Professor Ralph Sandland has taught mental health law in the School of Law for many years.

Ralph's research interests include mental health and mental capacity law, with a particular interest in historical analysis and issues around gender and discrimination. He also has a research record in children's rights, particularly the rights of children with disabilities. He has authored reports on mental health and fundamental rights, and on the rights of children with disabilities, for the European Agency for Fundamental Rights. Ralph convened and taught a module on Law and Public Health as part of the Master of Public Health programme run by the School of Public Health and Epidemiology in the University’s Medical School from 1992-2012. He also convened and taught on a module organised by the School of Public Health, University of Rennes, entitled Health Law and Bioethics as part of the EUROPHAMILI programme, delivered in a number of countries across Europe for a number of years. He has acted as consultant to the Greek Ombudsman and The Nursing Association of Lithuania on issues relating to discrimination in healthcare.