News

Prisoners paint a life without bars

Expressing their innermost feelings through art has allowed dozens of SA prisoners to experience some freedom.

Inmates from the seven correctional facilities involved in the Art by Prisoners program have put 32 pieces on show at the Adelaide Festival Centre until May 31.

Based on a UK program from the 1960s, the program is a research project by Flinders Law School PhD student Jeremy Ryder, who is looking at the positive impact of art within and beyond jail time.

Click here to read the full story.


Vietnamese police visit Flinders

A delegation of senior officials from Vietnam’s national police academy visited Flinders Law School last week to discuss the potential delivery of joint law and criminal justice courses for students at both institutions.

Led by Major-General Nguyen Xuan Yem, Professor and Rector of the People’s Police Academy (PPA), the delegation met with Flinders Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International and Communities), Professor Dean Forbes; Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law, Professor Richard Maltby; and representatives from the law school including Professors David Bamford (Dean), Willem de Lint and Andrew Goldsmith, newly-appointed Strategic Professor.

The talks, coordinated by Australian Federal Police (AFP) as part of a visit to Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, canvassed undergraduate, postgraduate coursework and doctoral studies, which would see PPA students undertake a component of their education at Flinders.

Flinders students would also have the opportunity to study at the PPA.

General Yem said the PPA was keen to cooperate with Flinders, especially in the fields of criminal justice and criminology.

“We would like to establish a joint education program between our institutions,” General Yem said.

He cited the challenges for Vietnamese security posed by the ASEAN Economic Community’s plan to allow the free-flow of goods, services and skilled labour between member countries by 2015 as an incentive to engage with Australian expertise in the area.

“Between Vietnam and Australia, we have very good contact,” he said.

“Last month, our Prime Minister visited Australia. Our Commissioner of Police has visited Australia; with the AFP we have for a long time had a very good relationship.

“We would like to find one university in Australia to establish a program of study for police, to prepare police officials in Vietnam.”

Professor David Bamford said Flinders Law School, which has one of the strongest criminal justice programs in the country, welcomed the opportunity to explore possible collaborations with the People’s Police Academy of Vietnam.

“Vietnam has increasingly close ties with Australia and we are keen to provide our students with knowledge of Vietnamese law and its legal system and enable Vietnamese students to increase their understanding of developments in law and criminology,” Professor Bamford said.

“The visit by Major-General Yem and his delegation has led to very productive discussions with Flinders Law School and we look forward to working with Peoples’ Police Academy in the future,” he said.

Negotiations between the parties will continue over coming months.


Criminology crossing borders

After a four-year stint at the University of Wollongong, criminologist Professor Andrew Goldsmith (pictured) will return to Flinders Law School in July to take up one of the Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Professorships.

Professor Goldsmith – who was instrumental in the development of criminal justice studies at Flinders over 12 years, an area which performed well in last year’s Excellence in Research for Australia rankings – spoke about his ambitious research and teaching agenda with Flinders Indaily.

“The role is intended to build further the research profile of criminal justice at Flinders,” Professor Goldsmith said.

“One of the key vehicles for that will be working to establish a new centre in criminology, as well as to bring in international linkages and to run appropriate shorts courses and workshops in special areas,” he said.

The successful Illicit Networks Workshop, a collaboration with the University of Montreal which regularly draws together international academics and practitioners interested the analysis of terrorism and transnational and organised crime networks, will move to Flinders.

Professor Goldsmith also hopes to advance a program in integrity studies, which explores the fields of anti-corruption and public sector governance, and a project which examines the impact of organised crime on post-conflict situations.

“I’m particularly interested in looking at police peace-keeping operations,” he said.

“That’s a conversation I’m having with other academic partners around the world and with the Australian Federal Police.”

He said the move back to Flinders was an opportunity “to rejoin a unit that has been quite successful, to which I’d made a contribution previously, and to which I hope I can continue to make a contribution”.

As Executive Director of the Centre for Transnational Crime Prevention at the University of Wollongong, Professor Goldsmith had been invited by Major-General Yem of the People’s Police Academy to visit Vietnam in 2010.


Supreme Court Hearing at Flinders Law School

Tuesday 3rd April

Justice Tom Gray heard an appeal from a Magistrates Court in Flinders Law School's Moot Court. The case was a challenge to compulsory voting at elections - this raises significant public issues which affect us all.

Click here to watch the video footage of the case.

 

Click here to see the Flinders InDaily coverage of the case.

Click here to view the article from The Advertiser  

Click here to view the Supreme Court Case Photos


20th Annual Law School

Prize Awarding Ceremony

The 20th annual Law School Prize Awarding Ceremony was held on Wednesday 18th April, 2012 in the Matthew Flinders Theatre.

Congratulations to all of the 2011 prize recipients, as listed below:

Alana and Zane Shahin Prize in Human Rights Law
(The International Protection of Human Rights)
WILLIAM MENZIES

Alana and Zane Shahin Prize in International Criminal Law
WILLIAM PHILLIPS

Australian Executor Trustees Limited Prize for Succession and Estates Practice
ELEANOR HARDY

Bar Association of South Australia Prizes in Criminal Law: Issues in Criminal Law
SAMUEL ADAMS

Bar Association of South Australia Prizes in Criminal Law: Principles of Criminal Law and Procedure
Criminal Law and Legal Method (Statutory Interpretation)
JORDAN GIFFORD-MOORE

Department for Correctional Services Prize for Punishment, Sentencing and the State
Crime and Punishment
FLEUR ROXBURGH

Edmund Barton Chambers Advocacy Shield
Students comprising a simulated law firm adjudged to be the most outstanding in terms of commitment and academic performance

‘MURRAY' FIRM

ELOISE BIRCH, AARON CLIFT, JOHN FLYNN, EMMA GOODWIN, REBECCA HYDE, BALDWIN LAM,
NATALIE MORRIS, BREE-ANNA PEARKS, SCARLETT SCHUMACHER & SAMUEL TAYLOR


Edmund Barton Chambers Prize in Lawyering
Professional Skills and Ethics
JORDAN GIFFORD-MOORE

Fisher Jeffries Civil Litigation Prize
Civil Litigation 1 [Advocacy]
ANNA O'BRIEN

Fisher Jeffries Prize in Contract
HOLLY MCCOY

Fisher Jeffries Prize in Property, Equity and Trusts
ANDREW BUTLIN

Fox Tucker Lawyers Prize in Civil Litigation 2 (Negotiation)
GEORGE LUKIC

Johnson, Winter & Slattery Corporate Law Prize
EMILY HASSELOFF

Kelly & Co. Prize in Dispute Management
GRETA DOYLE

LexisNexis Prize (Selected Issues in Law)
CARLEY BARTLETT

LexisNexis Prize (Health Law)
SANDRA CHANDRA

LexisNexis Prize (Advanced Contract [Writing II])
ELIZABETH DOOLEY

LexisNexis Prize (Legal Research and Writing (Research I, Writing I))
PHILIPPA EWENS

LexisNexis Prize (Introduction to Public Law [Group Work])
GEORGIA HAGIAS

LexisNexis Prize (Immigration and Refugee Law)
HANNAH IRVING

LexisNexis Prize (Administrative Law: Merits Review)
DAVID KELLY

LexisNexis Prize (Animal Law)
JOANNE KENNEDY

LexisNexis Prize (Introduction to China's Law and Legal System)
GEORGE LUKIC

LexisNexis Prize (Conflict of Laws)
NATHAN TURK

Michael Woods & Co Criminal Practice Shield
Students comprising a simulated law firm adjudged to be the most outstanding in terms of commitment and academic performance

‘GAMBIER' FIRM

HANNAH BASTOCK, NICOLE CITTADINI, JAMES GETT, BRIDGET HOBBS, CHLOE-ROXANNE KOURAKIS, LUCY MITCHELL, KARI PATERSON, PETER RUSSELL, NICOLE TAM & JACQUI WINDSOR

Minter Ellison Prize in Corporate Law (Ethics)
EMILY HASSELOFF

Office of Director of Public Prosecutions Prize in Evidence
BENJAMIN KHOURY

Piper Alderman Prize in Corporate Law (Drafting)
EMILY HASSELOFF

Piper Alderman Prize in Selected First Year Topics
JORDAN GIFFORD-MOORE

Shop Distributive & Allied Employees Association Prize
Occupational Health and Safety Law
ELIZABETH O'KEEFE
MICHAEL STANNARD

South Australian Office of Consumer and Business Services Prize in Regulating Small Business
MELANIE MANSON

State Ombudsman Prize for Administrative Law 1: Judicial Review
DAVID KELLY

Thomson Reuters Prize for Honours Performance
JEMMA ARMAN

Thomson Reuters Prize in Australian Justice System
GEORGE LUKIC

Thomson Reuters Prize in Constitution and the Australian Federation (International/Comparative I)
REBECCA HAMON

Thomson Reuters Prize in Constitution and the Australian People (Indigenous/Social Justice)
VIOLETTA ZOTTI

Thomson Reuters Prize in Criminal Justice
Crime, Law and Trauma
DENISE MACLEOD

Thomson Reuters Prize in Criminal Justice (1st year)
Crime and Criminology
PAULA WAIT

Thomson Reuters Prize in Defamation Law
Defamation Law and Policy
RYAN KUSS

Thomson Reuters Prize in History of Legal Ideas
JAMES BAKER

Thomson Reuters Prize in Real Property Law
RACHEL MARTIN

Thomson Reuters Prize in Remedies
DAVID WHAN

Thomson Reuters Prize in Torts 2
THOMAS SCHINCKEL

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Prize
KRISTOPHER WILSON

- - -

The Dean's Certificate: (Criminal Law and Legal Method (Statutory Interpretation))
JORDAN GIFFORD-MOORE

The Dean's Certificate: (Advanced Criminology)
RHIANNON BANDIERA

The Dean's Certificate: (Criminal Justice Honours Thesis)
LAURA COTTLE

The Dean's Certificate: (Crime and Public Policy)
LAURA COTTLE

The Dean's Certificate: (Access to Justice: Policy & Reform)
LAUREN FIRTH

The Dean's Certificate: (Gender Policy & Law)
LAUREN FIRTH

The Dean's Certificate: (Securities Regulation)
EVAN FOSTER-JONES

The Dean's Certificate: (International Criminal Justice)
RYAN KUSS

The Dean's Certificate: (Policing and Law Enforcement)
DENISE MACLEOD

The Dean's Certificate: (Comparative Law)
GABRIELA MADEJ

The Dean's Certificate: (Current Issues in Criminal Law)
ANNALISE NICHOLLS

The Dean's Certificate: (Securities Regulation)
TARA O'CONNOR

The Dean's Certificate: (Contentious Justice Issues)
ROBERT PESCHEL

The Dean's Certificate: (Policing and Law Enforcement)
STEPHEN RANIERI

The Dean's Certificate: (Young People and the Law)
EDWARD SRPCIC

The Dean's Certificate: (Protecting Children)
CATHERINE TUCKER

The Dean's Certificate: (Corporations Law)
ANNE VAN DER GIESSEN

The Dean's Certificate: (Social Problems and the Law)
MICHELLE ZUB

- - -

Flinders Law Students' Association Competition Awards

Kelly & Co. First Year Moot Competition
JORDAN TUTTON

Kelly & Co. Open Moot Competition
MICHAEL SWANSON

FLSA International Humanitarian Law Moot Competition
KATRINA HARTMAN
MICHAEL SWANSON

FLSA Constitutional Law Moot Competition
KATRINA HARTMAN

Colthorpe Lawyers Witness Examination Competition
KATRINA HARTMAN

FLSA Paper Presentation Competition
JEMMA ARMAN

Lipman Karas Negotiation Competition
GEORGE LUKIC
RACHEL WANG

Cowell Clarke Client Interviewing Competition
DAMON DELANEY
HEATH MCCALLUM

The School of Law presents Peer Mentor Certificates in recognition of completion of the
Peer Mentoring Training Program for 2011

Peer Mentors:
COURTNEY CHAN, ALICE CHEEK, DAMN DELANEY, TONI GASCOIGNE, KATRINA HARTMAN, TAMMARA HUTCHENS, BETHANY JACKSON, SAMANTHA KONTRA, BRIDGET LAFFY, DAVID MASON, HEATH MCCALLUM, JULIA MCGRATH, KYLEE MORETTI, ANETA PERETKO, GEORGIA PITSADIOTIS, ALYSSA SALLIS, LIZ SCHEMBRI, JORDAN SMITH, TAMARA SOLLY, MICHAEL SWANSON, RACHEL WANG, KRIS WILSON.

The School of Law acknowledges the contribution of this year's 2012 students in
The ‘New-in-Law' Transition Program

Senior Peer Mentors:
SAMANTHA KONTRA, HEATH MCCALLUM, LIZ SCHEMBRI, BETHANY JACKSON, DAVID MASON, JULIA MCGRATH

Peer Mentors:
ALICE CHEEK, DAMON DELANEY, BIMAYA DESILVA, TONI GASCOIGNE, TOM GERRITS, JORDAN GIFFORD-MOORE, KYLEE MORETTI, ELISE NISBET, ALYSSA SALLIS, MICHAEL SWANSON, JORDAN SMITH, JORDAN TUTTON, RACHEL WANG, KRISTOPHER WILSON.


The Law Society of South Australia Prize
for the LLB/LP graduating student with the highest grade point average
in topics counting towards the law degree
KATHARINE WHELDRAKE

Piper Alderman Law Prize
for the student graduating in the LLB/LP with the best overall academic
record each year throughout his or her course
KATHARINE WHELDRAKE


Bid to fix a hole in our justice system 

Legal limitations that restrict the right to fair trial put South Australia – and Australia – at odds with its international rights and obligations, and potentially leave unfairly convicted people unable to contest miscarriages of justice, according to a Flinders law academic.

Ms Bibi Sangha (pictured) is appearing today before the South Australian Legislative Review Committee in support of a 76-page submission that outlines the failure of judicial processes to allow for post-conviction reviews of alleged miscarriages of justice.

Click here to read the full story.


Dr Marinella Marmo & Professor Willem DeLint - In Our View

Even as a lightning rod for new legislation aimed at countering outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCG), Vince Focarelli cuts a controversial figure. Mr Focarelli was arrested recently in Adelaide following a week in hospital, having survived the fourth attempt against his life since 2006.

A good deal of recent violence in Adelaide, attributed to a "bikie war", is really located around the comings and goings of Mr Focarelli between various motorcycle gangs.

Click here to download the article in full:  Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs Article - The Advertiser (PDF 208KB)



‘Sex sells’ to kids? Just follow the money

Recent advertising campaigns have fuelled the contentious issue of the premature of sexualisation of children. Elizabeth Handsley, Professor of Law at Flinders University and President of the Australian Council on Children and the Media, comments.

Recently I was asked to comment on the launch of two new ranges of children’s clothing: Young Versace for 0-12 year olds; and Witchery’s 8fourteen for 8-14.

As President of the Australian Council on Children and the Media, I give a lot of interviews on the premature sexualisation of children, but the person who calls me isn’t often the fashion reporter. This shows just how much the sensitivity to portrayal of children in the media is spreading.

Click here to read the story in full.


More parents the target of teen violence

Family violence is not just a problem between parents anymore, with research from Flinders University showing a growing number of children are becoming perpetrators of violent and abusive behaviour in the family home.

Flinders law lecturer Ms Mary McKenna said her current PhD studies have found more young people were taking their problems out on their parents, resulting in abusive behaviour and physical violence that often goes under-reported as families feel too ashamed to speak out.

Click here to read the story in full.


Visiting International Scholar, Professor Carroll Seron - article in The Advertiser

Professor Seron is an internationally renowned scholar of law and society. Her research has examined the organisation of courts, how the legal profession balances professional and entrepreneurial business development, and the ways in which men and women enjoy differential resources of time to construct a professional career. Currently, she is conducting a longitudinal study of the professional socialisation of students at the newly formed University of California, Irvine, School of Law. In another major project, she is examining the persistent gender gap in engineering. Professor Seron was recently interviewed for an article that was featured in The Advertiser.

Click on the following link to download the article: 

 

The Advertiser article - Prof. Seron (PDF 102KB)

 


Law Foundation Scholarships - Human Rights Internship Programme

The law schools at the University of Adelaide and the Flinders University of South Australia have established a joint human rights internship programme. The Law Foundation of South Australia has given funds for four scholarships for this programme. Scholarships will be available for internships (either international or national) for 2 students at each institution. Scholarships will only be awarded for internships to be undertaken between December 2011 and December 2012.

For further information, click here (PDF 40KB)


 

Professor Susan Breau - 7.30 SA Interview - Civilian Casualties

Have Rights

Click here to view Susan's interview with the 7.30 SA program, on ABC.

 


Flinders Law School Hosts International Guest - Dadimos Haile

Flinders Law School was delighted to host international guest Dadimos Haile on April 5th.  

Dadimos Haile is the Head of the International Justice Programme at Avocats Sans Frontieres (Lawyers without borders), based in Brussels and is currently a visiting scholar at the UNSW Law School. He holds a Doctorate from Duke University School of Law, USA; a Masters in International and Comparative Law from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium and a law degree from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He was previously a scholar-in-Residence at the Institute of Development Policy and Management, University of Antwerp and has served as a Federal High Court Judge in Ethiopia. He has conducted extensive research in the fields of international human rights law, transitional justice and criminal law.

Avocats Sans Frontieres (ASF) is an international non-governmental organisation. The primary goal of ASF is to contribute to the establishment of institutions and mechanisms that allow for access to independent and impartial justice, and which are capable of guaranteeing the protection of fundamental rights (civil and  political, economic and social), including the right to a fair trial.  ASF carries out a diverse array of activities to ensure access to justice for the most vulnerable and to establish legal systems that are capable of protecting them. ASF’s activities fall into three categories: provision of legal aid services; capacity-building; and advocacy. All these activities are carried out in partnership with local entities: NGOs and civil society groups, lawyers, bar associations, local institutions and authorities, and international NGOs and other institutions.

Dadimos came to Flinders Law School to discuss the International Criminal Court and Global Social Control as part of a lecture on state crime.

For further information, click on the links below:

The Formative Years of the ICC (PDF 60KB)

Transitional International Justice Discourse (PDF 80KB)

 


 

Facebook & Twitter Revolution in the Middle East:  A Public Discussion

The Global Law and Governance Research Cluster held a public event to discuss the Facebook and Twitter Revolution in the Middle East and how the International Community should respond. The discussion focused on many isssues involved in this unprecedented movement for democracy including energy policy, human rights, the existence of armed conflict in Libya, development and poverty issues, and the responses of the international community.

Facebook & Twitter Revolution Speakers

Watch the video here


 
  
  
  

Read about our Forthcoming Events

Flinders News » School of Law

  • Professor Andrew Goldsmith will return to Flinders Law school to boost the research profile of criminal justice at the University.
  • Nikki Lovell made the decision to volunteer in the small Ugandan village of Namwenda, unaware it would change her life – and hundreds of others – forever.
  • A Flinders law academic says limitations that restrict the right to fair trial potentially leave unfairly convicted people unable to contest miscarriages of justice.
  • A partnership between Anglicare and Flinders Law School is raising awareness about the issues surrounding recognition of Indigenous people in the Australian Constitution.
  • inspiring achievement