Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL220100088
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,472,660.00
Summary
A First Nations Sovereign Approach to Decolonising Colonial Institutions. This Laureate Fellowship aims to fundamentally re-make Australia’s colonial legal institutions in order to remove the harm they currently do to Indigenous people and communities. It is well known that colonial legal institutions such as the criminal justice system, coronial processes and child protection systems continue to have significant negative impacts on First Nations Australians in the twenty-first century. Research ....A First Nations Sovereign Approach to Decolonising Colonial Institutions. This Laureate Fellowship aims to fundamentally re-make Australia’s colonial legal institutions in order to remove the harm they currently do to Indigenous people and communities. It is well known that colonial legal institutions such as the criminal justice system, coronial processes and child protection systems continue to have significant negative impacts on First Nations Australians in the twenty-first century. Researchers have not yet been able to answer the question of how we can best decolonise colonial legal systems. This project hypothesises that we can drive positive change by theorising and developing a coherent strengths-based self-determination model that is applicable across legal and regulatory sectors.Read moreRead less
Where are Indigenous women in the sentencing of Indigenous offenders? The project aims to explore the experience of Indigenous women in Australian courts. Legal sentencing principles for Indigenous defendants have been formulated almost exclusively with Indigenous men in mind. Insufficient research has been undertaken on whether these principles are applicable for Indigenous women. This project undertakes a qualitative analysis of local court sentencing remarks, case files and interviews with In ....Where are Indigenous women in the sentencing of Indigenous offenders? The project aims to explore the experience of Indigenous women in Australian courts. Legal sentencing principles for Indigenous defendants have been formulated almost exclusively with Indigenous men in mind. Insufficient research has been undertaken on whether these principles are applicable for Indigenous women. This project undertakes a qualitative analysis of local court sentencing remarks, case files and interviews with Indigenous women prisoners, court actors and pre-sentence reporters. It seeks to ascertain how local courts represent Indigenous women's experiences such as family violence and family responsibilities and the quality of information before sentencing courts. The project's aim is to ensure appropriate engagement with Indigenous women in courts and sentencing outcomes for Indigenous women offenders.Read moreRead less
Indigenous Australians with mental health disorders and cognitive disabilities in the criminal justice system. This project addresses the high over-representations of Indigenous persons with mental health and cognitive disabilities in Australian criminal justice systems. It will develop new understandings of the interactions amongst criminal justice, social, health, disability and other human services for these persons. Using an Indigenous methodology in this study will result in new informatio ....Indigenous Australians with mental health disorders and cognitive disabilities in the criminal justice system. This project addresses the high over-representations of Indigenous persons with mental health and cognitive disabilities in Australian criminal justice systems. It will develop new understandings of the interactions amongst criminal justice, social, health, disability and other human services for these persons. Using an Indigenous methodology in this study will result in new information and understandings on Indigenous persons' experiences and perspectives. These will allow, for the first time, a critical analysis of system interactions and responses to complex needs for these persons. Outcomes will inform Indigenous theory and will be vital for developing new policy and practice to assist in protecting and promoting Indigenous wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Nothing works? Re-appraising research on Indigenous-focused crime and justice programs. Research on Indigenous-focused crime and justice programs often finds little or no impact on outcomes such as reductions in re-offending. This project aims to determine whether such findings are an accurate reflection of program ineffectiveness or are a consequence of how the research was carried out. With an analysis of three case studies of crime and justice programs, this project aims to show why findings ....Nothing works? Re-appraising research on Indigenous-focused crime and justice programs. Research on Indigenous-focused crime and justice programs often finds little or no impact on outcomes such as reductions in re-offending. This project aims to determine whether such findings are an accurate reflection of program ineffectiveness or are a consequence of how the research was carried out. With an analysis of three case studies of crime and justice programs, this project aims to show why findings that show no difference in re-offending outcomes may occur, and offer a more Indigenous-centric methodology to assess program effectiveness. Comparisons will be made with indigenous methodologies used in New Zealand and Canada.Read moreRead less
The role of cultural factors in the sentencing of Indigenous sex offenders in the Northern Territory. This is a study of the impact of extra-legal factors about sexuality and Indigenous culture on the sentencing of Indigenous sex offenders in the Northern Territory. It will provide an empirical basis for future policy, legal practice and law reform relating to sentencing in sexual assault cases in the Northern Territory, with broader application to other Australian jurisdictions.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL130100050
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,073,424.00
Summary
What counts? Prosecution and the criminal trial in Australian history. This project will investigate the successes, failures and limits of the criminal trial in Australia, from the colonial era to the post-war decades. By using the rich resource of Australian archives, this project will provide an enduring foundational knowledge of Australian criminal justice in its historical and international context.
Australian violence: understanding victimisation through history. This project aims to undertake the first national study to investigate longitudinal trends in the history of interpersonal violence in Australia. Interpersonal violence is a major national challenge and violence prevention is a policy concern. By analysing case-level data for ten thousand criminal prosecutions over modern Australian history, the project will assess long-term trends in violent events and their relation to historica ....Australian violence: understanding victimisation through history. This project aims to undertake the first national study to investigate longitudinal trends in the history of interpersonal violence in Australia. Interpersonal violence is a major national challenge and violence prevention is a policy concern. By analysing case-level data for ten thousand criminal prosecutions over modern Australian history, the project will assess long-term trends in violent events and their relation to historical change. Tracking the rise and fall of prosecuted violence, the project will test current scholarly understanding about the history of violence, yield new insights about historical victimisation, and provide a critical background for understanding contemporary violence.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