberts, S. Willcock, T. Tenbrink, 'Will mask wearing still be common in Britain after the pandemic is over?' (The Conversation, August 2021)
• H. Roberts, ‘The Republic of the Philippines v The People’s Republic of China: A question of jurisdiction’ (IntLawGrrls Blog, May 2015)
• H. Roberts, ‘Will China force the USA’s hand to revisit the Law of the Sea Convention?’ (IntLawGrrls Blog, June 2014)
• Westlaw Insight Contributor (Law of the Sea)
• Intlawgrrls.com Contributor [http://ilg2.org/author/drhayleyroberts]

Key Grants and Projects

• Innovation & Impact Award Scheme (April 2022), £9,798: 'Mapping social inequality in flooding: Will future flooding predominantly happen in recreation areas and rich neighbourhoods?' (Co-Investigator)
• CAHB Seed Funding (October 2021), £2,993: 'A Human Rights Approach to Cultural Heritage Preservation' (Principal Investigator)
• AHRC (June 2021), £448,917: 'Between environmental concerns and compliance: How does media messaging affect motivation and choice between disposable versus reusable facemasks' (Co-Investigator)
• AHRC, Engaging with Government Programme 2021: Finalist; participant
• AHRC/GCRF Research Grant (January 2020), £10,000: ‘Incorporating Marine Cultural Heritage Protection into Tanzania’s National Adaptation Plan’ (Principal Investigator)
• Kess II Award (September 2018), £21,348: ‘Ontoleg Cyfraith Teulu a’r Gymraeg’ (Principal Investigator)
• SLSA Seminar Competition Award (December 2016), £2,400: ‘Devolved Nations and International Law’ (Co-Investigator)
• Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Grant (July 2016), £2,436: ‘The Role of the Welsh Government in the Reporting and Compliance Procedures of International Agreements: A UNCRC Case Study’ (Principal Investigator)
• Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Grant (February 2015), £4,390: ‘Welsh Legal Research Conference for Students’ (Lead Applicant)
• National Assembly for Wales’ Independent Remuneration Board Research Grant (2014), £10,000: ‘Evaluating Barriers to Entering the Assembly: What Prevents Us From Standing’ (Co-Investigator)
• Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Grant (2013) £48,140: Project group awarded funding for extension of Welsh Medium Law Textbooks project (Co-Applicant)
• Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Grant (2013) £43,253: Project group awarded funding to generate a series of Welsh Medium Law Textbooks (Co-Applicant)

Selected Conference Papers

• Speaker (invited), Marine Cultural Heritage and Climate Adaptation, Marine Cultural Heritage, Law and Policy Workshop (March 2022)
• Speaker (invited), Incorporating Marine Cultural Heritage Protection into Tanzania's National Adaptation Plan, Rising from the Depths: Marine Cultural Heritage and the Environment Workshop (November 2021)
• Speaker (invited), Devolution and International Law: The Welsh Perspective, Devolution in the UK and International Law Workshop (September 2021)
• Speaker (invited), Marine Cultural Heritage as a Climate Adaptation Priority: A Tanzanian Case Study, Addressing Marine Plastic Waste as a Climate Adaptation Priority in Indonesia (August 2021)
• Speaker (invited), Marine Cultural Heritage and International Law, Tanzania's Marine Cultural Heritage: A Climate Adaptation Priority Workshop (August 2021)
• Keynote Summary (invited), Digital Past 2020 International 2-Day Conference, Aberystwyth Arts Centre (February 2020)
• Invited to Open and Close Proceedings, The U-Boat Project 2-Day Legacy Workshop, Marine Centre Wales (September 2019)
• Speaker, Devolution and Children's Rights, Greater Manchester Combined Authority Lessons from Devolution Workshop, Manchester (May 2019)
• Participant, Brexit and the Law School: SLS-Funded Roundtable, Swansea University (July 2017)
• Speaker, Compliance with the UNCRC in the Context of Devolution, Bangor Interdisciplinary Conference on Childhood and Youth, Bangor University (June 2017)
• Speaker, The Involvement of the Welsh Government in the Reporting and Compliance Process of the UNCRC, Devolved Nations and International Law Seminar, Bangor University (June 2017)
• Speaker, Time to Ratify the UNESCO Convention 2001? Challenges and Solutions for the United Kingdom, Socio-Legal Studies Association Conference, Newcastle University (April 2017)
• Speaker, The South China Sea Arbitration: The Role of Negotiations in UNCLOS Dispute Settlement, IntLawGrrls! 10^th Birthday Conference, University of Georgia Law School, Georgia, USA (March 2017)
• Panelist, Access to Underwater Heritage and the Law, Underwater Heritage in Wales Session, 8^th Annual Conference of MOROL, Porthmadog, Wales (November 2016)
• Invited, UNCLOS Dispute Settlement in Light of Philippines v China, Sino-European Symposium on the International Law of the Sea, South China Sea Institute of Xiamen University, China (June 2016)
• Speaker, Pwy sydd bia’r Titanic? Trosolwg o’r ymdrechion i feddu’r Llongddrylliad, Welsh Legal Research Conference, Cardiff University (2014)

Media

• Interview on the discovery of the Endurance shipwreck, Post Prynhawn, BBC Radio Cymru (March 2022)
• Y Parchedig Emyr Ddrwg (Docshed), Drama Documentary on S4C/BBC (February 2022) - discussing legal aspects relating to tampering of deceased bodies
• Interview on RMS Titanic artefacts, Rhaglen Aled Hughes, BBC Radio Cymru (July 2018)
• Interview on Blackbeard's shipwreck, Rhaglen Aled Hughes, BBC Radio Cymru (January 2018)
• Interview on the Royal Charter shipwreck, Post Cyntaf, BBC Radio Cymru (May 2016)

Dr. Roberts is particularly interested in supervising PhDs related to issues of underwater cultural heritage/shipwrecks and dispute resolution within the law of the sea. She is also prepared to consider applications with interesting research proposals relating to public international law or the law of the sea more generally.

2022

• Accepted/In pressClimate Mitigation, Adaptation, and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
  Roberts, H., 2022, (Accepted/In press) Research Handbook on Climate Change and Biodiversity Law. Caddell, R. & McCormack, P. (eds.). Edward Elgar
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
• PublishedUtilizing Marine Cultural Heritage for the Preservation of Coastal Systems in East Africa
  Holly, G., Rey da Silva, A., Henderson, J., Bita, C., Forsythe, W., Alexandre Ombre, Z., Poonian, C. & Roberts, H., 19 May 2022, In: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering . 10, 5, 693.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2021

• PublishedIdentifying 'Exclusionary Agreements': Agreement Type as a Procedural Limitation in UNCLOS Dispute Settlement
  Roberts, H., 26 May 2021, In: Ocean Development & International Law. 52, 2, p. 113-142
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2020

• PublishedMaritime Legacies and the Law: Effective Governance of WWI Wrecks
  Roberts, H., Jul 2020, In: Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies. 7, 2, p. 128-130 3 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Book/Film/Article review

2018

• PublishedThe British ratification of the Underwater Heritage Convention: Problems and Prospects
  Roberts, H., Oct 2018, In: International & Comparative Law Quarterly. 67, 4, p. 833-865
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2015

• PublishedResponses to Sovereign Disputes in the South China Sea: Responsed to Sovereign disputes in the South China Sea
  Roberts, H. A. & Roberts, H., 1 Mar 2015, In: International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law. 30, 1, p. 199-211
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2014

• PublishedEvaluating Barriers to Entering the Assembly: What Prevents Us From Standing
  Robinson, C., Cahill, D., Nikolopoulos, K., Clear, S., Harvey, J., Prendergast, L., Pritchard, H. & Roberts, H., 1 Jul 2014, National Assembly for Wales. 48 p.
  Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report

2022

• UNITAR Consultancy

  Training on Executive Diploma (International Law in the 21st Century)

  17 May 2022 – 18 May 2022

  Activity: Consultancy (Consultant)
• Marine Cultural Heritage, Law and Policy

  Paper: 'Marine Cultural Heritage and Climate Adaptation'

  Mar 2022

  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course (Invited speaker)
• UK National Committee for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

  Feb 2022 →

  Activity: Types of Award - Appointment (Contributor)

2021

• Rising from the Depths: Marine Cultural Heritage and the Environment

  Paper: 'Incorporating Marine Cultural Heritage Protection into Tanzania's National Adaptation Plan'

  Nov 2021

  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course (Invited speaker)
• Turning back migrant boats: what does the international law of the sea say?

  10 Sep 2021

  Links:

  • https://theconversation.com/turning-back-migrant-boats-what-does-the-international-law-of-the-sea-say-167679
  Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)
• Devolution in the UK and International Law

  Paper: 'Devolution and International Law: The Welsh Perspective'

  Sep 2021

  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course (Invited speaker)
• Will mask wearing still be common in Britain after the pandemic is over?

  6 Aug 2021

  Links:

  • https://theconversation.com/will-mask-wearing-still-be-common-in-britain-after-the-pandemic-is-over-165210
  Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)
• Addressing Marine Plastic Waste as a Climate Adaptation Priority in Indonesia

  Paper: 'Marine Cultural Heritage as a Climate Adaptation Priority: A Tanzanian Case Study'

  Aug 2021

  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course (Invited speaker)
• Tanzania's Marine Cultural Heritage: A Climate Adaptation Priority

  AHRC/GCRF-funded

  Aug 2021

  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course (Organiser)
• Tanzania's Marine Cultural Heritage: A Climate Adaptation Priority

  Paper: 'International Law and Marine Cultural Heritage'

  Aug 2021

  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)

2020

• Digital Past 2020

  Paper: Keynote Summary

  Feb 2020

  Activity: Participation in conference (Keynote/plenary speaker)

2019

• The U-Boat Project 2-Day Legacy Workshop

  Sep 2019

  Activity: Participation in conference (Keynote/plenary speaker)
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority Lessons from Devolution

  Paper: 'International Law and Devolution in Wales'

  May 2019

  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)
• Vice Chair, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales

  Apr 2019 →

  Links:

  • https://rcahmw.gov.uk/about-us/commissioners/commissioner-profiles/
  Activity: Types of Award - Appointment (Contributor)

2017

• Bangor Interdisciplinary Conference on Childhood and Youth

  Paper: 'Reporting and Compliance on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in a Devolved United Kingdom'

  28 Jun 2017

  Activity: Participation in conference (Speaker)
• Devolved Nations and International Law Seminar

  Paper: 'Impact of International Law on Devolved Legislation'

  16 Jun 2017

  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)
• Devolved Nations and International Law Seminar

  SLSA-funded

  16 Jun 2017

  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course (Organiser)
• Brexit and the Law School Roundtable

  SLS-funded, Invited Participant

  31 May 2017

  Activity: Participation in workshop, seminar, course (Participant)
• Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference 2017

  Time to Ratify the UNESCO Convention 2001? Challenges and Solutions for the United Kingdom

  6 Apr 2017

  Activity: Participation in conference (Speaker)
• IntLawGrrls 10th Birthday Conference

  Paper: 'The South China Sea Arbitration: The Role of Negotiations in UNCLOS Dispute Settlement'

  3 Mar 2017

  Activity: Participation in conference (Speaker)

2016

• MOROL Conference 2016

  Paper: 'Underwater Heritage Law in Wales'

  12 Nov 2016

  Activity: Participation in conference (Invited speaker)
• Written evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights in its inquiry on the UK’s record on children’s rights

  Oct 2016

  Activity: Types of External academic engagement - Contribution to the work of national or international committees and working groups (Contributor)
• Sino-European Symposium on International Law of the Sea

  Paper: 'UNCLOS Dispute Settlement in Light of Philippines v China'

  29 Jun 2016 – 30 Jun 2016

  Activity: Participation in conference (Invited speaker)

• Incorporating Marine Cultural Heritage Protection into Tanzania’s National Adaptation Plan

  01/01/2020 – 28/05/2022 (Finished)

Professional Memberships

• Vice Chair of the Board of Commissioners, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales 
• Member of the UK National Committee for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
• Member of Law Council of Wales
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Society of Legal Scholars (Council Member)
• Socio-Legal Studies Association
• Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (Chair of Law, Criminology and Policing Subject Panel)
• Welsh Centre for International Affairs (Legal Affairs Committee)