Profile

Professor Patrick Birkinshaw has been a professor since 1990, and has lectured at Hull University since 1976. He is Director of the Institute of European Public Law, and has been Editor in Chief of the quarterly journal European Public Law since 1995. He has written various books including: Freedom of Information: the Law, the Practice and the Ideal 4th ed 2010 Cambridge University Press, Government and Information: the Law Relating to Access, Disclosure and their Regulation (4th ed. with Dr Mike Varney 2011), European Public Law (2003), Grievances Remedies and the State (2nd ed 1995).

Professor Birkinshaw worked as a specialist adviser to the Commons Public Administration Select Committee in its enquiry into 'Political Memoirs' in 2005/2006. He has acted as a government and parliamentary adviser and has represented the UK in numerous international legal seminars. From 1997 until 1999, he served as a specialist adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee on Public Administration in its review of Government proposals, and its Bill, on Freedom of Information.

Between 2000 and 2008 he was a member of the transparency team for Nirex (subsequently part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority). Professor Birkinshaw is also on the Assessment Board for the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Science, which allocates public funds for academic research.