Jade Brailsford

Jade Brailsford read law at the University of Northampton, graduating with a First Class LLB (Hons). She went on to complete an LLM in International Commercial Law, also at Northampton, where she was awarded a Distinction. Jade took up a teaching role at the University of Northampton on completion of her LLM, holding various positions since then. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Law, and the LLB Course Leader.

She is currently completing a part time PhD in Law at the University of Exeter. Her doctoral thesis, Balancing State Secrecy and Freedom of Expression in the Context of Security and Intelligence Whistleblowing, examines judicial deference, proportionality, and the absence of a statutory public interest defence under the Official Secrets Act 1989.

Jade's research interests lie in national security, freedom of expression, and whistleblowing, with a particular focus on the tension between democratic accountability and state secrecy. She has presented at international conferences, including the 2025 workshop In the Name of National Security: The Fragility of Human Rights, co-hosted by the University of Cambridge and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Jade is also active in researching learning and teaching, widening participation and inclusion. 

Jade is module leader for Undergraduate Law Dissertations supervision, and human rights, ethics, and discrimination law, alongside teaching modules in the foundations of legal knowledge areas.