Naomi is recognised as a leading academic on the child’s right to play. She has expertise across human rights law, with particular specialism in children’s rights. Her recent monograph, The Right of the Child to Play: From Conception to Implementation (Routledge, 2023), investigates the right to play from its conception (the drafting processes of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child), through to the historical and current work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in relation to the right to play, and the challenges and opportunities facing the implementation and enjoyment of the right on the ground. It delineates the scope and content of the right to play. Naomi's research involved archival, doctrinal and empirical research. The research that informed the monograph was funded by the ESRC (PhD and Postdoctoral Fellowship). Naomi is now Co-I on a John Fell funded project working with children of all ages (2-18) to investigate their understandings of their right to play and the factors and contexts needed for the implementation of this right. From this and her previous research, Naomi has developed a framework that operationalises the right to play, to support the full implementation of the right.

"I am looking forward to being involved in this important enquiry. Whilst the importance of play for children’s wellbeing and development has been widely recognised in research, this criticality has not translated into policy. Instead, we have seen a steady erosion of children’s play and increase in barriers to enjoying their right. My research has highlighted the importance of this right for children, the legal background of this right, and what measures the State is obligated to undertake to fulfil this right for children. I am looking forward to working with the new Commission in this advisory role, to look at better implementing the right to play, and other children’s rights, nationally"