Issue 22 – November 2019

Our Law School both reflects its past and embraces the future. It is an institution of perpetual renewal, through our students, staff, alumni and the context in which we work. Educating the next generation is our core mission.

Going beyond the buzzwords, MLS News speaks with legal experts about ‘design thinking’ – how it works, what it means for lawyers, and the impact it can have for clients and the public.

Two exciting new Melbourne Law School research initiatives are set to tackle the ethical and social policy challenges of digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and automated decision-making.

In this edited excerpt from the FinFuture White Paper, a multidisciplinary team of University of Melbourne academics discusses the state of personal finance in Australia and proposes five steps to improve the nation’s financial wellbeing.

Earlier this year, Professor Adrienne Stone presented the annual Fay Gale Lecture in Melbourne and Adelaide. In it, she addressed academic freedom and freedom of speech at universities – topics of heated and ongoing debate in the media, in politics and on campus.

A recent NSW Supreme Court judgment brings into question how out of step Australia's defamation laws have become in the digital age.

To decriminalise homosexuality in India, activists were fighting not only prejudice but also a 19th century penal code set down by the British Empire.

An MLS alumna is drawing attention to the global water crisis by pushing her own body to its breaking point.

A passion for working with Aboriginal communities drives former Richmond footballer and Melbourne Law School alumnus Sean Bowden.

Meet scholarship-winning Melbourne Law School student Anasha Flintoff as she completes her studies in Hong Kong.

In courts as well as universities, support dogs are helping to calm nerves and minimise trauma.

Book reviews of 'A Theory of Discrimination Law', 'Little Stones' and 'The Earth Below'.

The late Rt Hon Sir Zelman Cowen has been honoured through photographs, artefacts and stories at Melbourne Law School’s 2019 Golden Alumni Reunion. The Hon Dr Barry Jones AC gave a speech, of which this is an abridged version.

The oldest, most significant building on the University of Melbourne’s Parkville Campus – and the early home of Melbourne Law School – has reopened its doors to the public after a significant restoration.

Major General the Hon Justice Richard Tracey AM RFD QC (LLB(Hons) ’69, LLM ’73) passed away in the USA on 11 October 2019 at the age of 71.

Melbourne Law School alumnus Emeritus Professor Louis Waller AO (LLB(Hons) ‘56) was a master of powerful oratory who kept thousands of law students spellbound at both the University of Melbourne and Monash University.

Dr Michael Andrew AO (LLB ’78) was a ground-breaking leader in taxation law, both in business and in service to the public.