Lifestyle wars: law's role in responding to the challenges of non-communicable diseases. In economic, social and personal terms, non-communicable diseases impose a massive health burden upon Australian society. Law is a potent tool that could influence the economic, environmental and social structures, as well as the personal choices, that generate poor health outcomes. Very little work has been carried out on law's relationship with non-communicable diseases, either in Australia or internatio ....Lifestyle wars: law's role in responding to the challenges of non-communicable diseases. In economic, social and personal terms, non-communicable diseases impose a massive health burden upon Australian society. Law is a potent tool that could influence the economic, environmental and social structures, as well as the personal choices, that generate poor health outcomes. Very little work has been carried out on law's relationship with non-communicable diseases, either in Australia or internationally. By exploring and promoting the contribution that public health law can make to health policy on non-communicable diseases, this project will contribute to the promotion and maintenance of good health in Australia.Read moreRead less
Managing Conflict in Higher Education. Disputes in Australian universities attract extensive publicity that damages the national and international reputation of Australian universities in the local and global marketplace. Litigation and other costs amount to millions of dollars. This money could be better spent on universities' core business of teaching and research. This project will use new developments in alternative dispute resolution to help Australian universities resolve disputes more eff ....Managing Conflict in Higher Education. Disputes in Australian universities attract extensive publicity that damages the national and international reputation of Australian universities in the local and global marketplace. Litigation and other costs amount to millions of dollars. This money could be better spent on universities' core business of teaching and research. This project will use new developments in alternative dispute resolution to help Australian universities resolve disputes more effectively. It will focus on methods of resolving disputes that save costs but are also appropriate for disputes involving important issues such as academic freedom. Read moreRead less
Enhancing Reproductive Opportunity in Australia: Reconsidering Consent, Altruism and the Legal Status of Embryos in ART Processes. This project meets the national research priority of a healthy start to life by enhancing reproductive opportunity while safeguarding the rights and interests of all involved in reproduction with donor gametes. This research will create significant national benefits in the form of an up to date, practical and coherent platform for the reform of all aspects of embryo ....Enhancing Reproductive Opportunity in Australia: Reconsidering Consent, Altruism and the Legal Status of Embryos in ART Processes. This project meets the national research priority of a healthy start to life by enhancing reproductive opportunity while safeguarding the rights and interests of all involved in reproduction with donor gametes. This research will create significant national benefits in the form of an up to date, practical and coherent platform for the reform of all aspects of embryo and gamete donation and embryo disputes. We propose a pro-active consultative model that centres the needs and experiences of gamete and embryo donors and recipients. Our research will inform current and future modes of regulation of gamete and embryo donation and dispute resolution, including legislation, ethics guidelines and codes of practice.Read moreRead less
The Impact of Hate Speech Laws on Public Discourse in Australia. 2009 will mark the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the first Australian laws (NSW) directed at the regulation of hate speech. Although hate speech laws are now firmly embedded in Australia's legal landscape, and have been extended in some jurisdictions to vilification based on religious and sexual orientation, they remain a controversial instrument for supporting Australia's policies on multiculturalism, religious tolerance an ....The Impact of Hate Speech Laws on Public Discourse in Australia. 2009 will mark the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the first Australian laws (NSW) directed at the regulation of hate speech. Although hate speech laws are now firmly embedded in Australia's legal landscape, and have been extended in some jurisdictions to vilification based on religious and sexual orientation, they remain a controversial instrument for supporting Australia's policies on multiculturalism, religious tolerance and respect for difference. An examination of the effects of hate speech laws on public discourse - both intended and unintended - will offer valuable insights about the capacity of law to deliver social cohesion in 21st century Australia.Read moreRead less
Risk, Urban Fire Protection and Security Networks. Urban fire prevention is a critical field for public security and economic development. As such, it has always been shaped by factors beyond those of simple technological growth. These include major unanticipated events and the responses to them by many state and non-state agencies with divergent interests and knowledge bases. By analysing the resulting 'technological politics', the project will examine the ways in which this strategic field ....Risk, Urban Fire Protection and Security Networks. Urban fire prevention is a critical field for public security and economic development. As such, it has always been shaped by factors beyond those of simple technological growth. These include major unanticipated events and the responses to them by many state and non-state agencies with divergent interests and knowledge bases. By analysing the resulting 'technological politics', the project will examine the ways in which this strategic field has taken on a risk-based preventative orientation. This will contribute new perspectives and considerations for the assessment and development of fire prevention and urban security in the 21st century.Read moreRead less
The Legal Function of Serious Disability in Prenatal and Neonatal Health Care Settings. Increasing numbers of Australians are using prenatal testing technologies to avoid having a disabled child. Australians also have access to a range of sophisticated life-sustaining technologies for premature newborns and seriously imperiled infants. Legal guidance on the appropriate uses of these technologies is piecemeal and inconsistent across Australia's States and Territories, and the meaning of serious ....The Legal Function of Serious Disability in Prenatal and Neonatal Health Care Settings. Increasing numbers of Australians are using prenatal testing technologies to avoid having a disabled child. Australians also have access to a range of sophisticated life-sustaining technologies for premature newborns and seriously imperiled infants. Legal guidance on the appropriate uses of these technologies is piecemeal and inconsistent across Australia's States and Territories, and the meaning of serious disability varies amongst members of the community. This project will benefit Australians by providing greater consistency in decision-making about disability. This will be achieved by assessing the value of a uniform framework for governing legal responses to serious disability in the context of reproduction.Read moreRead less
Living Down the Past: Criminal Record Checks and Access to Employment for Ex-offenders. This project will introduce increased certainty as to the rights and obligations of Australian employers and employees in the use of criminal records checks. It will have significant economic and social benefits for Australia, by helping to reduce the inappropriate exclusion of ex-offenders from employment; improving the rehabilitation of ex-offenders through facilitating their employment opportunities and lo ....Living Down the Past: Criminal Record Checks and Access to Employment for Ex-offenders. This project will introduce increased certainty as to the rights and obligations of Australian employers and employees in the use of criminal records checks. It will have significant economic and social benefits for Australia, by helping to reduce the inappropriate exclusion of ex-offenders from employment; improving the rehabilitation of ex-offenders through facilitating their employment opportunities and lowering rates of recidivism. Other outcomes will be to maximise Australia's labour supply and support efforts to prioritise social inclusion on the national agenda. The project will assist Australia to meet its international obligations and address human rights principles in relation to employment.Read moreRead less
Sentencing Indigenous offenders of partner violence: A fundamental comparative analysis of Indigenous sentencing courts and specialist family violence courts. Courts are often used for rehabilitating offenders, however, there is usually little thought and planning put into the development of court processes so that they can achieve their goals. Since specialist courts are being used to sentence Indigenous offenders of partner violence it is important to make the court experience more meaningfu ....Sentencing Indigenous offenders of partner violence: A fundamental comparative analysis of Indigenous sentencing courts and specialist family violence courts. Courts are often used for rehabilitating offenders, however, there is usually little thought and planning put into the development of court processes so that they can achieve their goals. Since specialist courts are being used to sentence Indigenous offenders of partner violence it is important to make the court experience more meaningful for such offenders so that a reduction of violence in Indigenous communities can begin to occur. The economic and social benefits of reducing violence have direct effects on the individuals affected, and wider, long-term effects on generating more harmonious and cohesive Indigenous families and communities. Read moreRead less
Cultural Collections, Creators and Copyright: Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archives and Australia's Digital Heritage. This project investigates current and emerging ways of using digital collections in museums, galleries, libraries and archives, in light of copyright law and the interests of creators. It serves the strong public interest in facilitating digital access to collections while efficiently managing copyright. Exploiting the potential of digital media and maximising Australia's cr ....Cultural Collections, Creators and Copyright: Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archives and Australia's Digital Heritage. This project investigates current and emerging ways of using digital collections in museums, galleries, libraries and archives, in light of copyright law and the interests of creators. It serves the strong public interest in facilitating digital access to collections while efficiently managing copyright. Exploiting the potential of digital media and maximising Australia's creative capability both depend on providing adequate incentives for content production while granting access to creative material as a resource for new production. The project will assist Australia better manage its digital cultural collections and balance the interests of creators, institutions and public accessibility.Read moreRead less
Civilizing Divorce: Social Change, Law and the Transformation of Parenthood. The project will leave policy-makers, professionals, law reformers, and parents and their children themselves, better equipped to navigate their way through a major process of transformation in the way our intimate lives are structured. It will help take some of the 'heat' out of the child custody debate, to see current changes as an integral part of a broader process of change in our emotional relationships, and to br ....Civilizing Divorce: Social Change, Law and the Transformation of Parenthood. The project will leave policy-makers, professionals, law reformers, and parents and their children themselves, better equipped to navigate their way through a major process of transformation in the way our intimate lives are structured. It will help take some of the 'heat' out of the child custody debate, to see current changes as an integral part of a broader process of change in our emotional relationships, and to broaden the conceptual resources available to policy-making and law reform concerning post-separation child custody.Read moreRead less