Distinguished Visiting Fellows enhance expertise at Melbourne Law School

Leading global law experts in health, technology, ethics and international law have been named as the first Distinguished Visiting Fellows at Melbourne Law School (MLS).

Law Building MLS Dean Professor Carolyn Evans said the new Distinguished Visiting Fellows (DVF) scheme was established to deepen ties between MLS and leading law academics from around the world to further cement MLS as a centre for excellence in legal scholarship.

"The scheme recognises and celebrates the longer-term relationships that we have with several distinguished academics from around the globe," she said.

"We are delighted to welcome the appointment of the first four fellows, who have already contributed an enormous amount to Melbourne Law School."

The first four fellows each hold a number of other roles at international institutions and bring expertise across a range of areas:

  • Professor Karen Yeung is a Professor of Law and Director of the Centre for Technology, Ethics and Law in Society at King's College London and has acted as an adviser to many government departments in Australia and the United Kingdom.
  • Professor Ron Paterson is a Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, and was the New Zealand Health and Disability Commissioner 2000-2010 and New Zealand Parliamentary Ombudsman 2013-2016.
  • Professor Martti Koskenniemi is an expert in international law and is Academy Professor and Director of the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights at the University of Helsinki, a Professorial Fellow at MLS, and Centennial Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
  • Professor Julian Savulescu is an Australian philosopher and bioethicist. He holds the Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics and is Director of the Centre for Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford.

Professor Evans said the DVFs will continue to teach into the Melbourne Law Masters and Melbourne JD programs.

"Our students have the opportunity to learn from global leaders in their legal field, who bring a wealth of academic and practical experience to a subject,” she said.

"Our scheme is also designed to foster links between MLS researchers and these academics, building strong partnerships and facilitating significant research.”

Professor Karen Yeung said the experience of teaching into the Melbourne Law Masters is a rewarding one.

“I am deeply honoured and delighted to be associated with Melbourne Law School in this way,” she said.

“My experience of teaching intensively on the MLM has always been an enormously rewarding one, enabling me to learn from and engage with a group of very bright, enthusiastic, and insightful practitioners who value the opportunity to reflect more deeply on the challenges they encounter in their professional practice.”