A National infrastructure to manage land information. Australia is one of about 30 countries in the world capable of managing land transactions in reliable land registers. The administrative framework however is 150 years old, built according to a 19th century statutory model appropriate to a less complicated and slower land market. Now land information, and particularly the digital land parcel map, is Australia's most valuable but underutilised asset. The project will translate popular spatial ....A National infrastructure to manage land information. Australia is one of about 30 countries in the world capable of managing land transactions in reliable land registers. The administrative framework however is 150 years old, built according to a 19th century statutory model appropriate to a less complicated and slower land market. Now land information, and particularly the digital land parcel map, is Australia's most valuable but underutilised asset. The project will translate popular spatial technologies into national business tools to better manage land information for the government, community and private sectors.Read moreRead less
Establishing an optimal legal framework for online privacy. Consumer confidence in the security of personal information is essential for the growth of electronic commerce. To compete internationally, Australia must establish a world-class legal framework for the protection of online privacy. New technologies for collecting and processing personal information pose threats to individual privacy. Other technologies may protect privacy. Increasingly, effective protection of privacy depends upon ....Establishing an optimal legal framework for online privacy. Consumer confidence in the security of personal information is essential for the growth of electronic commerce. To compete internationally, Australia must establish a world-class legal framework for the protection of online privacy. New technologies for collecting and processing personal information pose threats to individual privacy. Other technologies may protect privacy. Increasingly, effective protection of privacy depends upon the coordination of legal rules and technological measures. This project will be the first study to investigate the optimal mix of regulatory tools for the protection of online privacy in Australia. Recommendations will be made to improve Australian privacy laws and policies.Read moreRead less
The Implications of the Convention on Biological Diversity for Infectious Diseases: The Case of Indonesia and Avian Flu. The proposal dovetails with the ARC's National Research Priority Safeguarding Australia while responding to an identified need for multidisciplinary research in biotechnology, economics, epidemiology, law, and public health. A keen national imperative exists to develop appropriate responses to infectious disease which balances policies predicated upon rule-of-law principles ag ....The Implications of the Convention on Biological Diversity for Infectious Diseases: The Case of Indonesia and Avian Flu. The proposal dovetails with the ARC's National Research Priority Safeguarding Australia while responding to an identified need for multidisciplinary research in biotechnology, economics, epidemiology, law, and public health. A keen national imperative exists to develop appropriate responses to infectious disease which balances policies predicated upon rule-of-law principles against imperatives to safeguard public health through vaccine R&D. Read moreRead less
Teachers Reporting Child Sexual Abuse: Towards Evidence-based Reform of Law, Policy and Practice. Every year, thousands of Australian children are sexually abused. This causes lifelong psychological, social and economic cost to victims. It also undermines Australia's social fabric, and costs the nation hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Early intervention promotes enhanced health and life outcomes for abused children, and teachers are well-placed to contribute to early reporting of child ....Teachers Reporting Child Sexual Abuse: Towards Evidence-based Reform of Law, Policy and Practice. Every year, thousands of Australian children are sexually abused. This causes lifelong psychological, social and economic cost to victims. It also undermines Australia's social fabric, and costs the nation hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Early intervention promotes enhanced health and life outcomes for abused children, and teachers are well-placed to contribute to early reporting of child sexual abuse. This research promotes children's healthy start to life by being the first inquiry to identify the most effective legal and practical strategies for requiring and enabling teachers to accurately report child sexual abuse. It adds further economic and social benefit by finding ways to reduce inaccurate reports of child sexual abuse.Read moreRead less
Legal and Ethical Preparedness for Pandemic Influenza. Over 40 million people in the world died in the 1918 Influenza pandemic. Any repetition could have devastating social and economic costs for Australia and the Region. Community confidence in quarantine or other restrictions in the medical management of pandemics depends on balancing protection of public health against the rights of citizens to go about their work and daily lives. By studying the adequacy of existing human pandemic influenz ....Legal and Ethical Preparedness for Pandemic Influenza. Over 40 million people in the world died in the 1918 Influenza pandemic. Any repetition could have devastating social and economic costs for Australia and the Region. Community confidence in quarantine or other restrictions in the medical management of pandemics depends on balancing protection of public health against the rights of citizens to go about their work and daily lives. By studying the adequacy of existing human pandemic influenza planning in Australia and the Asian region, this project will contribute to law reform and policy development needed to command community confidence in the ethical and public policy balances embodied in national pandemic plans, and the laws and practices which support them.Read moreRead less
Electronic Health Records: Achieving an Effective and Ethical Legal and Recordkeeping Framework. Health records are essential to efficacious treatment and affect every individual. They are 'socially-critical' communications because the therapeutic relationship between doctor and patient is based on trust. Without any systematic ethical and legal safeguards or recordkeeping framework, the application of new technologies for networking health records lacks social credibility. This multidisciplina ....Electronic Health Records: Achieving an Effective and Ethical Legal and Recordkeeping Framework. Health records are essential to efficacious treatment and affect every individual. They are 'socially-critical' communications because the therapeutic relationship between doctor and patient is based on trust. Without any systematic ethical and legal safeguards or recordkeeping framework, the application of new technologies for networking health records lacks social credibility. This multidisciplinary study will provide a set of principles and standards relating to authenticity, ownership, access, privacy, and confidentiality of doctor-patient communications in a networked environment, which, if implemented, will benefit patients and the medical community thus furthering the development of a more efficacious national health system.Read moreRead less
Maritime legal practice and policy in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf: synergies and challenges for Australian trade and security. The project will analyse national practice relating to maritime claims and jurisdiction in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf. It will identify areas of instability in the region that may pose a threat to freedom of international navigation and trade.
Regulating Human Body Parts: Principles, Institutions and Politics. Advances in scientific research and technological innovation have led to a huge growth in the use of human body parts in research and medicine, whether on their own or as part of a range of technologies. Adopting a predominantly legal analysis, this project considers whether a common approach to regulating across a range of human body parts is desirable for the purposes of managing risk, promoting innovation and enhancing legiti ....Regulating Human Body Parts: Principles, Institutions and Politics. Advances in scientific research and technological innovation have led to a huge growth in the use of human body parts in research and medicine, whether on their own or as part of a range of technologies. Adopting a predominantly legal analysis, this project considers whether a common approach to regulating across a range of human body parts is desirable for the purposes of managing risk, promoting innovation and enhancing legitimacy. In line with such purposes, new regulatory models and strategies will be formulated which will make a significant contribution to theoretical development on the topic in health law and regulation, as well as Australian and international policy and practice in the field.Read moreRead less
Australia's Response to Trafficking in Women: Towards A Model for the Regulation of Forced Migration in the Asia-Pacific Region. The problem of trafficking in persons and issues of forced migration in the Asia-Pacific region are matters of national concern as they involve the security of the nation and the prevention of organised transnational crime. This project will contribute to the safeguarding of Australia by improving our understanding of the nature of the problem and what legal responses ....Australia's Response to Trafficking in Women: Towards A Model for the Regulation of Forced Migration in the Asia-Pacific Region. The problem of trafficking in persons and issues of forced migration in the Asia-Pacific region are matters of national concern as they involve the security of the nation and the prevention of organised transnational crime. This project will contribute to the safeguarding of Australia by improving our understanding of the nature of the problem and what legal responses work best in combating trafficking. By specifically focussing on the gaps in the existing law, practice and policy, the project will enable Australia to be a major international leader in this important field.Read moreRead less
Defamation and Privacy: Law, Media and Public Speech. This project investigates important recent legal changes in defamation and privacy, laws which can considerably limit public speech. It addresses the urgent need in law for a more sophisticated understanding and evaluation of the practices of media professionals. It will assist lawyers and judges apply the changed laws, contribute to scheduled reviews of legislation, assist publications and journalists deal with risks of legal liability, deve ....Defamation and Privacy: Law, Media and Public Speech. This project investigates important recent legal changes in defamation and privacy, laws which can considerably limit public speech. It addresses the urgent need in law for a more sophisticated understanding and evaluation of the practices of media professionals. It will assist lawyers and judges apply the changed laws, contribute to scheduled reviews of legislation, assist publications and journalists deal with risks of legal liability, develop critical academic and legal debates about the media, and clarify the parameters of lawful public speech. It promotes better legal understanding of popular media forms, which have key roles in contemporary economies and public debate.Read moreRead less