Lessons for Insolvency Law from the Pandemic: Practice and Reform

During the pandemic, many jurisdictions amended their insolvency laws to lessen the impact of the pandemic. In some cases, these amendments operated on a temporary basis until the impact of the pandemic abated. In other cases, more permanent reforms were introduced to improve insolvency legislation generally. In Australia, as noted in the recent report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee Corporations and Financial Services on corporate insolvency law, many stakeholders continue to call for a broad review of both corporate insolvency law and personal bankruptcy law to consider how complexity should be reduced and also the potential benefits of combining all of Australia’s insolvency legislation under a general ‘Insolvency Act’ or similar piece of legislation.This webinar, hosted by the Corporate Law and Financial Regulation Research Program of the Melbourne Centre for Commercial Law, provided an opportunity to explore lessons for insolvency law from the pandemic.

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Who gets to vote? An inclusive electoral franchise for contemporary Australia: A Parliamentary Library Symposium

The franchise – the right to vote in Australian federal elections – is provided to Australian citizens who are 18 or older (subject to some disqualifiers). And through a quirk of legislative history, some non-citizens can indeed vote in federal elections. But for other non-citizen residents and minors who participate in Australian society and have an interest in the nation’s future, they do not have that right. In addition, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, who were not universally included in the franchise since federation, continue to be underrepresented on electoral rolls and in exercising their franchise.This seminar brings together leading Australian scholars to consider an expansion of the right to vote and the reasons why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to remain underrepresented. The seminar will be chaired by Dr Jill Sheppard, one of the Canberra Convenors of the Electoral Regulation Research Network and is presented in conjunction with the Parliamentary Library.

Visiting Fellows

The Laureate Visiting Fellowships in Constitutional Law offers outstanding female doctoral and female early career researchers the opportunity to participate in an intensive mentoring program relative to the Laureate Program with Professor Adrienne Stone, ARC Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellow, for up to two months; and includes involvement in events, workshops, and conferences.

The Federal Contract: A New Theoretical Framework for Federalism

For this seminar and to mark the launch of the book, Professor Tierney will be joined by five leading scholars of federalism from across the world to explore the important ideas developed in this new work. All are welcome to join this discussion, with Professor Eva Maria Belser, Professor Peter Niesen, Professor Nicholas Aroney, Dr Asanga Welikala and Professor Cheryl Saunders to reflect on federalism, constitutionalism and the state in the 21st century.For this seminar and to mark the launch of the book, Professor Tierney will be joined by five leading scholars of federalism from across the world to explore the important ideas developed in this new work. All are welcome to join this discussion, with Professor Eva Maria Belser, Professor Peter Niesen, Professor Nicholas Aroney, Dr Asanga Welikala and Professor Cheryl Saunders to reflect on federalism, constitutionalism and the state in the 21st century.

Machine MD: Six Case-studies of the Law & Ethics of Health-Related AI in Canada

On Thursday 27 April 2023, the Health Law and Ethics Network co--hosted a hybrid seminar with Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX) and the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics with Professor Colleen M. Flood from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law.

Tax levies and legal certainty: hendiadys or oxymoron?

On 1 August 2023, Marcello Poggioli, University Professor of International and Italian Tax Law (University of Padova) discussed recent developments in the Italian domestic legislation and in EU law regarding the introduction of a general anti-avoidance clause (GAAR). A key focus of the discussion was whether the codification of the clause and of its procedural aspects may actually lead to a higher degree of legal certainty (and of tax fairness) in tax obligations.

The Challenge of Informed Voting Project

Electoral practitioners and observers routinely say that informed voting is important for democracy. They often lament the low levels of informed voting in Australia and elsewhere. What counts as informed voting and how it should be promoted are, however, questions that are difficult to answer.

Crypto Assets and Decentralised Autonomous Organisations

The Corporate Law and Financial Regulation Research Program, in association with the Australian Law Reform Commission held a webinar on the regulation of crypto assets and Decentralised Autonomous Organisations. The webinar provided an update on regulatory developments in Australia and overseas, and explored the direction of future reforms.In this seminar, our panellists critically reflected upon the development of the constitutional freedom over the last 30 years and shared their thoughts in relation to its future. The panel consisted of barrister Kathleen Foley S.C., Professor Dan Meagher (Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University) and Professor Adrienne Stone (Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne). Professor Michael Crommelin AO (Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne) chaired the event.

Book Launch: The Future of Mental Health, Disability and Criminal Law

On Thursday 7 December 2023, the Health Law and Ethics Network co-hosted a book launch with the Disability Law Network. The Honourable Kevin Bell AM KC launched the edited collection, The Future of Mental Health, Disability and Criminal Law: Essays in Honour of Emeritus Professor Bernadette McSherry.