I wish you all happy new year. I hope you have been able to have a break to mark the end of 2020, wherever you are located.
We begin 2021 at MLS with a renewed sense of purpose. While the ongoing pandemic means some students are still unable to join us in Victoria, we are utilising the technological developments of 2020 to forge ahead with a hybrid model of virtual and face-to-face teaching, which varies across the Law School’s programs.
Although there was a downturn in Australian Research Council support overall for legal research in 2020 compared to previous years, outstanding research continues to thrive at MLS. Over and above the sheer breadth of research undertaken and partnerships formed in relation to COVID-19, which I have outlined previously, I draw your attention to several projects that I think highlight the diversity and richness of MLS research: statelessness in Australia and across the globe; the socio-economic, ethical and legal consequences of digital technologies, including automation and AI; and our climate futures. If you are interested in the work of any of these research initiatives, please visit our website to join the relevant mailing lists or contact our research office. Across the year our research centres host a suite of activities and we look forward to welcoming you to those and exploring our shared interests.
Professor Michelle Foster, Katie Robertson and Dr Christoph Sperfeldt at the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness continue to lead in research in the field of statelessness globally. Among other projects, they have recently undertaken a consultancy for three UN agencies on nomadic peoples and statelessness, authored a research report on stateless children in Australia for publication early this year, and in 2021 will also launch an ARC-funded project called Understanding Statelessness in Australian Law and Practice that will conduct the first comprehensive study of stateless persons in Australia.
Last year we were delighted to launch the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics (CAIDE), a hub for cross-disciplinary research, teaching and leadership to address the legal, ethical, and regulatory challenges posed by artificial intelligence and digital technologies. Led by Professor Jeannie Paterson and Professor Tim Miller (School of Computing and Information Systems), CAIDE is a partnership between MLS and the Faculties of Engineering and IT, Arts and Science. Since its launch in April, CAIDE has awarded two graduate research scholarships and seed funded research in this area, both furthering its research agenda. CAIDE staff ran a breadth subject (AI, Ethics and the Law) and a PHD Research Academy in 2020. CAIDE also engages the public on issues ranging from the ethical implications of mass digital surveillance as a means to curb COVID-19 to the censorship of marginalised groups by social media companies.
Also established last year, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society is a collaboration between numerous institutions including the University of Melbourne, RMIT, Monash University and the University of Sydney, as well as several international partners. A number of MLS staff are involved with the Centre working to develop strategies to make technology more responsible, ethical, and inclusive. The research includes investigating diverse aspects of ‘intelligent’ technologies such as deep learning and blockchain that have proven useful across a range of sectors, from healthcare to social services and the media.
Most recently, Professor Jacqueline Peel has been appointed to lead Melbourne Climate Futures, a new University-wide, cross-disciplinary initiative that focuses research on how we transition to a climate-resilient future. Melbourne Climate Futures draws together research from across the University of Melbourne in law, the humanities, engineering systems, earth sciences, geography, political science, public health, agricultural and forestry sciences, finance, economics, education, and communications.
Despite the pandemic, the MLS Mentor Program has continued to go from strength to strength, matching 333 student mentees with 282 mentors last year. Thank you to those of you who participated, giving practical advice and inspiration to our students who were feeling very vulnerable, particularly with regard to employment.
Ironically, we are both more connected and more fragmented than ever before, and in 2021 we will innovate our mentoring program to ensure it reflects our students’ circumstances. We seek to connect international students, who are unable to be in Australia, with offshore mentors who share common time zones and geography, incorporating both online and face-to-face meetings where possible. If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a mentor, please get in touch.
Professor Pip Nicholson
Dean, Melbourne Law School
Women and Leadership: In conversation with Julia Gillard AC
Join former Prime Minister and Melbourne University alumna Julia Gillard AC in a conversation on Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons, exploring issues such has gender bias, treatment of leaders and pathways to equality. This event is hosted by Melbourne School of Government and will be moderated by Lynne Haultain, Executive Director, Victoria Law Foundation.
Alumni recognised in Australia Day Honours list 2021
Melbourne Law School congratulates a number of our alumni who were recently recognised in the 2021 Australia Day Honours list. The awards are a testament to the contributions and outstanding commitment made by MLS alumni to the Australian community.
Investor-led pressure on Australian companies is forcing boards to adopt sustainable business practices to meet climate change goals. MLS environmental and climate law experts, Professor Jacqueline Peel and Rebekkah Markey-Towler, explain how this is achieved.
From TikTok to Zoom, Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics (CAIDE) co-director Professor Jeanie Marie Paterson discusses what she has learnt about digital technologies and conversations in 2020.
A new report from the Centre for Public Integrity has found that Federal political parties have received $1.1 billion from hidden donors over two decades. Professor Joo-Cheong Tham, a member of the Centre's board, says donations should be capped to limit the power of any individual or company over a party or an election result.
In Australia, the law of Negligence or Torts forms a fundamental building block of our legal system. MLS Professor Ian Malkin and a panel of experts reflect on the origins of Australia's consumer laws and how the law of Negligence and Torts came to be.
As mainstream social media platforms come under increased scrutiny for a lack of consistency around free speech, MLS academic Dr Jake Goldenfein says that Google is not a neutral platform but “can rapidly change what searchers see based on its political and commercial aims.”
While some Australians are calling for a national approach to border closures, MLS Professor Cheryl Saunders says that state border closures are actually “containing the virus extremely well” and in such a large country, there needs to be some variation in approach.
Senior Fellow Erin O'Donnell from the Centre for Resources Energy and Environmental Law (CREEL) says there is growing international pressure to secure water and land rights for Indigenous peoples.