Threshold Decisions in Determining Whether to Prosecute Child Sexual Abuse. The objective of this project is new knowledge about the way police and prosecutors make decisions about the prosecution of child sexual assault that could be used to influence policy and practice. Few cases of child sexual abuse reported to the police ever go to court but recent research in New South Wales for the Royal Commission indicates that the proportion has declined sharply over the last decade or so. This projec ....Threshold Decisions in Determining Whether to Prosecute Child Sexual Abuse. The objective of this project is new knowledge about the way police and prosecutors make decisions about the prosecution of child sexual assault that could be used to influence policy and practice. Few cases of child sexual abuse reported to the police ever go to court but recent research in New South Wales for the Royal Commission indicates that the proportion has declined sharply over the last decade or so. This project aims to examine how police and prosecutors decide which cases proceed and why, and how they confer with each other as well as when and how they consult with complainants and their families. This project plans to also develop and test practice tools and principles for police and prosecutors with expected benefits for both them and the families involved.Read moreRead less
The non-fatal strangulation offence as a response to domestic violence. This project aims to review the application and experience of the non-fatal strangulation offence as a response to domestic violence. Through a mixed-methods design, the project will generate new knowledge about the operation of the non-fatal strangulation offence in practice. This is crucial given that many women escaping domestic violence report non-fatal strangulation from their past partner. Expected outcomes of the Proj ....The non-fatal strangulation offence as a response to domestic violence. This project aims to review the application and experience of the non-fatal strangulation offence as a response to domestic violence. Through a mixed-methods design, the project will generate new knowledge about the operation of the non-fatal strangulation offence in practice. This is crucial given that many women escaping domestic violence report non-fatal strangulation from their past partner. Expected outcomes of the Project include the development of law reform and policy recommendations to improve the operation of the offence, enhance service responses and develop professional education. This research will provide significant social and economic benefits through better understanding of the legal response to domestic violence.
Read moreRead less
Intoxication Evidence in Rape Trials: A Double-Edged Sword? There is strong evidence that intoxication by alcohol and other drugs is frequently associated with sexual violence. Criminal law reforms in Australia have attempted to break the ‘rape myth’ nexus between intoxication and assumed consent. This project will subject the operation of relevant rules to systematic analysis. Focusing on intoxication evidence in rape trials, this project will undertake qualitative analysis of appellate judgmen ....Intoxication Evidence in Rape Trials: A Double-Edged Sword? There is strong evidence that intoxication by alcohol and other drugs is frequently associated with sexual violence. Criminal law reforms in Australia have attempted to break the ‘rape myth’ nexus between intoxication and assumed consent. This project will subject the operation of relevant rules to systematic analysis. Focusing on intoxication evidence in rape trials, this project will undertake qualitative analysis of appellate judgments, court transcripts and interviews with prosecutors and defence lawyers, in three Australian jurisdictions. It should produce significant new knowledge about whether existing laws and court room practices are optimally adapted to achieving the important objective of justice for sexual violence victims.
Read moreRead less
Justice in the Streets? Responses to Public Homelessness and Public Dissent. This project focuses on legal and social regulation of city streets, including the impact on the increasing numbers of Australians experiencing public homelessness or engaging in public protest. Typical legal and policy responses tend towards criminalisation, exclusion and surveillance; the consequences for affected individuals include intensified social stratification and disadvantage along with risks of involvement in ....Justice in the Streets? Responses to Public Homelessness and Public Dissent. This project focuses on legal and social regulation of city streets, including the impact on the increasing numbers of Australians experiencing public homelessness or engaging in public protest. Typical legal and policy responses tend towards criminalisation, exclusion and surveillance; the consequences for affected individuals include intensified social stratification and disadvantage along with risks of involvement in the criminal justice system. This project examines legal, social and municipal strategies regarding public homelessness and public protest and investigates their impact on individuals and groups affected. Expected benefits include proposals for ways of reforming law and policy to achieve ‘spatial justice’ in city streets.Read moreRead less
Trajectories of Wrongful Conviction and Pathways to Exoneration. This is the first national study of its kind that investigates the trajectories of wrongful convictions as systems failures by examining decisions from investigation to exoneration. Wrongful conviction is a significant social and legal problem in Australia and other nations. It costs the Australian government millions in police, court and prison services and has health and psychological consequences for exonerees and their families ....Trajectories of Wrongful Conviction and Pathways to Exoneration. This is the first national study of its kind that investigates the trajectories of wrongful convictions as systems failures by examining decisions from investigation to exoneration. Wrongful conviction is a significant social and legal problem in Australia and other nations. It costs the Australian government millions in police, court and prison services and has health and psychological consequences for exonerees and their families. Expected outcomes for this project include an early warning detection tool to identify at-risk cases and overall improved accuracy in convictions. This will provide significant benefits, for criminal justice agencies, victims and accused individuals while positioning Australia as a world leader in the field.Read moreRead less
Community sanctions in Australian criminal justice. This project aims to understand the place of community sanctions in the Australian criminal justice system. At a time of record high imprisonment rates, community sanctions that are alternatives to prison do not have a clear purpose. This limits evaluation of their effectiveness and undermines public confidence in criminal justice. The project will examine the use of community sanctions for Indigenous people, women and people with mental/cognit ....Community sanctions in Australian criminal justice. This project aims to understand the place of community sanctions in the Australian criminal justice system. At a time of record high imprisonment rates, community sanctions that are alternatives to prison do not have a clear purpose. This limits evaluation of their effectiveness and undermines public confidence in criminal justice. The project will examine the use of community sanctions for Indigenous people, women and people with mental/cognitive impairment in three jurisdictions. This is intended to inform scholarly and public debates and to contribute to policies and practices that reduce inequality and enhance justice.Read moreRead less
Violence, Risk and Safety: The Changing Face of Australian Criminal Laws . Criminal laws have been radically transformed to keep Australians safe from violence. This project aims to complete the first national study of how and why criminal laws have proliferated and diversified so significantly. It will employ novel conceptual tools for investigating the 'drivers', ‘processes’ and ‘modalities’ of criminalisation, and complete socio-legal studies of sexual and domestic violence, homicide, alcohol ....Violence, Risk and Safety: The Changing Face of Australian Criminal Laws . Criminal laws have been radically transformed to keep Australians safe from violence. This project aims to complete the first national study of how and why criminal laws have proliferated and diversified so significantly. It will employ novel conceptual tools for investigating the 'drivers', ‘processes’ and ‘modalities’ of criminalisation, and complete socio-legal studies of sexual and domestic violence, homicide, alcohol-related violence, public disorder and the activities of criminal groups. The intended outcome is new knowledge about the causes and effects of innovation in criminal law-making. This research can benefit future public debate, policy development and law reform decisions about the role of criminalisation in enhancing safety.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101865
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,798.00
Summary
Justice and Security Reform in North-western Pakistan. This project aims to investigate the post-conflict criminal justice reform program in formerly Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in north-western Pakistan. It will develop a new interdisciplinary framework for studying how three categories of cases—terrorism, narcotics smuggling, murder and cyclical violence—are being handled by the criminal justice system. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of the social, legal and in ....Justice and Security Reform in North-western Pakistan. This project aims to investigate the post-conflict criminal justice reform program in formerly Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in north-western Pakistan. It will develop a new interdisciplinary framework for studying how three categories of cases—terrorism, narcotics smuggling, murder and cyclical violence—are being handled by the criminal justice system. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of the social, legal and institutional factors impacting the prosecution of these crimes in former FATA. It will benefit Australian and international policymakers seeking to support the agenda to enhance state-building and rule of law reform in this region bordering Afghanistan.Read moreRead less
Developing a rational law of misleading conduct. This project aims to investigate and promote the reform of the current laws of misleading conduct. Such laws are critical to maintaining a fair and efficient market economy, yet have become a range of disparate statutory and general law rules. In that context, the project proposes an integrated analysis to support the development of a rational law of misleading conduct. The project outcome will include a taxonomy of the existing law that will info ....Developing a rational law of misleading conduct. This project aims to investigate and promote the reform of the current laws of misleading conduct. Such laws are critical to maintaining a fair and efficient market economy, yet have become a range of disparate statutory and general law rules. In that context, the project proposes an integrated analysis to support the development of a rational law of misleading conduct. The project outcome will include a taxonomy of the existing law that will inform an innovative model for judicial and legislative law reform in Australia and overseas. This work will offer significant legal, economic and social benefits by promoting more just, effective and efficient regulation of misleading conduct.Read moreRead less
Unravelling Corporate Fraud: re-purposing ancient laws for modern times. This project aims to reform the ancient laws of common law and equitable fraud that underpin commercial regulation in Australia. These laws are vital to supporting a fair and efficient economy but have failed to evolve to address the rise of corporate actors. Drawing upon a collaborative network of experts, the project intends to develop models of liability that address and overcome the existing ‘state of mind’ and ‘attribu ....Unravelling Corporate Fraud: re-purposing ancient laws for modern times. This project aims to reform the ancient laws of common law and equitable fraud that underpin commercial regulation in Australia. These laws are vital to supporting a fair and efficient economy but have failed to evolve to address the rise of corporate actors. Drawing upon a collaborative network of experts, the project intends to develop models of liability that address and overcome the existing ‘state of mind’ and ‘attribution’ hurdles to holding corporations liable for fraudulent conduct. The intended outcome is a road map for comprehensive judicial and legislative law reform, which should offer significant legal, economic and social benefits by supporting more just, effective and efficient regulation of corporate fraud.Read moreRead less