CrimNet

04 August 2023

Call for papers: The Folbigg Case and Wrongful Convictions in Australia

Sydney Institute of Criminology (University of Sydney Law School) and the Centre for Crime, Law & Justice (Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW)

Deadline for submissions: 1 September 2023 

Following the recent release and pardon of Kathleen Folbigg, the UNSW Faculty of Law and Justice and the University of Sydney Law School are jointly hosting a day-long symposium focused on Ms Folbigg’s wrongful conviction and its socio-legal implications.

The aim is to host a series of critical presentations spanning a variety of subjects, ranging from law and gender, the use of probabilistic (i.e. tendency and coincidence) reasoning, reliance on diaries as admissions, our system of criminal appeals, the politicised process of additional appeals and public inquiries, media representations, relations between law, science and medicine, and the prospect of a criminal cases commission.

Speakers include:

· Professor Stephen Cordner (Monash University and the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine)

· Professor Emma Cunliffe (University of British Columbia, Vancouver)

· Professor Gary Edmond (UNSW)

· Professor David Hamer (University of Sydney)

· Associate Professor Mehera San Roque (UNSW)

We invite scholars, legal practitioners (particularly those involved) and other participants to join us in person to critically examine the implications of this important case for understanding the NSW legal system as well as the need and potential for change. The symposium will be based around short presentations, panel discussions, and audience participation.

If you would like to present a paper at the symposium, please forward a short abstract containing a title, an outline of your proposed presentation (approximately 100-150 words) and a brief biographical profile to g.edmond@unsw.edu.au or m.sanroque@unsw.edu.au by 1 September 2023. Presentations should be around 20 minutes in length. Preference will be given to presentations related directly to the Folbigg ‘case’ and reform emerging out of the wrongful conviction. There will be an opportunity to submit papers to a Special Issue of Current Issues in Criminal Justice.

Date: Thursday 5 October 2023, 10am – 6pm

Venue: UNSW CBD Campus (1 O’Connell Street, Sydney 2000).

Attendance: Details on registration (free) for those who are not presenting will follow.

The symposium is jointly supported by the Sydney Institute of Criminology (University of Sydney Law School) and the Centre for Crime, Law & Justice (Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW).

Meet the author | Reimagining Desistance from Male-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence: The role and experiences of female victims-survivors

24 August 2023; 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM 

Despite decades of research, our understanding of IPV desistance processes is very limited. In particular, understanding of the mechanisms that may account for why some men ‘stop’ abusing their partners and others persist, is under-developed. Because IPV occurs within a dyadic and domestic context, women who are subjected to IPV are not only in a unique position to observe their partner’s behaviours (and how they change over time), but also to implement strategies to initiate and support their partner’s desistance.

Overhaul Of Laws To Protect Women From Domestic Killers: CWJ Welcomes The Government’s Recognition Of Potential Gender Bias In Domestic Homicide Laws

The Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) welcomed the Lord Chancellor’s announcement to adopt most of the recommendations in Clare Wade KC’s review of Domestic Homicide Sentencing. The focus of his announcement is that such reforms should be aimed at better protecting vulnerable women. 

On 10 July, CWJ launched a new briefing at an expert roundtable, summarising reforms undertaken in Canada, New Zealand and Australia to make self-defence more accessible to victims of domestic abuse who use force against their abuser. The purpose of the briefing is to inform government and parliamentarians in England and Wales about the reforms undertaken in this area in comparable jurisdictions, and to stimulate action to improve law and practice here by making self-defence accessible for victims of domestic abuse who defend themselves against their abuser.

Institute member, Professor Arlie Loughnan co-authored a commissioned report with Dr Clare Davidson. To read the report, see here. 

The Peter Brett Memorial Lecture 2023, The University of Melbourne Law School

17 August 2023, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 

Institute member, Professor Arlie Loughnan has been invited to present at The Peter Brett Memorial Lecture 2023. The theme is , 'Living on in the Law: Naming Laws after Homicide Victims.' In recent decades, in Australia, a number of laws have been named after victims of crime. In this lecture, Professor Arlie Loughnan points to this practice as a fascinating aspect of the making of criminal law. Register here. 

Administrative Justice after Robodebt, The University of Queensland Law School 

10 August 2023, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM 

Institute member, Emeritus Professor Terry Carney AO, has been invited to speak at The University of Queensland Law School. The Robodebt Royal Commission’s final report is due to be submitted in July this year. The expert panel will be discussing the outcomes of the report, and its implications for the use of automated decision-making in public administration. Register here. 

ABC Radio Sydney interviewed Institute Director, Dr Carolyn McKay about her installation, Floating Between Couches & Motels at the University’s Herbert Smith Freehills Law Library. See here. 

Institute member, Mr Josh Pallas, co-wrote a submission with Isabelle Skaburskis, titled, 'Review of Post-sentencing Terrorism orders: Division 105A of the Criminal Code Act 1995'. Read here. 

Mr Josh Pallas was interviewed by The Guardian about religious vilification in the context of conversion therapy. Read here. 

NSW push to stop climate protesters livestreaming on Facebook labelled ‘profoundly anti-democratic’

Mr Josh Pallas was interviewed by The Guardian about protest repression. Read here. 

2023 Gala Dinner & Civil Liberties Journalism Awards; NSW Council for Civil Liberties 

20 September 2023; 6:00 PM Onwards

The NSW Council for Civil Liberties has organised a dinner to celebrate their 60th anniversary and to honour the extraordinary activists who founded the Council. Institute member, Mr Josh Pallas is the President of NSWCCL. Institute member, Adjunct Professor Nicholas Cowdery AO KC is also on the committee. For more information, see here. 

Dr. Allan McCay is the Deputy Director of The Sydney Institute of Criminology and an academic Fellow at the University of Sydney's Law School.

He is a member of the Management Committee of the Julius Stone Institute of Jurisprudence at the University of Sydney and also an Affiliate Member of the Centre for Agency, Values, and Ethics, at Macquarie University.

In connection to his work on neurotechnology, criminal law and human rights, he has been named as one of the most influential lawyers of 2021 by Australasian Lawyer. He is also a member of the Minding Rights Network which is an international group of scholars who are working on addressing the challenges to autonomy, mental privacy and mental integrity coming from emerging technologies.

Dr Allan McCay  has been named one of the most influential lawyers of 2023 by Australasian Lawyer. See here. 

The 2023/24 Criminal Law CPD Series, presented by the Sydney Institute of Criminology, is an innovative educational program made up of 8 recorded webinars.

Our series covers a wide range of criminal law topics, including criminal procedure, evidence law, and criminal advocacy. Led by experienced legal professionals, our webinars are designed to help you stay up to date with the latest developments in criminal law and earn your mandatory CPD points.

A new webinar will be released each month from April to November and will include a quiz to test your comprehension of the material being discussed.  

Register now for the full series or individual webinars and enjoy the flexibility of watching at your own pace from any location at any time.  

Information for lawyers and barristers
If this educational activity is relevant to your professional development and practice of the law, then you should claim 1.5 MCLE/CPD points per seminar attended.

Practitioners are advised to check with the CPD governing body in their jurisdiction for the most accurate and up-to-date information. Find out about interstate accreditation.

Cost: Full series (8 x webinars) = $300 
Individual webinar(s) = $50

Non-consensual sexual offence law reform in Western Australia

Substantive Law 

Dr Andrew Dyer -  Available now

The Attorney-General of Western Australia has asked that State’s Law Reform Commission to review Western Australia’s sexual offence laws. In December 2022, the Commission published a Discussion Paper that deals with the law relating to sexual consent and the operation of honest and reasonable mistake of fact in non-consensual sexual offence proceedings. This seminar will consider the various reform options. 

Vulnerable witness advocacy

Practice Management and Business Skills, Ethics and professional responsibility

Philip Hogan -  Available now

This seminar will discuss the definition of a vulnerable witness in the Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) and the provisions in the Act that allow for the use of pre-recorded evidence and provide for other alternative means of giving evidence. The seminar will particularly consider the way a complainant’s evidence is adduced in the Child Sexual Assault Program operating in some NSW courts. There will also be some discussion of Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) provisions that may be relevant to the evidence of a vulnerable witness. Finally, the seminar will cover relevant provisions of the Equality before the Law Bench Book and some findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. 

Digital vulnerability: Vulnerable individuals and remote access technologies in justice

Ethics and professional responsibility. Professional skills. Practice Management. 

Dr Carolyn McKay - Available now

This seminar will focus on the use of remote access technologies, such as audiovisual links, when working with vulnerable individuals in the justice system, and the developing concept of ‘digital vulnerability’. The seminar will draw on Dr McKay’s current Australian Research Council (‘ARC’) funded research and examine the multiple layers of vulnerability that individuals may experience while involved in legal matters. It will present preliminary findings from initial fieldwork interviews with lawyers and judicial officers that reveal critical perspectives on the impacts of digitalisation on vulnerable people in the justice system. While the research project and findings centre on the criminal justice system, many of the issues are equally relevant to legal practitioners working with vulnerable people in civil matters. 

Assessing witness credibility: Is it possible to tell whether someone is lying or telling the truth?

Substantive law. Professional skills.

Associate Professor Helen Paterson - Available now

Witness testimony can be extremely influential in legal investigations and trials; however, sometimes witnesses lie. Such deception can be detrimental to due process, and can result in miscarriages of justice. Thus, it is important for legal personnel and factfinders to be able to determine whether someone is lying or telling the truth. This interactive seminar will discuss research investigating behavioural and content indicators of deception. It will help legal practitioners understand the difficulties in discriminating liars from truth-tellers as well as the evidence base for various lie detection techniques. 

Advocacy in the Children's Court: Considerations for criminal matters involving children and young persons

Ethics and professional responsibility. Professional skills.

Judge Ellen Skinner, Shannon Richards and James Clifford - Available 28 September 2023 

The Children’s Court deals with a wide range of cases across New South Wales involving children and young people. In its criminal jurisdiction, matters involve defendants under the age of 18. There are complexities in the legislation as to how certain charges involving children and young persons proceed, including considerations of doli incapax and whether the charges can remain at the summary level or should be dealt with ‘at law’ in a higher court. This presentation will discuss issues around the age of criminal responsibility and the committal process in the Children’s Court. It will help lawyers practising criminal law who appear in the Children’s Court, and provide perspectives from the Bench, prosecution and defence. 

Should Deceptive Sex Always Be Rape? Dr Andrew Dyer - Substantive Law

The Role of the Crown Prosecutor in NSW Mr Brett Hatfield Practice - Management and Business Skills, Ethics and professional responsibility

The Reliability and Credibility of Eyewitnesses Associate Professor Helen Paterson - Substantive Law

Ethical Practice for Junior Criminal Law Barristers Ms Talitha Hennessy - Ethics and professional responsibility

Myths, Misconceptions and Mixed Messages: An Early Look at the New Tendency and Coincidence Evidence Provisions Professor David Hamer - Substantive Law

Advocacy in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal Mr John Stratton SC - Professional Skills

The Work of the Mental Health Review Tribunal Judge Paul Lakatos SC - Professional Skills

Current Issues in Criminal Justice (CICJ) provides detailed analysis of national and international issues by a range of outstanding contributors. It includes contemporary comments, with discussion at the cutting edge of the crime and justice debate, as well as reviews of recently released books.

CICJ accepts submissions on a rolling basis.

Editor: Dr Justin Ellis, member of the Sydney Institute of Criminology

You can access current and previous issues of Current Issues in Criminal Justice here.

If you have a book suitable for review by CICJ, please email the books editor, Celine Van Golde at celine.vangolde@sydney.edu.au

Seminar: Time to Get (Ethically) Real: Reconciliatory Restorative Justice; UNSW Centre for Crime, Law and Justice 

30 August 2023, 1:00 PM- 2:00 PM 

For some time, restorative justice has been promoted as a radically different and seemingly better approach to violation than conventional criminal justice. However, there is a disconnect between that promise and the way in which restorative justice is both conceptualised and applied in practice. In part, the reason for this failure is that restorative justice has failed to develop an adequate account of what it is really about all the way down. Register here. 

Legal Education Research Conference 2023; UNSW Law & Justice 

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 9:30 AM - Tue, 21 Nov 2023 5:00 PM

The field of legal education is evolving, and a significant shift has taken place towards more experiential and practical learning approaches. The theme for this year is 'Situated Learning: Climate Change, First Nations Recognition, Generative AI'. Register here. 

Conference: Improving Outcomes for Children Experiencing Vulnerability & Risk; The Hatchery 

26 September 2023 - 27 September 2023 

In Australia, there is a national drive to improve outcomes for vulnerable children through targeted interventions, but more needs to be done to improve service and system level responses, lift workforce capability and effectively support children experiencing risk, harm or vulnerability, particularly in complex cases.

The conference will showcase how all Australians can work together to achieve the best outcomes for vulnerable children and those experiencing disadvantage. Register here. 

Australian Institute of Criminology Conference 2023

16 October 2023

The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) is hosting the AIC 2023 conference on Monday 16 October 2023, commemorating 50 years since the establishment of the AIC.

A limited number of conference tickets are available to purchase from Eventbrite.

For more information, see here. 

Call for Volunteers: Justice Action Internship Program 

Justice action is a community based social justice non-for profit organization.  Interns will engage in policy work, preparing tribunal and court cases, contributing to media releases and writing correspondence for lobbying purposes.

For more information about Justice Action, please visit their website.

To apply, please email your CV and cover letter to the Justice Action Coordinator, Brett Collins at: brett@justiceaction.org.au  

Project Lead - Bugmy Project; Deadly Connections Community & Justice Services 

The Bugmy Justice Project seeks to improve the sentencing processes and outcomes for Aboriginal people identified as defendants and appearing before the District Court for sentencing matters by providing courts with additional information that addresses the personal and community circumstances of the individual Aboriginal person and relevant sentencing options that works to divert mob from custodial sentences. For more details, see here. 

Team Leader, Deadly Families; Deadly Connections Community & Justice Services 

Deadly Families is a culturally responsive program within DC that provides intensive, cultural, practical support
for Aboriginal Mums (& Dads) who are expecting (6-8 weeks from due date) or with children aged 0-5 years
old across the Inner West/City of Sydney LGA's. For more details, see here. 

Paralegals - Criminal Assets Litigation; Australian Federal Police

The AFP-led Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce adopts a coordinated and proactive approach to the confiscation of assets related to Commonwealth crime. 

The Criminal Assets Litigation Team has casual work opportunities for Paralegals in Sydney, New South Wales. In this role, you will support a team of litigators who conduct civil litigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Cth) and Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 1987 (Cth). Apply here. 

Senior Police Lawyer; Victoria Police

Applications close: 07 August 2023

Victoria Police is seeking to appoint a Senior Police Lawyer in the Courts and Specialist Prosecutions Division of the Victoria Police Legal Services Department. 

This position sits within the Heidelberg Prosecutions Unit, with the successful candidate required to appear as a criminal law solicitor advocate in both criminal prosecutions and family violence intervention order applications within the relevant unit service catchment. Apply here.

Senior Project Officer – Legal and Project Officer; Law Enforcement Conduct Commission

Applications close 8 August 2023

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission has two vacancies in the Commission’s Prevention and Education Team.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission is seeking skilled researchers who want to contribute to public confidence in the integrity of law enforcement agencies in NSW. Two positions within the Commission’s Prevention and Education team are available. The multidisciplinary team undertakes research based systemic projects that focus on identifying, preventing and minimising serious misconduct and maladministration in the NSW Police Force and NSW Crime Commission.

Click on the links to find out more and apply for the Senior Project Officer role or the Project Officer role.

Lecturer in Law; The Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London 

Applications close: 10 August 2023 

The Dickson Poon School of Law is seeking to appoint three outstanding candidates with research and teaching expertise in Intellectual Property (IP) law or Private International Law/Conflict of Laws (PIL/CoL) to Lectureships. The successful candidate/s will have a primary research interest in either IP law or PIL/CoL and the ability to produce internationally excellent research in this area. Apply here. 

Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology/Social Policy (Teaching & Research); University of Stirling

Applications close: 10 August 2023

Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology (SSPC) wish to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced candidate as Lecturer in Criminology (and Sociology) (Teaching and Research), on an open-ended contract. The successful candidate will develop an Honours level option module on a topic of their choice. 

Apply here. 

Deputy Head of Policy, Communications & Strategy; Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service

The Deputy Head of Policy, Communications and Strategy assists the Head of Policy, Communications and Strategy with the day-today delivery of VALS’ policy and advocacy work. This includes management of the team, strategic planning, providing support to the CEO, and representing and advocating for VALS priorities on relevant working groups and forums. Apply here. 

Senior Policy and Community Engagement Officer; Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service

The Senior Policy and Community Engagement Officer engages with Aboriginal communities so that VALS policy and advocacy work is led by the community to promote self-determined advocacy and outcomes. The Senior Policy and Community Engagement Officer will work with Policy, Communications and Strategy team colleagues and across VALS to develop advocacy that supports Aboriginal communities priorities. Apply here. 

Fellow/Associate Professor; Australian National University

Applications close: 27 August 2023 

The School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) is a dynamic community of scholars from different disciplines united by our interest in regulation and governance. The Fellow/Associate Professor will be a key member within RegNet, contributing to all School activities. For more information, see here. 

Call for preliminary submissions: Anti-Discrimination Act; NSW Law Reform Commission 

Deadline for Submission: 29 September 2023 

The Attorney General has asked the Law Reform Commission to review the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW). The terms of reference set out the scope of the review.

NSW Law Reform Commission is calling for preliminary submissions on issues relevant to the terms of reference. A guide to making a submission has been released. 

Please email your preliminary submission to nsw-lrc@justice.nsw.gov.au by 29 September 2023. For more information, see here.

Call for Papers: Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand

Deadline for Submissions: 25 August 2023 

The Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand (LSAANZ) is inviting socio-legal scholars and others working at the intersections of law and society to submit panel and abstract proposals for its 2023 in-person conference: Voice, Resistance, and Repair: Law and living together. Find more details here.

Call for projects: European Crime Prevention Award and Best Practice Conference 2023 

Deadline for Submissions: 29 September 2023 

The European Crime Prevention Award (ECPA) and Best Practice Conference (BPC) will take place on 13 and 14 December 2023 in Valencia, Spain. The theme is preventing the trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation and other kinds of exploitation. For more information, see here. 

Call for Submissions: UNSW Law Journal 

Deadline for Submissions: 17 November 2023 

The UNSW Law Journal is currently welcoming submissions for the thematic component of Issue 47(2). The topic for this thematic is ‘Developments in Rights, Freedoms and Accountability’. For more information, see here. 

Call for Awards: Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency, National Institute of Forensic Science Australia New Zealand

Applications close: 31 August 2023 

The ANZPAA NIFS Best Paper Awards are presented yearly and recognise the contribution of members of the Australia New Zealand forensic science community in improving the forensic sciences and increasing the body of knowledge available to the forensic and wider communities.

Applications for the ANZPAA NIFS Best Paper Awards are currently being accepted via email to secretariat.nifs@anzpaa.org.au and submissions close 31 August 2023.

For further information on the awards, entry conditions and to download the application form, see here. 

Competition: Victorian Golden Gavel 2023; Law Institute Victoria

17 August 2023; 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM 

The annual Golden Gavel competition sees the best and brightest young lawyers from across the state test their public speaking skills and comedic genius in front of a live audience. In this battle of wits and words, competitors have five minutes to make their case on a far-fetched topic – only given to them the day beforehand. This year's topics will be premised on the theme “Lights, Camera, Litigation: When media and the law collide”. For more details, see here. 

Fellowship: Information Society Law Center, University of Milan

Applications close: 04 September 2023

The Information Society Law Center (ISLC) at the University of Milan is inviting high-profile candidates to apply for Online Fellowship positions for the period between 1 October 2023 and 31 May 2025. The ISLC is a multidisciplinary research center that studies the legal, technological, political, philosophical, and social aspects of the information society, with particular attention to the “Digital Transformation Law”.

The Center brings together scholars from various disciplines, including legal informatics, philosophy of law, sociology of law, ecclesiastical law, criminal law, criminal procedure, philosophy of politics, general theory of law, bioethics, data science, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and smart contracts.

To be considered, applicants must complete the application format no later than 11:59 p.m. GMT on 4 September 2023.

Selected candidates will be announced by 25 September 2023, and the Fellowship positions will begin on 1 October 2023 and end on 31 May 2025.

Please visit https://islc.unimi.it for further information.

The Conversation

Governments have failed to properly share decision-making with Indigenous people to accelerate Closing the Gap, despite formally undertaking to do so, according to a scathing indictment by the Productivity Commission.

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