'The fingers of the powers above do tune the harmony of this peace': Australia and the Harmonisation of Patents. Patent law is central to the key economic aim of encouraging an innovative culture. The harmonisation of patent systems around the world means Australian law will change. There is a significant risk that, without effective lobbying, the reforms will only reflect the needs and interests of the dominant economies, like the US. This project, with its comparative analysis of the patent e ....'The fingers of the powers above do tune the harmony of this peace': Australia and the Harmonisation of Patents. Patent law is central to the key economic aim of encouraging an innovative culture. The harmonisation of patent systems around the world means Australian law will change. There is a significant risk that, without effective lobbying, the reforms will only reflect the needs and interests of the dominant economies, like the US. This project, with its comparative analysis of the patent examination process, will explore the ways in which this integral part of the patent system may be improved. This research will lead to proposals for reform that are in line with the interests of Australia's unique economy.Read moreRead less
Re-inventing authority and integrity of primary legal sources for the online world, using free access to make the legal system more efficient and just. Authority and integrity of primary legal materials need to be reconsidered and re-invented in light of technological changes. This project will investigate and develop new best practices (policy, standards, technical) suited to the online environment and modern practices from both national and international perspectives.
Australian human rights complaints: Litigation, mediation or conciliation. This project will assess the effectiveness of the mechanisms used to resolve human rights complaints in Australia – conciliation, mediation and litigation. It will be the first project to evaluate the effectiveness of these mechanisms in a human rights context. Working with industry partners from the legal sector and four human rights commissions, this project will generate new knowledge on human rights complaints and on ....Australian human rights complaints: Litigation, mediation or conciliation. This project will assess the effectiveness of the mechanisms used to resolve human rights complaints in Australia – conciliation, mediation and litigation. It will be the first project to evaluate the effectiveness of these mechanisms in a human rights context. Working with industry partners from the legal sector and four human rights commissions, this project will generate new knowledge on human rights complaints and on the views of key stakeholders about the effectiveness of the mechanisms used to resolve human rights complaints. This new information will inform legal and policy reform throughout Australia. The expected outcomes include developing a robust evidence-based model for human rights dispute resolution in the Australian context.Read moreRead less
The trailblazing women and the law project. The trailblazing women and the law project will create, showcase and analyse the first publicly accessible, national, oral history of seven decades of Australia’s pioneer women lawyers contributing to the fields of gender, oral history, biography, law, citizenship, social networks, cultural informatics, ePublication and women’s history archiving.
Low Skill Workers in Australia. This project will describe and analyse determinants of labour market outcomes for low-skill workers in Australia. The main themes are to examine effects of business cycle influences, training programs, and the experience of retrenchment, on earnings and employment outcomes for low skill labour force participants. With the Australian Bureau of Statistics as an Industry Partner - providing access to data and guidance otherwise unavailable - the project can make a ....Low Skill Workers in Australia. This project will describe and analyse determinants of labour market outcomes for low-skill workers in Australia. The main themes are to examine effects of business cycle influences, training programs, and the experience of retrenchment, on earnings and employment outcomes for low skill labour force participants. With the Australian Bureau of Statistics as an Industry Partner - providing access to data and guidance otherwise unavailable - the project can make a highly original contribution to understanding key determinants of labour market performance of low skill workers. That enhanced understanding will improve knowledge of how to design public policy to assist those workers. Read moreRead less
Gauging informed public opinion on sentencing sex offenders: a national study. Sex offences appear to attract the greatest community condemnation and desire to punish, particularly when involving predatory stranger rapists or when the victims are children. This national study aims to ascertain informed public opinion on sex offender sentencing by exploring the views of jurors in sex offence trials in all higher courts in Australia.
Post-separation co-parenting apps: Can they help families avoid conflict? This project aims to examine the role and effectiveness of smartphone apps in supporting families to respond to the many challenges of post-separation co-parenting. In an increasingly digital landscape where poor app choices can have serious consequences for families, this knowledge is urgently needed by parents and family law practitioners. This project expects to deliver a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and ....Post-separation co-parenting apps: Can they help families avoid conflict? This project aims to examine the role and effectiveness of smartphone apps in supporting families to respond to the many challenges of post-separation co-parenting. In an increasingly digital landscape where poor app choices can have serious consequences for families, this knowledge is urgently needed by parents and family law practitioners. This project expects to deliver a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and risks of digital divorce apps. Expected outcomes include the first web-based decision-making tool to help separated parents make important decisions about managing post-separation communication. This should provide significant benefits, including a reduced risk of parental conflict and better outcomes for children.Read moreRead less
Access to justice in interpreted proceedings: the role of Judicial Officers. This project aims to examine the ways judicial officers can improve courtroom communication and prevent miscommunication and error, particularly in criminal cases where speakers of the 'new and emerging' and Aboriginal languages are involved, and where interpreters receive limited or no specialised training. Using an innovative interdisciplinary approach, the project aims to generate new knowledge in examining the varia ....Access to justice in interpreted proceedings: the role of Judicial Officers. This project aims to examine the ways judicial officers can improve courtroom communication and prevent miscommunication and error, particularly in criminal cases where speakers of the 'new and emerging' and Aboriginal languages are involved, and where interpreters receive limited or no specialised training. Using an innovative interdisciplinary approach, the project aims to generate new knowledge in examining the variations in judicial officers communications practice when working with interpreters, and their impact on the effective transmission of information in the courtroom. Expected outcomes of this project will include improved outcomes of interpreted communication and a better access to justice for non-English speaking participants.Read moreRead less
Economic Modelling of the Nurses' Labour Market in Australia. Nurses play an important role in the health system and help to ensure individuals lead healthier, happier and more productive lives. Devising cost-effective policies to ensure an adequate supply of motivated and productive nurses is crucial in achieving efficiency and equity in the health care system. The results will be used by government to help set optimal pay and conditions for nurses, and to ensure that these are competitive with ....Economic Modelling of the Nurses' Labour Market in Australia. Nurses play an important role in the health system and help to ensure individuals lead healthier, happier and more productive lives. Devising cost-effective policies to ensure an adequate supply of motivated and productive nurses is crucial in achieving efficiency and equity in the health care system. The results will be used by government to help set optimal pay and conditions for nurses, and to ensure that these are competitive with other nurse employers. This will provide a firm evidence-base to reduce nurse shortages and therefore increase the quality of patient care in Australia.Read moreRead less
The impact of income support design on the outcomes of children and youth. This project aims to assess how children from low-income families are affected by welfare policy design in Australia – specifically, by policy intended to influence welfare payment receipt and workforce participation of their parent(s). Causal impacts of policy design on children will be identified and evaluated using unique administrative and survey data, and treating recent welfare reforms in Australia as natural experi ....The impact of income support design on the outcomes of children and youth. This project aims to assess how children from low-income families are affected by welfare policy design in Australia – specifically, by policy intended to influence welfare payment receipt and workforce participation of their parent(s). Causal impacts of policy design on children will be identified and evaluated using unique administrative and survey data, and treating recent welfare reforms in Australia as natural experiments.. This will be the first comprehensive Australian analysis of intergenerational impacts of welfare policy design.Read moreRead less