The High Court of Australia's International Impact and Engagement - Enhancing Judicial Accountability and Australia's Place in International Law. This project on the Australian High Court's engagement with the international community enhances Australian and international understanding of how national and international judicial systems interact, especially in important areas of national protection, democratic government, and human rights. It advances scholarly, governmental, professional, and pub ....The High Court of Australia's International Impact and Engagement - Enhancing Judicial Accountability and Australia's Place in International Law. This project on the Australian High Court's engagement with the international community enhances Australian and international understanding of how national and international judicial systems interact, especially in important areas of national protection, democratic government, and human rights. It advances scholarly, governmental, professional, and public knowledge of the Court's contribution as a governmental organ to international justice in the 21st century. This improves judicial accountability, enhances Australia's international legal reputation, and meets the government's stated commitment to promoting justice and human rights internationally. The project produces public web-based resources and promotes national research priorities.Read moreRead less
Shaping International Law in Global Transformations: Australian Experiences. This project aims to examine how Australia influences the development of international law in times of global transformation. The project proposes to develop a new analytical framework to understand how and why Australia has succeeded (or failed) in shaping the development of international law in four key periods of global transformation. Expected outcomes include empirical studies evaluating how, why and to what extent ....Shaping International Law in Global Transformations: Australian Experiences. This project aims to examine how Australia influences the development of international law in times of global transformation. The project proposes to develop a new analytical framework to understand how and why Australia has succeeded (or failed) in shaping the development of international law in four key periods of global transformation. Expected outcomes include empirical studies evaluating how, why and to what extent Australians managed to shape international law during these periods. These outcomes should provide benefits in the form of evidence-based proposals to enhance Australia's capacity to influence the development of international law in times of global transformation. Read moreRead less
The fundamental importance of foreign direct investment to Australia in the 21st century: Reforming treaty and dispute resolution practice. This project will evaluate the economic and legal risks associated with the Australian Government’s current policy on investor-state dispute settlement through multidisciplinary research, namely econometric modeling, empirical research through stakeholder surveys and interviews, as well as critical analysis of case law, treaties and regulatory approaches. Th ....The fundamental importance of foreign direct investment to Australia in the 21st century: Reforming treaty and dispute resolution practice. This project will evaluate the economic and legal risks associated with the Australian Government’s current policy on investor-state dispute settlement through multidisciplinary research, namely econometric modeling, empirical research through stakeholder surveys and interviews, as well as critical analysis of case law, treaties and regulatory approaches. The aim of this project is to identify optimal methods of investor-state dispute prevention, avoidance and resolution that efficiently cater to inbound and outbound investors as well as Australia as a whole. The goal is to promote a positive climate for investment inflows and outflows, while maintaining Australia's ability to take sovereign decisions on matters of public policy.Read moreRead less
Confronting the devolution paradox: constitutional values, federal political culture and governance reform. Australia, like many countries, depends in part on devolutionary reform if its federal system of government is to adapt effectively to change. This project confronts a key barrier to reform; the ‘devolution paradox’, in which popular demands for decentralisation and diversity are confounded by conflicting political pressures for national policy uniformity and control. By mapping and compar ....Confronting the devolution paradox: constitutional values, federal political culture and governance reform. Australia, like many countries, depends in part on devolutionary reform if its federal system of government is to adapt effectively to change. This project confronts a key barrier to reform; the ‘devolution paradox’, in which popular demands for decentralisation and diversity are confounded by conflicting political pressures for national policy uniformity and control. By mapping and comparing the constitutional values and federal political culture of Australian citizens, citizens in Canada, USA and UK, and Australian reform policymakers, in more detail than ever before, it will give insights into how this key paradox might be resolved, helping unlock reform potential and restore adaptive capacity to our political system.Read moreRead less
Waiting For Law: Land, Custom and Legal Regulation in East Timor. The project contributes to a national research priority: safeguarding Australia. Conflicts over customary lands have played important roles in the 'arc of instability' to our North, including in relation to natural resources (Aceh, West Papua, Bougainville) and land alienated or leased to "outsiders" (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji). Developing an effective model for regulating customary lands in East Timor will (1) safeguard ou ....Waiting For Law: Land, Custom and Legal Regulation in East Timor. The project contributes to a national research priority: safeguarding Australia. Conflicts over customary lands have played important roles in the 'arc of instability' to our North, including in relation to natural resources (Aceh, West Papua, Bougainville) and land alienated or leased to "outsiders" (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji). Developing an effective model for regulating customary lands in East Timor will (1) safeguard our considerable aid and military assistance contributions to East Timor, (2) serve Australia's interest in regional stability and sustainable development, and (3) offer potential comparative lessons for land and resource-related conflicts in Indonesia and the South Pacific.Read moreRead less
Intellectual Property requirements in Free Trade agreements: implications for development in Pacific Island Countries. This project investigates ways in which intellectual property laws can be used to promote development in the Pacific Island Countries. It will inform and support Australia's trade negotiations with the region in the context of Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus.
Responsibility, regionalism and refugees. This project will ask how responsibility for refugees may be shared among countries, resulting in guiding principles for policy makers and other outputs that will inform debates about potential models for responsibility sharing at the United Nations and within Australia.
Regulating Australia's retail grocery sector - goals, actors and techniques. The major supermarket chains have a substantial economic and social impact on consumers, businesses and communities and are crucial to Australia's economic growth and productivity. Given their size and reach, regulation of the chains poses significant challenges. This interdisciplinary, empirical and theoretically driven project aims to interrogate the goals and processes of competition law as it applies in the retail g ....Regulating Australia's retail grocery sector - goals, actors and techniques. The major supermarket chains have a substantial economic and social impact on consumers, businesses and communities and are crucial to Australia's economic growth and productivity. Given their size and reach, regulation of the chains poses significant challenges. This interdisciplinary, empirical and theoretically driven project aims to interrogate the goals and processes of competition law as it applies in the retail grocery sector. In the first Australian research of its kind, it endeavours to explain how the chains' strategies and industry relationships influence regulatory action. The research is expected to produce recommendations on instruments and techniques to ensure that regulation of the sector is legally and practically efficient and effective.Read moreRead less
Meta-regulation and the Regulation of Law. Meta-regulation means the regulation of regulation (eg state regulation of corporate risk management systems). Meta-regulation is a response to complexity in managing relations between systems of governance, society and economy. Ten case studies will analyse the way ?regulators? (broadly defined) observe how real-world systems work and steer them indirectly by understanding internal systems. The project will develop a theory of meta-regulation that acco ....Meta-regulation and the Regulation of Law. Meta-regulation means the regulation of regulation (eg state regulation of corporate risk management systems). Meta-regulation is a response to complexity in managing relations between systems of governance, society and economy. Ten case studies will analyse the way ?regulators? (broadly defined) observe how real-world systems work and steer them indirectly by understanding internal systems. The project will develop a theory of meta-regulation that accounts for recent shifts in Australian governance. It will generate a meta-regulatory theory of law. Understanding meta-regulation may enhance regulatory effectiveness, social and procedural justice while advancing the international competitiveness of Australian regulationRead moreRead less
Regulation and social capital. This project looks at regulation from the perspective of regulators and regulated communities. It seeks an account of regulatory implementation that is most likely to produce respectful, cooperative and effective engagement between authorities and the public.