Lawless Lab

About the Lab

The Lawless Lab is a research group based in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of New Brunswick, led by Dr. Martha Paynter, RN PhD.

Our research sits at the nexus of reproductive justice and prisoner health, examining the health rights of people experiencing incarceration and advancing access to sexual and reproductive health care in Canada and internationally.

The lab takes its name from Dr. Paynter's 2025 book, Lawless: Abortion Under Complete Decriminalization (Fernwood Publishing), which examines what becomes possible when abortion is fully removed from the criminal law.

We work in close collaboration with community organizations, lived-experience experts, and interdisciplinary partners to produce research that supports structural change.

Team

Dr. Martha Paynter, RN PhD

Principal Investigator

Martha Paynter is an Associate Professor at the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Nursing. A nurse, writer, and public scholar, she is recognized internationally for her expertise at the intersection of reproductive justice and prisoner health. She is a recipient of the 150th Anniversary Medal from the Senate of Canada (2017) and the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025).

marthapaynter.ca ↗

Clare Heggie

PhD Candidate

Clare Heggie is a PhD Candidate at the University of New Brunswick. Her research focuses on prisons, rural health, and reproductive health. She is a core member of the Lawless Lab and co-author on numerous studies examining reproductive and sexual health access for incarcerated people in Canada and internationally.

Research & Publications

Selected recent publications from the lab. For the full list, visit marthapaynter.ca/publications.

2025 Paynter, M., Heggie, C., McLeod, A., Norman, W. A qualitative study of abortion professionals' perspectives on doula support. PLOS ONE. → Read
2025 Paynter, M. & Norman, W. Canada leads international movement to enhance accessible, safe abortion services. Canadian Family Physician. 71(11-12):693–6. → Read
2025 Paynter, M., Heggie, C., McLeod, A., Norman, W. The experiences of family planning health professionals providing care to incarcerated patients: A qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.
2025 Paynter, M. Access to abortion in Canada. The Lancet Public Health. → Read
2024 Paynter, M., Heggie, C., McLeod, A., Norman, W. Abortion and contraception within prison health care: A qualitative study. BMC Women's Health. → Read
2024 Paynter, M. & Heggie, C. Abortion and contraception policy in prisons in Canada. The Prison Journal. → Read
2023 Paynter, M., Martin-Misener, R., Iftene, A., & Tomblin Murphy, G. A qualitative case study of pregnancy and early parenting in Canada's federal prisons for women. PlosOne. → Read
2023 Paynter, M. & Heggie, C. Distance between institutions of incarceration and procedural abortion facilities in Canada. Contraception. → Read

Full publications list ↗

Books

2025 Lawless: Abortion Under Complete Decriminalization. Fernwood Publishing. → Publisher
2022 Abortion to Abolition: Reproductive Health and Justice in Canada. Fernwood Publishing. → Publisher

Contact

Inquiries about the lab, research collaborations, or media requests can be directed through Dr. Paynter's website.

Dr. Martha Paynter, RN PhD

Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing
University of New Brunswick

Contact form ↗