Dr Samantha Fairclough is an Associate Professor in Law at the University of Birmingham. She has researched and published extensively on the conceptualisation and treatment of vulnerable people in criminal trials with a particular interest in their ability to testify. Her work argues for the equal treatment of defendants vis-à-vis witnesses and the provision of support on humane treatment grounds in addition to instrumental concerns for evidence quality. Samantha co-convenes The Vulnerable Accused Network and runs the Defending Vulnerability blog https://defendingvulnerability.wordpress.com/.