New Initiatives in Enforcing Employment Standards: Assessing the Effectiveness of Federal Government Compliance Strategies. The well-being of more than eight million Australian employees is underpinned by statutory workplace entitlements. For the large majority of those employees, these are set by federal legislation. The statutory entitlements are meaningful only in so far as they are complied with, and improving the effectiveness of the federal enforcement agency, the Workplace Ombudsman, is t ....New Initiatives in Enforcing Employment Standards: Assessing the Effectiveness of Federal Government Compliance Strategies. The well-being of more than eight million Australian employees is underpinned by statutory workplace entitlements. For the large majority of those employees, these are set by federal legislation. The statutory entitlements are meaningful only in so far as they are complied with, and improving the effectiveness of the federal enforcement agency, the Workplace Ombudsman, is therefore of crucial public importance. This project provides the first comprehensive scholarly empirical evaluation of the Workplace Ombudsman. Its findings will identify multiple ways in which enforcement practices can be improved, not only for the Workplace Ombudsman, but also for comparable compliance agencies domestically and overseas.Read moreRead less
Forensic entomology and time of death estimation in Victoria. Assessing time of death is a notoriously difficult, yet critical component of homicide investigations. Forensic entomology can provide reliable death time estimates using detailed knowledge of the ecology and life-history characteristics of local carrion insect species. However, these data are largely unavailable for Victoria and elsewhere on the eastern Australian seaboard. This project will measure growth rates of carrion insect ....Forensic entomology and time of death estimation in Victoria. Assessing time of death is a notoriously difficult, yet critical component of homicide investigations. Forensic entomology can provide reliable death time estimates using detailed knowledge of the ecology and life-history characteristics of local carrion insect species. However, these data are largely unavailable for Victoria and elsewhere on the eastern Australian seaboard. This project will measure growth rates of carrion insect larvae, investigate carrion insect ecology in different habitats, and describe the larval morphology of key species. We will also investigate the efficacy of a new method for estimating time of death using corpse chemistry.Read moreRead less
Improving the analysis of trace DNA samples in forensic science and human identification. The introduction of DNA technology into forensic science has revolutionised this profession, by generating a very high level of individual discrimination through genetic profiling. However, there are still many crime scenes from which it is proving difficult to obtain sufficient DNA sample for such powerful profiling. This project will develop modifications to current techniques and procedures, as well as ....Improving the analysis of trace DNA samples in forensic science and human identification. The introduction of DNA technology into forensic science has revolutionised this profession, by generating a very high level of individual discrimination through genetic profiling. However, there are still many crime scenes from which it is proving difficult to obtain sufficient DNA sample for such powerful profiling. This project will develop modifications to current techniques and procedures, as well as new novel approaches, to improve the targeting, collection, extraction and typing of trace amounts of biological samples. These results will significantly improve our ability to fight crime, especially high volume crime, act as a deterrent, and assist in disaster victim identification.Read moreRead less
Counter-terrorism policing for culturally diverse communities. Counter-terrorism policing will be investigated by focusing on the impact of counter terrorism measures on the police, community, media and legislative/policy framework. An interdisciplinary approach is taken to the first ever examination of how counter terrorism is changing both the policing function and linguistically and culturally diverse communities. It will produce a counter-terrorism policing model that challenges traditiona ....Counter-terrorism policing for culturally diverse communities. Counter-terrorism policing will be investigated by focusing on the impact of counter terrorism measures on the police, community, media and legislative/policy framework. An interdisciplinary approach is taken to the first ever examination of how counter terrorism is changing both the policing function and linguistically and culturally diverse communities. It will produce a counter-terrorism policing model that challenges traditional paramilitary responses to terrorism that centrally locates diverse communities/policing relationships at the heart of the counter-terrorism policing effort. With cross jurisdictional application, the qualitative and quantitative data, will inform a broad scholarship with wide ranging policy implications at both the state and federal level.Read moreRead less
Undocumented Migrants- Unearthing Knowledge on a Key Source of Farm Labour. The Australian horticulture industry has endemic labour challenges, both in terms of labour supply challenges and a systemic problem of non-compliance with labour standards. A core component of both problems is the entrenched reliance on undocumented migrants. Given complex supply chains transiting fresh fruit and vegetables from the farm to the consumer, undocumented workers are largely invisible. There is very little ....Undocumented Migrants- Unearthing Knowledge on a Key Source of Farm Labour. The Australian horticulture industry has endemic labour challenges, both in terms of labour supply challenges and a systemic problem of non-compliance with labour standards. A core component of both problems is the entrenched reliance on undocumented migrants. Given complex supply chains transiting fresh fruit and vegetables from the farm to the consumer, undocumented workers are largely invisible. There is very little research on undocumented workers on farms. Addressing this critical Australian and international knowledge gap, this project is the first study to comprehensively analyse the role of undocumented migrants in the horticulture industry from a multi-stakeholder approach, involving government, employers and workers.Read moreRead less
Criminalisation of poverty and homelessness in Australia: A national study. The project aims to assess the policing and enforcement of public order crimes and related offences (e.g. obstruct/disobey police, breach of bail, and minor property offences) on individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness. The project endeavours to collect and analyse qualitative data from across Australia on the lived experience of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, regarding the impact of crimin ....Criminalisation of poverty and homelessness in Australia: A national study. The project aims to assess the policing and enforcement of public order crimes and related offences (e.g. obstruct/disobey police, breach of bail, and minor property offences) on individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness. The project endeavours to collect and analyse qualitative data from across Australia on the lived experience of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, regarding the impact of criminal laws and police powers concerned with presence in, and movement around public places. It will particularly focus on the impact on women, children and Indigenous peoples. The outcomes will seek to reduce the criminalisation of homeless people, by identifying law and policy reform options, and comparing their cost with that of 'business as usual'.Read moreRead less
Australia's Post World War II War Crimes Trials: A systemic and comprehensive Law Reports Series. The publication of the project's Law Reports Series will, in effect, constitute the official history of this extensive Australian war crimes trial experience - in itself, an important national benefit. However, ready access to the previously buried historical primary source material also has profound potential for contemporary application. The proliferation of new international criminal tribunals ....Australia's Post World War II War Crimes Trials: A systemic and comprehensive Law Reports Series. The publication of the project's Law Reports Series will, in effect, constitute the official history of this extensive Australian war crimes trial experience - in itself, an important national benefit. However, ready access to the previously buried historical primary source material also has profound potential for contemporary application. The proliferation of new international criminal tribunals with a concomitant explosion of case law has created a hunger for access to past judicial precedent. Reliance on the results of this project in war crimes trials around the world is guaranteed.Read moreRead less
Australia's Post World War II War Crimes Trials of Japanese Defendants. Contemporary war crimes trials regularly refer to historical precedent - particularly post-WWII war crimes trials. One virtually unknown group of trials were those conducted by Australian Military Tribunals - the primary sources for which are readily available (Australian War Memorial and National Archives) but under-studied. Australian Tribunals sat in judgment over 814 Japanese Defendants in 296 separate trials and yet th ....Australia's Post World War II War Crimes Trials of Japanese Defendants. Contemporary war crimes trials regularly refer to historical precedent - particularly post-WWII war crimes trials. One virtually unknown group of trials were those conducted by Australian Military Tribunals - the primary sources for which are readily available (Australian War Memorial and National Archives) but under-studied. Australian Tribunals sat in judgment over 814 Japanese Defendants in 296 separate trials and yet there has never been a systematic study of this chapter of Australian Legal and Military History. This project is intended to provide the first study of the trials and will also "unlock" the under-utilised but vast documentary resource for future researchers.Read moreRead less
Developing a Resource Allocation Framework to support more effective police investigations of major crime. The project addresses National Research Priority 4: Safeguarding Australia. This priority has a goal to protect Australia from terrorism and crime. Improving resource allocation decisions will enable police resources to be more effective in detecting and preventing crime. The project addresses the goal of all police agencies to reduce crime by enhancing the capability to manage resources mo ....Developing a Resource Allocation Framework to support more effective police investigations of major crime. The project addresses National Research Priority 4: Safeguarding Australia. This priority has a goal to protect Australia from terrorism and crime. Improving resource allocation decisions will enable police resources to be more effective in detecting and preventing crime. The project addresses the goal of all police agencies to reduce crime by enhancing the capability to manage resources more efficiently and effectively. This requires a more innovative culture that uses the available management information intelligently to make better (in terms of outcomes) resource allocation decisions. Read moreRead less
Next-generation latent fingermark detection using functional nanomaterials. Next-generation latent fingermark detection using functional nanomaterials. This project aims to develop a nanotechnology-based fingermark detection technique applicable in standard police laboratories and crime scenes. Current methods only detect half the fingermarks on an object, so many criminals are not identified. This project will use silicon oxide nanoparticles with a luminescent dye to target fingermark secretion ....Next-generation latent fingermark detection using functional nanomaterials. Next-generation latent fingermark detection using functional nanomaterials. This project aims to develop a nanotechnology-based fingermark detection technique applicable in standard police laboratories and crime scenes. Current methods only detect half the fingermarks on an object, so many criminals are not identified. This project will use silicon oxide nanoparticles with a luminescent dye to target fingermark secretion components and address interference from substrate chemistries and background luminescence. Moving away from traditional detection methods is expected to improve law enforcement outcomes, as fingermarks that current technologies cannot detect will be visualised for the first time.Read moreRead less