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.
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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.
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Open justice and open secrets: the cultural afterlife of criminal evidence. This project explores the consequences of using criminal evidence in the cultural field, after the conclusion of the trial. It investigates whether an appropriate regulatory or ethical framework can be developed in response to challenging or controversial re-deployments of this material by artists, curators, journalists, scholars and others.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240101215
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$445,461.00
Summary
New Bail Regimes: Reconceptualising Risk to Reduce Remand Imprisonment. More than one in three prisoners in Australia are on remand, double that of two decades ago. This project aims to investigate how risk management in new bail regimes affects accused individuals experiencing social disadvantage. It employs innovative critical criminological methods to generate much-needed knowledge about how criminal justice actors interpret and respond to risk in the bail decision-making process, and 'lived' ....New Bail Regimes: Reconceptualising Risk to Reduce Remand Imprisonment. More than one in three prisoners in Australia are on remand, double that of two decades ago. This project aims to investigate how risk management in new bail regimes affects accused individuals experiencing social disadvantage. It employs innovative critical criminological methods to generate much-needed knowledge about how criminal justice actors interpret and respond to risk in the bail decision-making process, and 'lived' experiences of bail conditions and remand imprisonment. Expected outcomes include a new framework for conceptualising risk in the context of bail. This should bring significant benefits to policymakers and law reformers seeking to reduce imprisonment and its impacts on disadvantaged groups.Read moreRead less
A comparative study of the prerogative and reserve powers in Commonwealth nations. This project will compare and analyse the exercise of unwritten executive powers (such as emergency powers and the power to dismiss governments) in Commonwealth countries with similar systems of government to ours. It will assist in developing good governance in our region and a better understanding of the limits of executive power in Australia.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101189
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$444,851.00
Summary
Fast-track Asylum Procedures: Balancing Fairness and Efficiency. Governments around the world are implementing measures to fast-track the processing of asylum claims. This project aims to identify if this can be done in a way that is both fair and efficient. It will use an innovative interdisciplinary approach, which combines doctrinal and empirical methods, to compare and evaluate current laws in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Project outcomes will include evi ....Fast-track Asylum Procedures: Balancing Fairness and Efficiency. Governments around the world are implementing measures to fast-track the processing of asylum claims. This project aims to identify if this can be done in a way that is both fair and efficient. It will use an innovative interdisciplinary approach, which combines doctrinal and empirical methods, to compare and evaluate current laws in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Project outcomes will include evidence-based law reform and policy recommendations to improve the efficiency and quality of Australia’s asylum process. A fair and more efficient asylum process will secure the integrity of Australia's borders and save the government money while ensuring refugees can access protection promptly.Read moreRead less
Administrative justice in China: harnessing the rule of law to deal with citizen complaints against official misconduct. Ongoing conflicts between citizens and government officials in China pose a serious threat to the country’s social stability. Dealing fairly and efficiently with citizens’ complaints of administrative misconduct is a core component of China’s commitment to good governance and the rule of law. This legal project undertakes the first systematic examination of the three mechanism ....Administrative justice in China: harnessing the rule of law to deal with citizen complaints against official misconduct. Ongoing conflicts between citizens and government officials in China pose a serious threat to the country’s social stability. Dealing fairly and efficiently with citizens’ complaints of administrative misconduct is a core component of China’s commitment to good governance and the rule of law. This legal project undertakes the first systematic examination of the three mechanisms underpinning administrative justice in China and their interaction: administrative litigation, administrative review, and letters and visits. It will assess China’s capacity to use law to address chronic abuse of power. It will provide a practical understanding of the changing nature of China’s commitment to the rule of law and the implications for Australia.Read moreRead less
Terrorism and the international law of armed conflict. This project investigates the scope, effectiveness and legitimacy of the international law of armed conflict as it applies to terrorist and counter-terrorist violence in armed conflicts. It aims to improve understanding of the legal regulation of such violence and thus ultimately to diminish human suffering in war.
Small States' use of law of the sea litigation against greater powers. This project will investigate how small States are using law of the sea dispute settlement mechanisms to gain political advantages in conflicts with greater powers, including Security Council permanent members. It is important to understand how the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea can be leveraged to defend coastal State rights in strategic disputes concerning sovereign rights, unresolved boundaries, and military affairs. ....Small States' use of law of the sea litigation against greater powers. This project will investigate how small States are using law of the sea dispute settlement mechanisms to gain political advantages in conflicts with greater powers, including Security Council permanent members. It is important to understand how the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea can be leveraged to defend coastal State rights in strategic disputes concerning sovereign rights, unresolved boundaries, and military affairs. This research will better equip lawyers and policy makers to understand how such strategic litigation strengthens or undermines the rules based order at sea. The project will assist Australia to maintain its leading role in defending that maritime order and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as its cornerstone.Read moreRead less
The role of proxy and governance advisers in corporate governance. This project analyses the role of proxy and governance advisers in corporate governance in Australia and the USA. Its outcomes will clarify the nature and extent of proxy and governance adviser influence over the conduct of institutional investors and listed companies, thus allowing for a more informed debate on the need for regulation.