Internal Regulation: Overcoming the Disconnect between Corporate Objectives and Health, Safety, Environmental and Community Performance. This research will enable corporations to identify the points of greatest leverage over corporate and facility level health, safety, environmental and community (HSEC) performance and to develop strategies that successfully achieve their HSEC objectives. It will provide broader national benefits in (i) reducing workplace injury and environmental degradation at ....Internal Regulation: Overcoming the Disconnect between Corporate Objectives and Health, Safety, Environmental and Community Performance. This research will enable corporations to identify the points of greatest leverage over corporate and facility level health, safety, environmental and community (HSEC) performance and to develop strategies that successfully achieve their HSEC objectives. It will provide broader national benefits in (i) reducing workplace injury and environmental degradation at multiple facilities across Australia and (ii) increasing productivity and economic benefits (by doing so at reduced cost to companies). The study will also benefit the Australian and regional communities by identifying strategies that facilitate better community-company relations. Read moreRead less
Local Capacity Regulation: Facilitating Participatory Environmental Policy. This project aims to develop a participatory strategy capable of substantially improving the environmental performance of small and medium sized enterprises. Its outcome will be to show how local knowledge and capacity can be mobilized to fulfill regulatory and other environmental goals. Its significance will be (i) to develop principles for, and a broader model of local capacity regulation that is robust, sustainable an ....Local Capacity Regulation: Facilitating Participatory Environmental Policy. This project aims to develop a participatory strategy capable of substantially improving the environmental performance of small and medium sized enterprises. Its outcome will be to show how local knowledge and capacity can be mobilized to fulfill regulatory and other environmental goals. Its significance will be (i) to develop principles for, and a broader model of local capacity regulation that is robust, sustainable and easily reproduced, and capable of being applied to a wide range of other environmental and regulatory contexts and (ii) to develop an institutional framework that can facilitate effective community intervention in other domains of governance.Read moreRead less
Withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment from adults lacking capacity: Enhancing medical decision-making through doctors' compliance with the law. This project will enhance medical decision-making about the provision of life-sustaining treatment to adults without decision-making capacity through improved compliance with the law. This will advance patients' autonomy and dignity, protect vulnerable adults whose lives may be wrongly ended because of inappropriate treatment decisions a ....Withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment from adults lacking capacity: Enhancing medical decision-making through doctors' compliance with the law. This project will enhance medical decision-making about the provision of life-sustaining treatment to adults without decision-making capacity through improved compliance with the law. This will advance patients' autonomy and dignity, protect vulnerable adults whose lives may be wrongly ended because of inappropriate treatment decisions and avoid litigation for doctors and hospitals. The project also aims to improve the quality of the law by resolving legal ambiguity and proposing reforms. This will further enhance the quality of decision-making, and will reduce defensive medicine and the cost of complying with the law, leading to savings in health expenditure.Read moreRead less
Beyond Compliance - Safety, Health and Environmental Regulation in the Mining Sector, An Empirical Analysis. Through empirical research on the mining sector, this study will enrich our understanding of the motivators of corporate safety, health and environmental performance. It will explain how regulation, social licence pressures, economic constraints and internal management style, affect outcomes and cause some, but not others, to go 'beyond compliance'. Its significance will be to explain and ....Beyond Compliance - Safety, Health and Environmental Regulation in the Mining Sector, An Empirical Analysis. Through empirical research on the mining sector, this study will enrich our understanding of the motivators of corporate safety, health and environmental performance. It will explain how regulation, social licence pressures, economic constraints and internal management style, affect outcomes and cause some, but not others, to go 'beyond compliance'. Its significance will be to explain and model the pathways to better corporate safety, health and environmental performance and thereby advance regulatory theory and contribute to effective policy design. By facilitating and rewarding industry for going beyond compliance it will enable better policy outcomes at less cost.Read moreRead less
Characteristics and causes of indigenous over-representation in the criminal justice system: A Victorian case-study. Addressing Indigenous disadvantage was identified as a national priority by the Council of Australian Governments in 2002. Our research builds on this initiative by examining important policy questions that are central to Indigenous disadvantage within the justice system. This research adds substantial value to the existing national investment in the collection of data on Indige ....Characteristics and causes of indigenous over-representation in the criminal justice system: A Victorian case-study. Addressing Indigenous disadvantage was identified as a national priority by the Council of Australian Governments in 2002. Our research builds on this initiative by examining important policy questions that are central to Indigenous disadvantage within the justice system. This research adds substantial value to the existing national investment in the collection of data on Indigenous involvement in justice processes, and will assist in the development and implementation of programs to address what has previously been an intractable problem. A key element in the project is establishing strong links with Indigenous community representatives so that the results of the research are made available to those most directly concerned with them.Read moreRead less
The Changing Role Of The Magistrates Court. Magistrates courts have far more contact with the community than any other court but have rarely been the subject of direct research. Recent changes include greater professional qualifications for magistrates and increased volume, complexity and seriousness of cases. This project will survey the changing social/demographic characteristics of magistrates; analyse their daily work, especially increased judicial functions; and examine roles played by s ....The Changing Role Of The Magistrates Court. Magistrates courts have far more contact with the community than any other court but have rarely been the subject of direct research. Recent changes include greater professional qualifications for magistrates and increased volume, complexity and seriousness of cases. This project will survey the changing social/demographic characteristics of magistrates; analyse their daily work, especially increased judicial functions; and examine roles played by social service providers. It will produce a better understanding of magistrates courts, emphasising ideas of judicial independence and accountability, essential to ensuring high standards for the Australian legal system and its relation to the community.Read moreRead less
Commercial risk management in the health environment: exploring the legal and ethical boundaries of consent in genetic diagnostic research. There is little empirical research on consent in clinical research, particularly genetic diagnostic testing, despite its key significance to risk management in medical research practice. This study analyses consent procedures of clinicians and researchers for individual research participants. Key clinicians and Laboratory Heads engaged in genetic diagnostic ....Commercial risk management in the health environment: exploring the legal and ethical boundaries of consent in genetic diagnostic research. There is little empirical research on consent in clinical research, particularly genetic diagnostic testing, despite its key significance to risk management in medical research practice. This study analyses consent procedures of clinicians and researchers for individual research participants. Key clinicians and Laboratory Heads engaged in genetic diagnostic research will be interviewed and consent forms assessed. This will produce identification of trends in consent procedures and baseline information for national studies. The significance is the priority accorded genetic research, the need for adequate risk management in that context and development of optimal consent procedures and policy at State and National levels.Read moreRead less
Living Down the Past: Criminal Record Checks and Access to Employment for Ex-offenders. This project will introduce increased certainty as to the rights and obligations of Australian employers and employees in the use of criminal records checks. It will have significant economic and social benefits for Australia, by helping to reduce the inappropriate exclusion of ex-offenders from employment; improving the rehabilitation of ex-offenders through facilitating their employment opportunities and lo ....Living Down the Past: Criminal Record Checks and Access to Employment for Ex-offenders. This project will introduce increased certainty as to the rights and obligations of Australian employers and employees in the use of criminal records checks. It will have significant economic and social benefits for Australia, by helping to reduce the inappropriate exclusion of ex-offenders from employment; improving the rehabilitation of ex-offenders through facilitating their employment opportunities and lowering rates of recidivism. Other outcomes will be to maximise Australia's labour supply and support efforts to prioritise social inclusion on the national agenda. The project will assist Australia to meet its international obligations and address human rights principles in relation to employment.Read moreRead less
Community Capacity Building in Child Protection Through Responsive Regulation. Neglect and abuse of children is a critical issue in this country. The number of cases reported to state authorities is increasing. Recent estimates show that a child is abused every 2 minutes in Australia. This research develops an innovative approach that protects children while promoting greater support for families. By harnessing and building community capacity this approach has the potential to make more efficien ....Community Capacity Building in Child Protection Through Responsive Regulation. Neglect and abuse of children is a critical issue in this country. The number of cases reported to state authorities is increasing. Recent estimates show that a child is abused every 2 minutes in Australia. This research develops an innovative approach that protects children while promoting greater support for families. By harnessing and building community capacity this approach has the potential to make more efficient use of existing resources through earlier intervention and improved cooperation with families. This project aims to reduce the incidents and harm caused by child abuse and neglect in ways that strengthen communities, while enhancing the integrity of child protection agencies.Read moreRead less
Cultural Collections, Creators and Copyright: Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archives and Australia's Digital Heritage. This project investigates current and emerging ways of using digital collections in museums, galleries, libraries and archives, in light of copyright law and the interests of creators. It serves the strong public interest in facilitating digital access to collections while efficiently managing copyright. Exploiting the potential of digital media and maximising Australia's cr ....Cultural Collections, Creators and Copyright: Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archives and Australia's Digital Heritage. This project investigates current and emerging ways of using digital collections in museums, galleries, libraries and archives, in light of copyright law and the interests of creators. It serves the strong public interest in facilitating digital access to collections while efficiently managing copyright. Exploiting the potential of digital media and maximising Australia's creative capability both depend on providing adequate incentives for content production while granting access to creative material as a resource for new production. The project will assist Australia better manage its digital cultural collections and balance the interests of creators, institutions and public accessibility.Read moreRead less