Public Law Events Roundup October 2022
Welcome to the October edition of the AUSPUBLAW Australian Public Law Events Roundup. We would firstly like to draw your attention to the following opportunities:
Call for Papers: Theology and Jurisprudence Symposium
Adelaide Law School; Australian Journal of Law and Religion
CfP closes: 1 November 2022
Symposium date: 10 February 2023
Symposium location: South AustraliaProfessor Paul Babie (University of Adelaide), Associate Professor Joshua Neoh (Australian National University), Dr Constance Lee (Central Queensland University) and Dr Alex Deagon (QUT), would like to invite law researchers to participate in a Theology and Jurisprudence Symposium at the Adelaide Law School (ALS) in South Australia on 10 February 2023.
This symposium will focus on the relationship between theology and jurisprudence. Jurisprudence often functionally promotes an atheistic understanding of “law.” However, foundational to many theories of law is some kind of theology.
We invite papers that consider the prevailing theological assumptions of diverse legal theories, the different streams of jurisprudence from a theological perspective, how theology often tends to define and undergird theories of law, and papers on any other issues which engage with theology and jurisprudence. Papers should be completed or at a work-in-progress stage suitable for distribution to other participants by February 1 and should not be published or currently under consideration elsewhere. Presenters will have 20 mins to present their paper with time for comments and questions.
Authors of accepted papers will have the opportunity to present them at the Symposium to be held at the Adelaide Law School. Selected papers may also be considered for publication in a Special Issue of the Australian Journal of Law and Religion (co-edited by Dr Alex Deagon).
Please send your paper proposal (up to 200 words) and a brief biography to Dr Constance Lee by email. The deadline for submissions is 1 November 2022.
For more information, click here.
Australasian Society of Legal Philosophy Essay Competition
Australasian Society of Legal Philosophy
Competition closes: 31 December 2022The ASLP Essay Competition is designed to encourage original research and writing in legal theory and philosophy of law by early career scholars around the world. The author of the winning essay will receive a cash prize of AU$1,000, plus a contribution of up to AU$500 towards the cost of attendance at the Society’s annual conference to present the essay as a paper.
The competition is open to students currently enrolled in a postgraduate degree program (Master or Doctoral) in any discipline. Graduates in one discipline reading for a first degree in a different discipline (such as a Juris Doctor) are not eligible.
Submissions may be on any topic in legal theory or the philosophy of law. Essays must be in English and not exceed 15,000 words (including notes, references, headings, etc).
It is a condition of being awarded the ASLP Essay Prize that the winning essay be submitted for publication in the next issue of the Journal of Legal Philosophy. Note that the essay will still need to go through the review process and that publication is not guaranteed.
The deadline for the 2022 Competition is 31 December 2022. Please submit your entry here. Please send any enquiries about the Competition to the ASLP President, Dr Kevin Walton.
For more information, click here.
Remember, if you have an AUSPUBLAW opportunity, conference or significant public lecture that you would like included in this roundup, please contact us at auspublaw@unsw.edu.au. The roundup is published once a month on the first business day of the month, so please let us know in time for that deadline. We are grateful to Kelly Yoon for compiling this roundup.
In Conversation with Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of NSW
Sydney Law School
Date: 5 October 2022
Time: 6:00-7:00pm (AEDT)
Location: Lecture Theatre 101, level 1, Law Annexe, New Law Building F10A, Eastern Avenue, Campderdown CampusJoin us for this special ‘in conversation’ event with University of Sydney Law School alumnae Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of NSW, and Nicole Abadee.
Her Excellency will reflect on her Law School experience, and successful career at the Bar and as a judge of both the Federal Court of Australia and the NSW Court of Appeal, during which time she served as a role model for women in law at both the State and national level. She will also discuss her current role as Governor of New South Wales and share her thoughts and advice for the next generation of lawyers.
The Distinguished Alumni Series is an occasional program of talks featuring eminent graduates of the Law School.
This is an in-person event. The event will be followed by a cocktail reception.
For more information, and to register, click here.
Lessons from the Collaery Case
Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, University of New South Wales; Gilbert + Tobin Lawyers
Date: 6 October 2022
Time: 5:30-7:30pm (AEDT)
Location: Online and In-person at Level 35, Tower Two, International Towers Sydney, 200 Barangaroo AvenueIn July this year, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus exercised his power to discontinue the Commonwealth prosecution of Bernard Collaery, bringing an end to a complex, four year legal dispute. Collaery was charged in 2018 with conspiring with Witness K to communicate information or matter to the Government of Timor-Leste that was prepared by or on behalf of ASIS in connection with its functions or related to its performance of its functions, contrary to the Criminal Code (Cth) and the Intelligence Services Act 2001 (Cth). Collaery was also charged with communicating such information to ABC journalists in 2013.
This prosecution has cast a critical light on Australia's secrecy laws and principles of open justice. This event will bring together a panel of those directly involved in the case, including Bernard Collaery, and the legal team of barristers and Gilbert + Tobin who defended Collaery, to discuss the case and its important implications for our legal system.
Speakers:
- Bernard Collaery, former Attorney-General of the ACT
- Dr Kate Harrison, Partner, Gilbert + Tobin
- Chris Flynn, Partner, White & Case
- Phillip Boulten SC, Barrister, Forbes Chambers
- Dr Chris Ward SC, Barrister, 6 St James Hall Chambers
- The Honourable Gareth Evans AC, Honorary Professor, Australian National University
- Kieran Pender, Senior lawyer, Human Rights Law Centre
Drinks will be served from 5:30pm with the event commencing at 6:00pm.
For more information, and to register, click here.
Lord Jonathan Sumption OBE Public Lecture: Rule of Law in a Time of Crisis
University of Queensland School of Law; Robert Menzies Institute
Date: 7 October 2022
Time: 5:15-7:30pm (AEST)
Location: Banco Court, Supreme and District Courts Brisbane, 415 George St, BrisbaneThe Robert Menzies Institute (RMI) and The University of Queensland School of Law are proud to host Lord Jonathan Sumption as he addresses the rule of law in a time of crisis at this free public lecture.
You will be welcomed by the RMI’s CEO Georgina Downer and UQ’s Dean of Law Rick Bigwood and invited to network with Lord Sumption and guests over canapés and drinks following the lecture.
The COVID-19 pandemic saw governments around the world respond using various methods to flatten the curve. Each federal, or indeed state, decision resulted in a considerable impact on the local judicial system and rule of law. As we collectively emerge from this historic event and return to a blurry version of ‘normal’, it is time to take stock and reflect on the impact of these restrictions and how we might do things differently when the next pandemic hits.
In this lecture, Lord Sumption will explore the impacts of the pandemic response in the context of the rule of law.
The lecture will focus on the events of the past two years and unpack the impact on civil liberties and current threats to liberal democracy during these times of crisis, including judicial encroachment on the political sphere and cancel culture.
For more information, and to register, click here.
The Track to Treaty in Victoria - Structures, Process and Progress
Victoria Law Foundation
Date: 11 October 2022
Time: 5:30-6:30pm (AEDT)
Location: OnlineIn a wide-ranging discussion, panelists will explain the recent legislation, the impact of the structures behind the treaty process, and the path to broader national reconciliation, including:
- how and why the First Peoples’ Assembly was established
- the interaction between Treaty and truth-telling including the Yoorrook Justice Commission.
- the work that is currently underway to establish the independent Treaty Authority and how the Treaty Authority will work.
- how the Victorian Treaty pathway compares with what is happening in other parts of the world.
Panelists:
- Elly Patira, Deputy Secretary, First Peoples - State Relations, Department of Premier and Cabinet
- Eddie Cubillo, Associate Dean and Senior Research Fellow (Indigenous Programs), University of Melbourne
- Dr Aunty Carolyn Briggs AM, Member of the First People’s Assembly of Victoria
- Sue-Anne Hunter, Deputy Chair and Commissioner, Yoorrook Justice Commission
- Lynne Haultain, Executive Director, Victoria Law Foundation
For more information, and to register, click here.
Integrity and the Rule of Law
Melbourne Law School
Date: 13 October 2022
Time: 6:00-7:00pm (AEDT)
Location: The David P. Derham Theatre (GM15), Law Building (106), Melbourne Law School, 185 Pelham Street, Carlton, VICAttorney-General of Australia, The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP, presents the 2022 Seabrook Chambers Public Lecture.
The Seabrook Chambers Lecture series is an annual lecture series established by former Judges of the Accident Compensation Tribunal in the State of Victoria.
In making their donation for the lecture series, the judges stipulated that the Seabrook Chambers lectures were to be given by people of international repute on issues relating to the rule of law in Australia and internationally.
For more information, and to register, click here.
Religious Freedom, Religious Discrimination and the Role of Law
Bar Association of Queensland; University of Queensland; Supreme Court Library
Date: 13 October 2022
Time: 5:15-6:45pm (AEST)
Location: Banco Court, Level 3, Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law, 415 George Street, BrisbaneReligious freedom and freedom from discrimination on the basis of religion are well-established rights in international law and many jurisdictions have a substantial case-law that examine both of these rights, including the tensions between them. While some limited forms of these rights are protected in the constitution, to date there has been relatively limited case law in Australia. With the development of statutory bills of rights and increased social tensions between secular and religious Australians, however, the law is increasingly being asked to step into conflicts that involve religion. What can we learn from the Australian case law to date and from other similar jurisdictions that can help Australian courts and legal policymakers with the complex issues that arise in this realm?
Chair: The Hon Justice Sarah Derrington AM, Federal Court of Australia and President of the Australian Law Reform Commission
Presenter: Professor Carolyn Evans, Vice-Chancellor and President, Griffith University
Commentator: Professor Patrick Parkinson AM, University of Queensland
For more information, and to register, click here.
Living Stateless: In Conversation with Fadi Chalouhy
Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness, Melbourne Law School
Date: 17 October 2022
Time: 1:00-2:00pm (AEDT)
Location: Room 202, Melbourne Law SchoolThe inaugural Hiam Chalouhy ‘Living Stateless’ lecture.
Fadi Chalouhy was born stateless. A stateless person is not recognised as a citizen by any country. They do not have a nationality; no identity – they are not recognized as belonging to any country in the world. This lack of nationality can have devastating impacts on a person’s ability to enjoy basic human rights – many of which we take for granted, such as access to education and healthcare.
Fadi lived the first 28 years of his life illegally in Lebanon with his mother Hiam. Now based in Australia, Fadi supports the work of Melbourne Law School’s Stateless Children Legal Clinic, helping to ensure other stateless children secure citizenship and the basic rights and entitlements he missed out on as a child.
The Stateless Children Legal Clinic, in partnership with the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness and the Melbourne Law School Clinics is proud to host Fadi Chalouhy at this event, where he will speak about his life and the importance of initiatives such as the Stateless Children Legal Clinic, in helping to reduce childhood statelessness in Australia.
For more information, and to register, click here.
Climate Change, Migration and Displacement: Finding New Solutions in Old Places
University of Tasmania Faculty of Law
Date: 18 October 2022
Time: 5:30-6:30pm (AEDT)
Location: Online and In-person at Harvard Room 1, Centenary Building (Building AR15), University of Tasmania Sandy Bay CampusThis lecture is part of a three-part lecture series on 'Moving the Law: Contemporary Legal Advocacy and Social Change' by UTAS Faculty of Law & TULS.
Climate change, disasters and environmental degradation are among the leading drivers of human mobility worldwide, and predicted to increase. Effective laws and policies are critical to ensuring that those who move can access protection and have their rights guaranteed. Yet, international law provides no comprehensive framework to address this issue. In this lecture, Dr Tamara Wood and Patrick O'Connor will discuss the opportunities and challenges for addressing climate mobility under existing international, regional and national laws. They will explore the potential and limitations of refugee protection and resettlement programs, and discuss current initiatives by governments in the Asia-Pacific and beyond to develop new solutions to climate mobility.
For more information, and to register, click here.
Love; Thoms - Belonging, Citizenship and Identity
Australian National University College of Law
Date: 19 October 2022
Time: 1:00-2:00pm (AEDT)
Location: Phillipa Weeks Staff Library, ANU College of Law, Building 7, Room 7.4.1The 2020 High Court decision in Love v Commonwealth of Australia; Thoms v Commonwealth of Australia [2020] HCA 3 (Love; Thoms) concerned the scope of the Commonwealth’s Constitutional powers to make laws in relation to ‘aliens’. The majority of the Court held that Aboriginal people cannot be defined as alien for the purposes of immigration and deportation laws.
The relationship between the Australian Constitution and Indigenous peoples is fraught. There is a question as to whether the courts inclusive interpretation of the ‘people’ that the Constitution serves sits well with our knowledge of the history of Indigenous peoples political exclusion, marginalisation and displacement.
This seminar will outline the key findings of the High Court in Love; Thoms and recent interpretations by the Federal Courts. Dr Lisa Strelein PSM will consider the applications of the decision beyond simply an interpretation of the aliens power, in particular for the definition of Indigeneity in Australian law and the implications for native title and traditional owner corporations.
For more information, and to register, click here.
Patron’s Address: Leave those Blue-Eyed Babies Alone: Rhetorical Limitations on Parliamentary Sovereignty
Australian Academy of Law
Date: 20 October 2022
Time: 5:30pm (AEDT)
Location: Online and In-person at Conference Centre, Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law, Level 12, 415 George Street, Brisbane“Since early in the life of the Federation, the High Court has deprecated the deployment of extreme and distorting examples of bad laws that Parliament might make as an argument for taking a narrow view of legislative power. Nevertheless, the rhetoric of the extreme example exhibits a continuing appeal. The appeal of this rhetorical strategy echoes elements of a long-standing anti-democratic tradition within the common law.”
The Australian Academy of Law is most grateful to the Hon Patrick Keane AC for agreeing to deliver our eleventh Patron’s Address.
The Chair for the event will be the Hon Justice Anthony Besanko, a judge of the Federal Court of Australia and Deputy President of the Australian Academy of Law.
For more information, and to register, click here.
Kaldor Centre Conference 2022 - Turning Points: New Directions in Refugee Protection
Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, University of New South Wales
Dates: 15-18 November 2022
Location: Online and In-person at UNSW SydneyPower shifts are under way from Kyiv to Kigali, Canberra to Canada, Washington to Wellington. How will these changing global dynamics reshape refugee law and the lives of people seeking safety? Are longstanding principles of international law being reaffirmed, or are new forms of protection and assistance emerging?
The 2022 Kaldor Centre Conference will bring together experts from around the world to shed light on recent developments and analyse what they mean for the future of international protection.
Will the welcome for refugees from Ukraine last, and how will it impact people seeking safety from other conflicts? How has COVID-19 transformed resettlement, humanitarian assistance and the lives of those already living in precarious situations? Can we create a more constructive public discourse about people seeking asylum? Will externalised refugee processes spread and elude accountability? How will today’s refugee ‘participation revolution’ influence decision-making tomorrow?
Evidence, experience and innovation are more important than ever. At this moment of change, invigorate your thinking at the 2022 Kaldor Centre Conference.
For more information, and to register, click here.
11th Austin Asche Oration in Law and Governance
Charles Darwin University
Date: 17 November 2022
Time: 5:00-7:00pm (ACST)
Location: Online and In-person at Hilton DarwinExecutive discretion in a time of COVID-19 – promoting, protecting and fulfilling human rights in the contemporary public health context.
This oration explores the democratic challenges of emergency decision-making and the lessons that may be learned to ensure the rule of law is respected. It considers how human rights principles can inform decision-making, especially in times of crisis.
Speaker: Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM FRSA FACLM (Hon) FAAL TEP, President, Australian Human Rights Commission
For more information, and to register, click here.
2022 Hal Wootten Lecture
University of New South Wales
Date: 24 November 2022
Time: 6:30-7:30pm (AEDT)
Location: Law Theatre, G04, UNSW SydneyA nudge in the right direction: In 2008, Hal Wootten spoke of his belief that “every now and then there is the opportunity to give a little nudge that sends the law along the direction it ought to go”.
In the 2022 Hal Wootten Lecture, Chief Justice Kiefel discusses landmark cases that have shaped Australian common law, tracing the development of legal principles arising from those cases and highlighting how these cases are the culmination of past judicial “nudges” in the right direction.
The Hal Wootten Lecture was established in 2006 by UNSW Law & Justice in honour of founding Dean, the late Emeritus Professor Hal Wootten. This lecture is a highlight of the Faculty's year and commemorates Hal Wootten's founding vision for the Faculty.
Following the lecture, there will be an opportunity for networking and refreshments.
Registration for this event is essential.
For more information, and to register, click here.
15th Melbourne Doctoral Forum on Legal Theory
Melbourne Law School
Dates: 24-25 November 2022
Location: Melbourne Law SchoolThe Doctoral Forum on Legal Theory brings together graduate researchers and early career scholars from a range of disciplines to think critically, methodologically and theoretically about law and legal theory. The Forum aims to create a cordial and safe space for doctoral scholars to share their research. The theme for this year’s Forum is Law, Text and Contrapuntal Reading.
A contrapuntal reading of laws and texts aims to make visible the positionality of the authors, as well as the omitted actors and untold narratives. It goes beyond reading what is explicit in the text. We borrow the idea of contrapuntal reading from Edward Said, who views it as an invitation to a ‘different kind of reading and interpretation’ that includes the ‘forcibly excluded’, ‘overlooked’ or ‘played down’ episodes, traversing the distance between the ‘dominating discourse’ and such episodes. Against this backdrop, we invite participants to the Forum to share their readings of laws and texts that form part of their research.
Non-presenting participants are welcome to join the Forum as observers, to ask questions and support the presenters. To express your interest in attending as a non-presenting participant, please complete this form by 10 November 2022.For participants travelling from outside of Melbourne, the forum may be able to assist a few with travel and accommodation costs on a need basis.
For more information, and to register, click here.
2023 Constitutional Law Conference
Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, University of New South Wales Law & Justice
Date: 10 February 2023
Time: 8:45am-7:00pm (AEDT)
Location: OnlineThe virtual conference will feature discussions of important developments in the High Court, Federal Court and state courts and provide an overview of the key public law debates in 2022. The conference will include papers on the separation of powers, the implied freedom of political communication, privacy, protective detention, discrimination law, inconsistency between state and federal legislation, and government powers with respect to citizenship, alienage and deportation.
The conference will be addressed and attended by leading judges, academics, barristers and government lawyers, and include multiple opportunities for informal interaction both via Zoom break-out rooms and post-conference, in-person drinks in most major cities.
Session 1: The High Court on Constitutional Law in the 2022 term
Session 2: The State and Federal Courts on Constitutional Law in the 2022 term
Session 3: Rights, Freedoms and Chapter III
Session 4: Citizenship, Alienage and Deportation
Session 5: The Evolution of Public Law
There is a fee for this event. Academics and NGO lawyers will receive a 50% discount when using code ACADEMIC50 at checkout. If you are experiencing financial hardship and unable to purchase a ticket please contact gtcentre@unsw.edu.au.
For more information, and to register, click here.