20 Apr 2024

Dialogue is not enough; we need a justiciable Human Rights Act

In May 2024 the federal Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights will report on its review of Australia’s 2010 Human Rights Framework. The Coalition government having the Framework, the.

14 Aug 2023

Stop expecting detail in the Constitution

The ‘no detail’ argument for a ‘no’ vote on the Voice referendum is at best misconceived, and at worst dishonest.  The simple position is that the Australian Constitution is.

4 Feb 2023

The international legal community will applaud the Indigenous Voice to Parliament

If and when Australia amends its Constitution to incorporate an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, it will be acting in compliance with its international legal obligations.  A claim that the.

13 Jan 2023

Iran, ‘revolutionary courts’, executions, and human rights

The Iranian government has attempted to brutally suppress the widespread protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022. Central to Iran’s response.

22 Apr 2022

Research and reflections on being a ‘good’ teacher

Research and reflections on being a ‘good’ teacher My teaching is inspired and informed by Paolo Freire’s critical pedagogy as well as, more broadly, by Jean Piaget (Science of.

25 Mar 2022

A SECRET AUSTRALIA: Revealed by the WikiLeaks exposés, Felicity Ruby and Peter Cronau (eds); Monash University Publishing, 2020

Perhaps we ought not judge a book by its cover, but we are entitled to expect a book’s title to be broadly indicative of what this book [Felicity Ruby.

15 Mar 2022

A tribute to Peter Bailey

Peter Bailey, a remarkable advocate for justice, died in November 2021. If he heard himself described in this way Peter would no doubt smile his gentle smile and protest.

20 Dec 2021

A letter to Sydney Law students

Getting arrested is certainly one way for someone like me to get people’s attention, ‘someone like me’ being a white, middle class, male law professor; we don’t get arrested,.

15 Dec 2021

Reflections on clinical legal education at Kingsford Legal Centre

Thinking about the role that Kingsford Legal Centre (KLC) has played in relation to clinical legal education, I wondered ‘what if there never been a KLC?’; how might clinical.

25 Sep 2021

As police power increases, scrutiny of those powers diminishes …

One day in the middle of spring last year a member of the New South Wales Police Force grabbed me from behind, kicked and pushed me to the ground,.