James began his legal education at Christ’s, before moving to Oxford for the BCL and then the DPhil. His doctoral thesis explores the grounds on which uses of the power to criminalise amount to misuses of that power.  It claims that English law is replete with criminal offences which result from such misuse, and defends principles of political morality which vindicate that claim.

James is interested in most aspects of legal and political philosophy, particularly theories of justice and the Rule of Law. His published work focuses on the implications of these theories for evaluation of the criminal law, and applies its conclusions to recent developments in the domestic system.

James teaches jurisprudence, criminal law and constitutional law. Prior to his appointment, James taught public international law at Cambridge, and criminal law at Oxford.