Samantha Holmes

Samantha Holmes is a Researcher for the Beyond Compliance Consortium. She is also the Coordinator of the Generating Respect Hub at the University of York’s Centre for Applied Human Rights (CAHR). Her ongoing research explores the impacts of war on mental wellbeing and the vulnerabilities of children in war. She has also collaborated with Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict to research grave violations against children. Samantha holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law and Practice from the University of York, and an LLB from Queen Mary University of London.

Samantha was awarded the CAHR Scholarship for 2022/23 and in 2023 was a recipient of the Sam Pegram Human Rights Placement Award for commitment to reflexive human rights practice. In 2024 she was awarded prizes for producing the highest graded LLM dissertation across York Law School, as well as graduating with the highest LLM average grade.

Samantha has previously conducted human rights practice for organisations in Southeast Asia. Samantha has been published in The Conversation, OpinioJuris, The Diplomat and the Southeast Asia Globe and has contributed to research reports on grave violations against children in armed conflict, fundamental freedoms compliance in Cambodia, and the realisation of disabled people’s rights and the prevention of terrorism in York.