Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354730
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
Governance and Economic Reform in the Asia-Pacific Region: The Next Steps. This Initiative brings together economists, political scientists, and academic lawyers with a track record of influential policy-oriented research on the design and implementation of economic and governance reforms in the Asia-Pacific region. The reform agenda covers corporate governance, national economic policy and political institutions, and frameworks for international cooperation around the Pacific region. Key issues ....Governance and Economic Reform in the Asia-Pacific Region: The Next Steps. This Initiative brings together economists, political scientists, and academic lawyers with a track record of influential policy-oriented research on the design and implementation of economic and governance reforms in the Asia-Pacific region. The reform agenda covers corporate governance, national economic policy and political institutions, and frameworks for international cooperation around the Pacific region. Key issues are institutional transparency and accountability, economic efficiency and growth, and transnational cooperation. By holding a workshop, building a bibliometric survey, and linking research through a well-designed website, the initiative will propose an international network designed to further research on the problems of economic and governance reform.Read moreRead less
Protecting economic, social and cultural Rights in the ACT: models, methods and impact. This project will generate new thinking on the protection of economic, social and cultural rights. It will develop impact assessment frameworks and protocols for the assessment of compliance with these rights. The project will benefit not only the ACT by informing consideration of the inclusion of economic, social and cultural rights in the ACT Human Rights Act, but also other Australian jurisdictions' deli ....Protecting economic, social and cultural Rights in the ACT: models, methods and impact. This project will generate new thinking on the protection of economic, social and cultural rights. It will develop impact assessment frameworks and protocols for the assessment of compliance with these rights. The project will benefit not only the ACT by informing consideration of the inclusion of economic, social and cultural rights in the ACT Human Rights Act, but also other Australian jurisdictions' deliberations over bills of rights, including consideration of a national bill. Other benefits include training students and informing Australia's engagement with the UN on an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.Read moreRead less
Developing negotiation decision support systems that promote constructive relationships following disputes. The development of negotiation support systems that focus upon complying with notions of equity, rather than mere integrative bargaining, will lead to more durable outcomes, meaning negotiated settlements will not be discarded and constantly re-litigated. Our development of appropriate systems will provide disputants with information and knowledge that will lead to the continuation of cons ....Developing negotiation decision support systems that promote constructive relationships following disputes. The development of negotiation support systems that focus upon complying with notions of equity, rather than mere integrative bargaining, will lead to more durable outcomes, meaning negotiated settlements will not be discarded and constantly re-litigated. Our development of appropriate systems will provide disputants with information and knowledge that will lead to the continuation of constructive relationships following disputes and reduce the magnitude and extent of conflicts. This will lead to significant cost savings in the administration of justice as well as reduced legal fees. It will result in more harmonious communities - especially in families and body corporates.Read moreRead less
Mapping argumentation structures to narrative for eCommerce dialogue support. Argumentation theories have proven to be essential for structuring reasoning and the provision of intelligent computer support. However, stilted human - computer interaction limits the effectiveness of argumentation for reasoning support. This research aims to realize a narrative model that, once mapped onto an existing argumentation model will enable users to dialogue with computer systems using story telling metapho ....Mapping argumentation structures to narrative for eCommerce dialogue support. Argumentation theories have proven to be essential for structuring reasoning and the provision of intelligent computer support. However, stilted human - computer interaction limits the effectiveness of argumentation for reasoning support. This research aims to realize a narrative model that, once mapped onto an existing argumentation model will enable users to dialogue with computer systems using story telling metaphors. This will facilitate the adoption of knowledge based support, particularly for e-commerce discourses involving multiple participants. Applied to legal reasoning, this approach has natural application for facilitating just outcomes for residents regardless of geographical location.Read moreRead less
Knowledge Discovery in Discretionary Legal Domains. The development of legal decision support systems in discretionary domains will lead to: (1) Consistency; (2) Transparency; (3) Efficiency; and (4) Enhanced support for dispute resolution. The researchers on this project have been using the World Wide Web to disseminate legal knowledge.
With the collaboration of Victoria Legal Aid and JUSTSYS, we propose to use knowledge discovery from databases and argumentation techniques to model how discre ....Knowledge Discovery in Discretionary Legal Domains. The development of legal decision support systems in discretionary domains will lead to: (1) Consistency; (2) Transparency; (3) Efficiency; and (4) Enhanced support for dispute resolution. The researchers on this project have been using the World Wide Web to disseminate legal knowledge.
With the collaboration of Victoria Legal Aid and JUSTSYS, we propose to use knowledge discovery from databases and argumentation techniques to model how discretionary legal decision-makers operate. A significant application of the research will be the construction of a prototype for assisting criminal law defense lawyers to make arguments with regard to their client's sentences.Read moreRead less
Sentencing and public confidence: public perceptions and the role of the public in sentencing practice and policy. Public confidence is critical to the effective operation of the criminal justice system. This project will generate much needed current national data on public attitudes about sentencing. It examines avenues for the incorporation of public opinion into sentencing policy and processes, and provides accurate measures of the factors involved. The results will enable governments to res ....Sentencing and public confidence: public perceptions and the role of the public in sentencing practice and policy. Public confidence is critical to the effective operation of the criminal justice system. This project will generate much needed current national data on public attitudes about sentencing. It examines avenues for the incorporation of public opinion into sentencing policy and processes, and provides accurate measures of the factors involved. The results will enable governments to respond to periodic crises in public confidence in constructive and informed ways, rather than act in response to law and order rhetoric, linked with harsh sentencing regimes, and costly and potentially unnecessary increases in incarceration rates.Read moreRead less
Evaluating Federal class actions through empirical and comparative perspectives. Sixteen years after the introduction of a Federal class action regime (Part IVA), it is time for an accurate assessment (through an empirical and comparative study) of whether the concerns expressed by numerous commentators - that Part IVA has failed to enhance access to justice and judicial economy and has frequently been abused by the legal representatives of Part IVA parties and litigation funders - are justified ....Evaluating Federal class actions through empirical and comparative perspectives. Sixteen years after the introduction of a Federal class action regime (Part IVA), it is time for an accurate assessment (through an empirical and comparative study) of whether the concerns expressed by numerous commentators - that Part IVA has failed to enhance access to justice and judicial economy and has frequently been abused by the legal representatives of Part IVA parties and litigation funders - are justified. This study will finally provide Australian lawmakers with a detailed reform agenda to ensure that Part IVA will provide the benefits that it was intended to secure whilst operating in a fair and just manner. It will thus benefit similarly situated claimants, respondents, the Federal Court and the broader community.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
Australian Parliaments and the Protection of Human Rights. Those involved in human rights debates have paid too much attention to the role of courts in protecting human rights and too little attention to legislatures - the most important democratic institutions in States (Waldron 1993, 1999). This project will help to redress this imbalance by providing the first detailed analysis of the way in which human rights are taken into account at each stage of the parliamentary process at both Commonwea ....Australian Parliaments and the Protection of Human Rights. Those involved in human rights debates have paid too much attention to the role of courts in protecting human rights and too little attention to legislatures - the most important democratic institutions in States (Waldron 1993, 1999). This project will help to redress this imbalance by providing the first detailed analysis of the way in which human rights are taken into account at each stage of the parliamentary process at both Commonwealth and State levels. It will provide the basis for a more informed debate in this important area and will assess the need for reform of the current system.Read moreRead less
Building Democracy and Justice after Conflict. Weak governance is a cause of terrorism. Australia is increasingly involved in nation-building projects, both in its region and internationally. This project will build Australia's expertise in the ways that international law can promote democracy and justice after conflict. It will develop guidelines for states and organisations involved in peace and nation-building. The project will thus contribute to safeguarding Australia by increasing Austra ....Building Democracy and Justice after Conflict. Weak governance is a cause of terrorism. Australia is increasingly involved in nation-building projects, both in its region and internationally. This project will build Australia's expertise in the ways that international law can promote democracy and justice after conflict. It will develop guidelines for states and organisations involved in peace and nation-building. The project will thus contribute to safeguarding Australia by increasing Australia's capacity to engage with, and interpret itself to, its neighbours and the broader international community, as well as by tackling the threat of terrorism.Read moreRead less