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Dr Rita Shackel

Profile

Qualifications

  • BSc LLB GradDipEd MA PhD Sydney GradDipLegalPrac NSW College of Law
  • Admitted Legal Practitioner, Supreme Court of NSW


Teaching responsibilities

2012

  • The Legal Profession (S1 – JD/LLB) (Course convenor)
  • Child Sexual Abuse - A Multidisciplinary View (S2-PG) (Course convenor)
  • Academic Mentor & Thought Leader– LawWithOutWalls 2012

Previous

  • The Legal Profession (2009-2011)
  • Evidence (2009-2010)
  • Foundations of Law (graduate & combined) (2007-2008)
  • Law, Lawyers & Justice (2007-2008)


Research Interests

My research program revolves around two broad areas. First, I have a research program broadly focused on the evaluation and reform of legal processes, particularly, vis-à-vis victims of crime and children’s interaction with the law. My research in this area combines doctrinal analysis in evidence and procedure with interdisciplinary perspectives and research, drawing particularly on psychological theories and empirical findings and methodologies. Secondly, I have a research program in the pedagogy of legal education, legal professionalism and ethics. My research in this area again is interdisciplinary in nature and draws on empirical analysis, methodologies and data.

Generally my research interests include:

  • Psychological testimony
  • Prosecution of child sexual assault cases
  • Victims of crime
  • Victim impact statements & sentencing
  • Children and law
  • Criminal processes
  • Legal professional responsibility and ethics
  • Legal education


Brief Biographical Detail

Rita is a graduate of the University of Sydney holding undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in law, science (pure mathematics), psychology and education. Rita’s academic awards include the Jones Memorial University Medal for most outstanding academic and professional record. Rita has worked as a lawyer, legal policy officer and academic in a range of settings including the NSW Cabinet Office, The NSW Office of Youth Affairs and The Australian Law Reform Commission. She has participated on a number of government, institutional and professional committees and has delivered professional training and CLE programs to legal practitioners in NSW. Rita is a member of the Institute of Criminology. Rita’s PhD thesis examined the use of expert evidence in child sexual assault cases. In 2005, Rita joined Sydney Law School and was awarded a University of Sydney Early Career Development Award. Prior to joining the Faculty Rita spent some time teaching and undertaking research in the United States including at Duke University Law School as a Visiting Scholar and Researcher and the Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville as a Visiting Professor. Rita was also awarded a prestigious American Association of University Women International Fellowship, which allowed her to further her research on the use of expert testimony in child sexual abuse cases in the United States. More recently, Rita has been awarded a number of other grants to undertake research on victims of crime as well as develop her research program in the area of ethics and legal professionalism. Rita is committed to public interest and community work and has worked as a volunteer in community legal centres both in Australia and in the United States. In semester 2, 2011, Rita visited the Law Center at Georgetown University as a Dean’s Scholar where she worked on developing an agenda for future research in Australia on the study of the Legal Profession. Rita was also appointed as a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Law, European University Institute where she undertook research on changing perceptions of childhood and the impact of such in shaping legal, administrative and decision-making processes that involve children and young people.


Selected Grants

  • Faculty of Law Legal Support Scholarship Fund October 2011: Ethical Issues in Research Involving Victims of Crimes
  • STEPS Grant Scheme (2011), ‘Inter-University CrimPostgraduate Research Network’ (Project Team consisting of Professor M. Crock, Associate Professor G. Mason, Dr M. Lee and Ms L. Steele).
  • AusAid Australian Leadership Awards Fellowship Program Round 8, 2010 for 2011: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Reducing Child Sexual Abuse in Sri Lanka ($107 000) (with Dr P. Weerakon – Health Sciences).
  • Faculty of Law Legal Support Scholarship Fund December 2010: Mapping the Changing Contours of the Legal Services Market in Australia.
  • Tilburg University Researcher Support Grant for collaborative research with TISCO and INTERVICT on the Measuring Access to Justice Project.
  • Usyd E-Learning Project Support 2010: Online Legal Case Analysis Skills Development Tool (with Dr B. Smith & Mr J. Glister).
  • Faculty of Law Research & Development Scheme 2008 for 2009: Understanding the Legal Basis of Successful Appeals in Child Sexual Assault Cases.
  • Faculty of Law Legal Support Scholarship Fund December 2008: What do Victim Impact Statements Reveal about the Harm Suffered by Child Sexual Assault Victims?
  • Redesign and Summer Grant Scheme 2008/2009: The Child Migrant Project – Frameworks for Identification and Protection (with Professor M. Crock).
  • University of Sydney TIES Small Grant 2008: Constructing an Online Assessment Tool to Aid the Development of Case Analysis Skills in Law Students in conjunction with Mr J. Glister and Dr B. Smith.
  • NSW Law & Justice Foundation General Grant 2007-08: Understanding Prosecutorial Decision-Making in Child Sexual Assault Cases.


Advisory Roles

  • Critical Friend to the Safe Families Program, Aboriginal Affairs NSW (June 2011-June 2012) (with Ms Maureen Ervine).

Publications

Refereed Papers and Journal Articles | Forthcoming book | Book chapters | Book Reviews | Other selected research | Selected Conference & Invited Presentations


Refereed Papers and Journal Articles

  • R. Shackel, ‘Beyond the Whiteboard: E-Learning in the Law Curriculum’ (2012) QUT Law and Justice Journal – Special Edition in Legal Education (forthcoming).
  • Piyanjali de Zoysa & Rita Shackel, ‘The Use of Psychology in the Administration of Justice in Sri Lanka’ (2012) 3(1) The Sri Lanka Journal of Forensic Medicine Science and Law (forthcoming).
  • R. Shackel, ‘Victim Impact Statements in Child Sexual Assault Cases: A Restorative Role or Restrained Rhetoric’ (2011) 34(1) University of New South Wales Law Journal 211-249.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Overcoming Misconceptions in the Courtroom on how Children Disclose Sexual Abuse’ (2011) 23(4) Judicial Officers’ Bulletin 29-32.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The Impact of Urbanization on the Child’s Right to Play’ (2011) My Name is Today, Special Issue: Children’s Right to Play (Butterflies Advocacy & Research Centre).
  • R. Shackel, ‘Understanding Children’s Medium for Disclosing Sexual Abuse: A Tool for Overcoming Potential Misconceptions in the Courtroom’ (2009) 16(3) Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 379.
  • A. Loughnan & R. Shackel, ‘The Travails of Postgraduate Research in Law’ (2009) 19(1) Legal Education Review 99.
  • R. Shackel. ‘How Child Victims Respond to Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse’ (2009) 16(1) Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 1.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Adult Understanding of Children’s Behavioural Responses to Sexual Victimisation.’ (2008) 32(4) Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal 485.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Judicial Perceptions of Jurors' Understanding of How Children Respond to Sexual Victimisation.’ (2007) 14(1) Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 1.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The Child’s Right to Play under Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.’ [2005] March Playrights 11.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: A Review of Accomplishments and Future Directions.’ [2003] Australian International Law Journal 21.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children as a Global Issue: A Review of International Legal Responses.’ [1999] Australian International Law Journal 91.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Children Pornography and the Electronic Age.’ [1999] Macarthur Law Review 143.
  • R. Woellner, J. Zetler & R. Shackel, ‘Educational Malpractice: Some Recent Australian Developments.’ ANZELA Conference Proceedings (1997).


Forthcoming book

  • D. Fleming & R. Shackel (eds), Australian Legal Profession (Thomson Reuters, forthcoming, March 2012).


Book chapters

  • R. Shackel, ‘Women and Legal Work’ in D. Fleming & R. Shackel (eds), Australian Legal Profession (Thomson Reuters, forthcoming 2012).
  • R. Shackel, ‘Legal Ethics’ in D. Fleming & R. Shackel (eds), Australian Legal Profession (Thomson Reuters, forthcoming 2012).
  • D. Fleming, A. Daly & R.Shackel, ‘Workplace Change’ in D. Fleming & R. Shackel (eds), Australian Legal Profession (Thomson Reuters, forthcoming 2012).


Book Reviews


Other selected research

  • R. Shackel, ‘The Effects of Long-Term Suspension on School Children.’ Research paper completed for Children’s Education Law Clinic, Duke University, 2004. The North Carolina Justice Center has published this paper on the Center’s Education and Law webpage.
  • A. Goh & R. Shackel, ‘Contractual Terms Applying to Carriage by Air in Australia’ prepared for the International Institute of Air and Space Law, University of Leiden, 1997; as part of a project commissioned by the European Commission.


Selected Conference & Invited Presentations

Presentations 2010-2011

  • R. Shackel, ‘Understanding the Basis for Overturning Convictions in Child Sexual Assault Cases.’ 32nd Congress of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health, Berlin, 17-23 July 2011.
  • R.Shackel, 'Child Sexual Abuse: A Cloak of Secrecy.' Invited presentation NSW Aboriginal Affairs, Sydney, 7 July 2011.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Preliminary findings of a qualitative study on the needs of victims of crime in Australia.’ Australian Institute of Criminology, Meeting the Needs of Victims of Crime, Sydney, 18-19 May 2011.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Guilty or Not-Guilty: Lab Rats in the Courtroom.’ Degree in a Day Sessions, University of Sydney, September 2010.
  • R. Shackel, Prosecuting Child Sexual Assault Cases: An Empirical Study of the Use of Evidence, Sydney Evidence Conference, Sydney School of Law, 25 September 2010.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Child Sexual Abuse – Legal & Therapeutic Dimensions’, Australian Society Sex Educators Researchers and Therapists (ASSERT) Conference, University of Sydney, 30-31 October.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The Role of Forensic Opinion and Evaluation of Victim Impact Statements in Child Sexual Assault Cases’, RANZCP Section of Forensic Psychiatry - An International Conference, Prato, Italy, 12-15 October 2010.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Emerging Issues in Prosecution of Child Sexual Assault Cases’, Sydney Evidence Conference, 24-25 September 2010, The University of Sydney.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Child Sexual Abuse: Changing Lenses’, Sex Researchers Team, 28 September 2010, The University of Sydney.

Selected previous presentations

  • Interviewed by Radio Atticus on Radio 2SER: DNA Evidence in Criminal Trials (16 April 2010)
  • R. Shackel and A. Loughnan, ‘The PhD Experience in Law: Starting a Conversation’, Sydney Law School Lunchtime Seminar Series, Sydney, 29 April 2010.
  • R. Shackel (with B. Smith), ‘Teaching Case Analysis Skills – an Electronic Tool to the Rescue?’ Paper presented at ALTA Conference ’The Doctor as God, The Corporation as Queen, What about the Country?’, Sydney, 5-8 July 2009.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Child Victim Responses To Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse.’ Paper presented at the 8th Annual Conference of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, July 14-16, 2008, Vienna, Austria.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Urban Living, Changing Perceptions of Childhood and New Barriers to Children’s Play.’ Paper presented at the IPA/USA Triennial Conference: Children’s Play: Learning from the Past, Planning for the Future, Baltimore MD, April 2004.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The Use of Expert Evidence in the Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Cases.’ Paper presented at the AAUW Chapel Hill 80th Anniversary Symposium, Chapel Hill NC, April 2003.
  • R. Shackel, ‘A Comparative Study of the Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Australia and the United States.’ AAUW-NC State Convention, Raleigh NC, April 2003.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Cases in the United States.’ Paper presented at the AAUW Chapel Hill Local Branch Forum, Chapel Hill NC, January 2003.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Women, Children and Gender Equity.’ Plenary paper presented at the AAUW International Symposium: Global Voices for Gender Equity, Washington DC, November 2002.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The Use of Expert Evidence Relating to the Behaviour of Children who have been Sexually Abused.’ Paper presented at Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville, October 2002.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome does it have a Forensic Role?’ Paper presented at the 25th International Congress on Law and Mental Health, Siena, 12-15 July 2000.
  • R. Woellner, J. Zetler & R. Shackel, ‘Educational Malpractice: Some Recent Australian Developments.’ Paper presented at the ANZELA Conference, Sydney, June 1997.

Selected professional and other seminars

  • A. Loughnan & R. Shackel, ‘Surviving the PhD.’ Plenary paper presented at the Postgraduate Conference, Faculty of Law, The University of Sydney, 31 October 2008.
  • J. Cashmore & R. Shackel, ‘Children and the Law.’ Invited presenters at Sydney University Law Society Public Forum, 27 August 2008.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The New Anti-Discrimination Regulation.’ College of Law: Continuing Legal Education Program, Tattersalls Club, Sydney, 31 October 2001.
  • R. Shackel, ‘Discrimination in the Legal Profession.’ College of Law: Continuing Legal Education Program, Tattersalls Club, Sydney, 5 December 2001.
  • R. Shackel, ‘The Dynamics of Child Sexual Abuse: Perceptions in the Criminal Justice System.’ Health Law Postgraduate Thesis Candidates’ Workshop, University of Sydney, 22 June 2001.

Current Administrative & Committee Responsibilities

  • Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) Sydney Law School
  • Co-Convenor, School of Law, Litigation & Dispute Resolution Cluster.
  • Member, Institute of Criminology Management Committee.
  • Member, University of Sydney, Rural Focus Group.
  • Faculty of Law, ALTA Representative (with Dr A. Loughnan).
  • Member, Bar Association Professional Conduct Committee #2 (with Dr A. Loughnan).
  • Secretary & Member ALTA Organising Committee for ALTA 2012.
  • Member, Equal Opportunity Committee.
  • Member, Committee on Legal Ethics and Regulation Education Around the Globe.

Other Research Related Activities

  • Book Review Editor, Current Issues in Criminal Justice (2011-)
  • Associate Editor, Australian International Law Journal (1999-2002).
  • Business Manager, Australian International Law Journal (1998-1999).