UWA Law School

The PhD journey entails some major milestones. One is the 'Confirmation of Candidature', which occurs one year into the PhD process. This requires a student to produce a substantial piece of writing and deliver a public talk on their research.
Congratulations to PhD candidate Alex Scott for reaching this milestone, recently presenting on her research about regulation of ecological linkage corridors in Western Australia to save local biodiversity. We wish Alex good luck with the rest of her research journey!

The PhD journey is a team effort: Alex is supervised by Associate Professor Marco Rizzi, Dr Melissa Strydom, and Professor Sharon Mascher. Her Advisory Board members are Professor Elise Bant and Professor Josh Byrne (Curtin University).

The Law School congratulates first year JD student Harry Frodsham for winning this year’s Cambridge Australia Frank Downing Scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge. The Scholarship, administered by Cambridge Australia Scholarships, was established through the generosity of the Downing family, Mr Christopher K G Rowe, members of the law firm HWL Ebsworth (formerly Downing & Downing), and members of Western Australia’s legal and business communities.

The Scholarship supports one Western Australian annually to undertake a Master’s degree at Cambridge, with a preference for the study of law. Harry will undertake a Master of Philosophy (Classics) in the 2026/27 academic year and his research dissertation will focus on how Roman imperial law pluralistically interacted with provincial legal codes in the Empire, with a particular focus on Roman Egypt.

The UWA Law School is delighted to host its special biennial lecture series, the French Dialogues, named for the Honourable French, a UWA Law School alumnus (LLB ’71) on 1 September 2026, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at UWA. The Dialogues consist of a cross disciplinary discussion by a panel of experts on a significant contemporary issue. At the upcoming French Dialogues, the speakers will be the Honourable Robert French, Kate Chaney MP and Associate Professor Marilyn Bromberg (“M”) and the topic is social media and the law. Australia was the first country in the world to pass a minimum age to use social media and the law federally and other jurisdictions overseas followed suit. At this event, the speakers will explain the background to the law being created and explore some of the controversy surrounding it. Lawyers can receive one CPD point in substantive law for attending and attendance is free.

To register: https://alumni.uwa.edu.au/events/registration-pages/2026-09-01-uwa-law-school-french-dialogues-lecture-2006---registration

UWA Law School Professor Joe Clare was delighted to have the opportunity to join Professor David Rettinger as a guest on The Opposite of Cheating podcast to discuss how crime prevention frameworks can be translated to provide academics and their institutions with a toolkit to respond to academic misconduct.

Original post with episode summary and links to the video and audio here:

Crime Prevention Science Boosts Academic Integrity | Dr. Tricia Bertram Gallant posted on the topic | LinkedIn "There are actually things I can do and it's empowering I think for academics at a time where it can feel a bit overwhelming — there's actually a range of things that we can do." "The thing you can try and limit is the extent to which opportunity exists within the assessment items and the structur...

UWA Law School welcomed Jeffrey Sizemore, a global atrocity prevention expert with experience in the US Navy and State Department. Jeff ran a masterclass on atrocity prevention, spoke to undergrad & postgrad students about his career & preventing human rights abuses, and gave a public lecture on preventing atrocities in challenging times. His talks were fascinating as we delved into his extraordinary experience, but also inspiring, as he continues to work for a better world governed by human rights.

Thank you to UWA Institute of Advanced Studies for enabling us to bring Jeff to Perth. Jeff was hosted in the Law School by Professor Melanie O'Brien.

The UWA Law Review recently held the inaugural meeting of its new Advisory Board, bringing together Law School faculty and representatives of the judiciary and profession, including Kanaga Dharmananda SC (Quayside Chambers) and the Hon Justice Joshua Thomson SC (President of the WA Court of Appeal).

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss strategic priorities and the future direction of the journal, including plans to further strengthen its academic impact and engagement.

The Board was also delighted to welcome the Hon Justice Edelman of the High Court of Australia, who has accepted appointment as Patron of the Review, continuing his long-standing association with the School.

The Review thanks its Patron and Advisory Board members for their time, insight, and commitment to its ongoing development.

The Law School warmly welcomes the Honourable Lindy Jenkins as its new Judge-in-Residence. The Hon Ms Jenkins served as a Judge on the District Court of Western Australia from 2001-2004 and on the Supreme Court from 2004 until she retired in early 2020. From 2021 to 2025 she was a member and Chair of the Law Reform Commission.

Our staff and students will benefit greatly from the Honourable Ms Jenkins being part of the UWA Law School community.

📢 Call for Abstracts | AABHL Annual Conference 2026 📢

Join a vibrant interdisciplinary community at the Australasian Association of Bioethics & Health Law (AABHL) Annual Conference 2026, hosted by the Centre for Health Law and Policy at UWA Law School, Boorloo/Perth from 29 November – 2 December 2026.

We invite abstracts from scholars, practitioners, clinicians, and policymakers interested in contributing to timely and critical conversations at the intersection of bioethics, health law, and policy. Submissions are encouraged that challenge perspectives, explore emerging issues, and reflect on how ethical and legal frameworks shape public health, health policy, healthcare practice and lived experience.

🗓 Abstract submissions close: 31 May 2026

🔗 Find out more and submit your abstract:
👉 https://www.aabhl2026.com/

We look forward to welcoming you to Perth for an engaging and inclusive conference in late 2026!

The UWA Law Review is pleased to share the advance copy of an important new article on the limits of government power to detain or punish non-citizens.

‘Lim after NZYQ: Delimiting Constitutional Constraints on State Power to Punish Non-Citizens', by Rebecca Ananian-Welsh and Peter Billings, is forthcoming in our 2026 general issue (Vol 54(1)).

The article highlights emerging rifts and trends in recent High Court cases, making a timely contribution to ongoing debates about the limits of state power and the protection of individual liberty.

Find the article and explore current and past issues of the UWA Law Review:

Current and Past Issues | UWA Law Review | School of Law| UWA Articles in this section are published individually, in anticipation of a complete issue. These articles are yet to be formally paginated and should be cited as [advance], without an initial page number.

The Law School thanks everyone who stopped by its bake sale yesterday to raise money for its Law Access Walk for Justice Team: over $650 was raised. Well done to the team's co-captains, Verity Wilson from the Blackstone Society and Marilyn Bromberg, the Law School’s Deputy Head of School (Community and Engagement). To donate, please go to this URL:

https://lawaccessw4j.com.au/page/394108/uwa-law-school-students-and-staff-team