Ritika Goyal is a human rights lawyer and policy researcher. She holds an LLM in Human Rights Law from the University of Nottingham (United Kingdom) and a B.A.LLB from the National University of Study and Research in Law (India). Since joining Columbia Global Freedom of Expression (CGFoE) in 2020, Ritika has authored over 100 case analyses. She has been the lead researcher on UNESCO-sponsored projects at CGFoE, focusing on themes such as freedom of expression, the right to privacy, COVID-19, disinformation, and elections. Her research at CGFoE has been instrumental in judges’ training programs organized by UNESCO and in supporting the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. Beyond this, her research interests include mental health law, refugee law and the criminal justice system. She is currently a Research Consultant at Imkaan, London, where she reviews new legislations impacting mental health policy and the criminal justice system and drafts submissions to the UK government. Ritika regularly contributes to leading newspapers and digital news platforms in India highlighting human rights abuses. She has contributed to several research projects and collaborated with international experts, domestic and international NGOs, and research organisations.