Legal Affairs

Informative commentary on legal issues and advances in Victorian, Federal and international law.

Podcast4 September 2019 – Human rights, Law, Social Justice, Social Media, Technology
Bringing democracy to the internet
University of Melbourne graduate Lizzie O’Shea says that we should look to histories of computing and social movements in order to determine our digital future.
21 August 2019 – Citizen Assemblies, Democracy, Elections, Parliament
Australian democracy: crisis, resilience and renewal
Worries that democracy is in decline have sparked experiments in citizen assemblies but a University of Melbourne expert says we can also revitalise parliament
20 August 2019 – China, Chinese Communist Party, Democracy, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Protests
Hong Kong: The canary in the coal mine
Amid the ongoing pro-democracy protests in China's Hong Kong, a University of Melbourne expert examines how it came to this and where it is likely to end.
19 August 2019 – Banking Royal Commission, Personal Finance
Focusing financial law on what really matters
Complex financial services law needs to be overhauled, with financial wellbeing at the core, say University of Melbourne experts in their FinFuture white paper.
5 August 2019 – Anti-Doping, Drugs, Drugs in Sport, Sport, Sports Law
Cold comfort as anti-doping plays catch up
Retrospective testing is catching up with drug cheats in sport, but a University of Melbourne expert explores how far back it can go, and is it cold comfort?
29 July 2019 – Australia, Competition Law, Digital, Facebook, Social Media
ACCC doubles down on digital platforms
A University of Melbourne expert says the ACCC’s final report into digital platforms in Australia finds that big tech giants warrant close competition scrutiny.
22 July 2019 – Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Human-Computer Interaction, Regulations, Robots
Should we work with or turn off AI?
A University of Melbourne expert says artificial intelligence is already impacting on how we work – and we need to define any human-computer collaboration now.
20 June 2019 – Asylum Seekers, Global Compacts on Refugees and Migrants, Refugees, UNHCR, World Refugee Day
Rethinking Australia’s refugee policy
Australia has an opportunity to re-evaluate its refugee policy and lead the world in sharing the burden says University of Melbourne expert on World Refugee Day
10 June 2019 – Cities, Drought, Rural, Water, Water Management
The global problem of thirsty cities
A University of Melbourne expert says smart water management could lead to collaboration between rural and urban areas to establish a reliable water supply.
5 June 2019 – 2019 Australian Federal Election, Australian Politics, Democracy
The political challenge of a divided electorate
Australia's Federal Election was marked by countervailing swings that political parties will need to learn to navigate, says a University of Melbourne expert