Dr Lewis Njabulo Sibanda

Professional biography 

Lewis is a Lecturer in Law (Central Academic) at The Open University (OU). He is a registered legal practitioner in the Zimbabwean superior courts, and a former Sussex Mandela Scholar. He has worked as a professional research assistant to the retired Chief Justice of Zimbabwe and another senior judge of the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe.

Lewis' PhD in Law at the OU examined the root causes of human trafficking, utilising a marxist legal analysis of structural injustice and vulnerability to exploitation. He has presented at various academic conferences and delivered guest lectures on his research both nationally and internationally.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Lewis was a Law Lecturer at O.P. Jindal Global University in India. He holds an LLM (with distinction) from the University of Sussex, and an LLB (cum laude) from the University of South Africa.

Lewis is available on LinkedIn

Research interests

Lewis' research interests are within anti-trafficking law, human rights, migration and critical legal studies. His work examines the role that structural injustice plays in shaping individual experiences of vulnerability, and influences the social mobility of migrants.

Teaching interests

Lewis is passionate about supporting students develop critical thinking skills and to unpack the law's role in shaping society. He teaches W112 Civil justice and tort law, W230 Family Law, W250 Evidence Law, and W350 Exploring legal boundaries. He also teaches on the LLM module W811 Exploring modern legal issues, and contributes to the production of materials for the PGDL.

Impact and Engagement

Lewis' research contributes to global debates on anti-trafficking, prevention policy and contemporary human rights issues. His critical legal approach challenges dominant narratives in anti-trafficking discourse, and informs policy-oriented approaches to addressing structural exploitation.

He has presented his research at leading academic conferences, including those organised by the Society of Legal Scholars (SLS), the Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA) and the Human Trafficking Research Network (HTRN). Beyond the academia, Lewis has tutored at two secondary schools in England through the Brilliant Club, introducing students to complex legal issues through university-style tutorials.