Partnerships at Work: The Interaction Between Employment Systems, Corporate Governance and Ownership Structure. This project examines the interaction of key factors seen to be of paramount importance in the creation and sustainability of 'Partnerships at Work'. These include particular employment systems, forms of corporate governance and ownership structures of enterprises. The circumstances in which partnership models arise, the pressures faced in maintaining them, and the role of the regulato ....Partnerships at Work: The Interaction Between Employment Systems, Corporate Governance and Ownership Structure. This project examines the interaction of key factors seen to be of paramount importance in the creation and sustainability of 'Partnerships at Work'. These include particular employment systems, forms of corporate governance and ownership structures of enterprises. The circumstances in which partnership models arise, the pressures faced in maintaining them, and the role of the regulatory environment will be examined through case studies and the construction of a database. It involves collaboration between senior scholars in corporate law and labour law. The project will enhance the capacity of governments, enterprises and stakeholders to review employment practices, governance structures and regulatory models.Read moreRead less
From margins to mainstream: gender equality and employment regulation. Progress towards gender equality in employment has stalled, despite anti-discrimination laws. This investigation of alternative regulatory strategies will build Australian expertise and contribute to knowledge about the relationships between gender equality and employment regulation, generating policy options for employment and human rights bodies.
Prospects for quality work and gender equality in frontline care work. Despite policy concerns about unmet demand for paid care, frontline care workers generally have poorer conditions than workers in other feminised sectors. This project will investigate the regulatory options to improve the quality of care work to build Australian expertise and knowledge about the links between job quality and quality of care services.
How Much is it Worth? Legal Discourses and Everyday Understandings of Families, Work and Property. This project will analyse the extent of congruence between the legal discourses and everyday understandings of the contributions made by partners in married and unmarried relationships that form the basis for property division when relationships end. Its claim to innovation lies in its interdisciplinary approach, positioning such understandings within their wider historical and cultural contexts. T ....How Much is it Worth? Legal Discourses and Everyday Understandings of Families, Work and Property. This project will analyse the extent of congruence between the legal discourses and everyday understandings of the contributions made by partners in married and unmarried relationships that form the basis for property division when relationships end. Its claim to innovation lies in its interdisciplinary approach, positioning such understandings within their wider historical and cultural contexts. The project's findings will inform the ongoing and divisive debates between the court, the media and consumers about the justice of such distributions in Australia, providing a basis for design of laws that better meet the needs of the diverse range of Australian families. Read moreRead less
...and by opposing, end them: A Comparative Examination of Opposition Processes in Patent Law. Patent law is central to the key Australian economic aim of encouraging an innovative culture. One aspect of patent law, the opposition process, is directly linked to two important issues currently facing our patent system: improving patent quality, and minimising predatory behaviour by powerful firms. This project will assess the operation of the opposition process here, and the practice of equivalent .......and by opposing, end them: A Comparative Examination of Opposition Processes in Patent Law. Patent law is central to the key Australian economic aim of encouraging an innovative culture. One aspect of patent law, the opposition process, is directly linked to two important issues currently facing our patent system: improving patent quality, and minimising predatory behaviour by powerful firms. This project will assess the operation of the opposition process here, and the practice of equivalent international procedures in other jurisdictions, in order to inform Australian policy in current and ongoing negotiations towards global harmonisation. Material from this project will lead directly to proposals for improving the Australian patent system, and ensuring that it promotes, and does not retard, innovation. Read moreRead less
Precariousness in law and labour markets: the case of temporary migrant workers. This project examines the situation of temporary migrant workers in Australia, focusing on the nature and extent of their precariousness both in law and in labour market practice. It offers a major contribution to current research and policy debates on the implications of temporary migrant labour.
Superannuation and divorce in Australia: an evaluation of post-reform legal practice and property settlement outcomes. The project evaluates the impact of the new Family Law Legislation Amendment (Superannunation) Act 2001, which includes superannuation as property that can be split between the parties. It investigates the ways in which the Courts, legal advisers and divorcing parties take superannuation into account when marriages end. This research assumes, on the basis of previous studies, th ....Superannuation and divorce in Australia: an evaluation of post-reform legal practice and property settlement outcomes. The project evaluates the impact of the new Family Law Legislation Amendment (Superannunation) Act 2001, which includes superannuation as property that can be split between the parties. It investigates the ways in which the Courts, legal advisers and divorcing parties take superannuation into account when marriages end. This research assumes, on the basis of previous studies, that these groups will have difficulties applying this reform in practice, and that various procedural, social and financial factors may limit the broad application of this reform. This research is crucial to ensure that the reform results in improved financial security during retirement - especially for women.Read moreRead less
Work Experience: Labour Law at the Intersection of Work and Education. This project aims to examine the regulatory challenges relating to post-secondary work experience, such as internships, in the areas of labour and employment, anti-discrimination and workers compensation law in Australia. The analysis is designed to establish a global and comparative context, examining policy and regulatory responses in Canada, Europe (including Britain), New Zealand, and the United States of America and at t ....Work Experience: Labour Law at the Intersection of Work and Education. This project aims to examine the regulatory challenges relating to post-secondary work experience, such as internships, in the areas of labour and employment, anti-discrimination and workers compensation law in Australia. The analysis is designed to establish a global and comparative context, examining policy and regulatory responses in Canada, Europe (including Britain), New Zealand, and the United States of America and at the international level. By offering a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical and practical implications of law's boundary between work and education, it is expected to identify optimum approaches to the regulation of post-secondary work experience, and thereby expand policy debates and enhance future law reform.Read moreRead less
New Initiatives in Enforcing Employment Standards: Assessing the Effectiveness of Federal Government Compliance Strategies. The well-being of more than eight million Australian employees is underpinned by statutory workplace entitlements. For the large majority of those employees, these are set by federal legislation. The statutory entitlements are meaningful only in so far as they are complied with, and improving the effectiveness of the federal enforcement agency, the Workplace Ombudsman, is t ....New Initiatives in Enforcing Employment Standards: Assessing the Effectiveness of Federal Government Compliance Strategies. The well-being of more than eight million Australian employees is underpinned by statutory workplace entitlements. For the large majority of those employees, these are set by federal legislation. The statutory entitlements are meaningful only in so far as they are complied with, and improving the effectiveness of the federal enforcement agency, the Workplace Ombudsman, is therefore of crucial public importance. This project provides the first comprehensive scholarly empirical evaluation of the Workplace Ombudsman. Its findings will identify multiple ways in which enforcement practices can be improved, not only for the Workplace Ombudsman, but also for comparable compliance agencies domestically and overseas.Read moreRead less
The Neo-Liberal Legal Academy. Profound changes are occurring in the character of Australian public universities, particularly in respect of the commodification of education, of which no study has yet been undertaken. Using the discipline of law as a case study, this project proposes to study the ramifications of change with particular regard to legal academics, legal education and the constitution of legal knowledge. While the main focus will be directed to the Australian legal academy, compari ....The Neo-Liberal Legal Academy. Profound changes are occurring in the character of Australian public universities, particularly in respect of the commodification of education, of which no study has yet been undertaken. Using the discipline of law as a case study, this project proposes to study the ramifications of change with particular regard to legal academics, legal education and the constitution of legal knowledge. While the main focus will be directed to the Australian legal academy, comparisons will be effected with New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom which evince similar trends. The study is expected to remedy a lacuna in knowledge and to inform higher education policy.Read moreRead less