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Centres and institutes_

Sydney Institute of Criminology

An internationally recognised research centre

Our experts are pioneering a multidisciplinary, critical approach to criminology, criminal law and criminal justice.

The Sydney Institute of Criminology (SIC) is an internationally recognised research centre of criminological, criminal law and criminal justice expertise. Positioned within the University of Sydney Law School, the institute’s members are strategically positioned to apply their collective crimino-legal experience in the critical analysis of contemporary practice and policy, with a particular focus on progressing social justice and law reform.

The institute represents a matrix of excellence in research, teaching and industry engagement.

The Sydney Institute of Criminology (SIC) nurtures relevant and impactful research and a collaborative and innovative research culture.

Our members engage in traditional and less traditional research covering a breadth of academic disciplines. Research is published in leading journals and addresses problems of global significance, such as:

  • constitutional protections against extreme punishment (Dr Dyer)
  • tendency and coincidence evidence (Professor Hamer)
  • prosecutorial guidelines (Professors Cashmore, Cowdery and Shackel)
  • digital technologies (Dr McKay)
  • neurotechnology (Dr McCay)
  • terrorism and extremism (Dr Dyer and Mr Pallas)
  • hate crime (Professor Mason)
  • consent laws (Dr Dyer and Professors Crofts, Mason and Loughnan)
  • criminal responsibility and the history, philosophy and changing nature of the criminal law (Professor Loughnan)
  • restorative and youth justice (Dr Pearce and A/Professor Clancey)
  • policing, police perceptions, eyewitnesses and memory (Professor Lee, Dr van Golde and A/Professor Paterson)
  • wrongful convictions, corrections and punishment (Professor Hamer and Dr Rudge)
  • First Nations’ vision, voice, and values (A/Professor Williams)
  • social policy; interrogating class, gender, 'race' and  motherhood (Professor Goodwin)
  • victims and the criminal trial, restorative and therapeutic justice (A/Professor Kirchengast)

The Institute runs seminars, workshops, and conferences involving our members and national and international colleagues ensuring a stimulating, collaborative research culture that is conducive to research excellence.

Members of the Institute play a principal role in developing, strengthening, and teaching diverse undergraduate and master’s units of study at the University of Sydney. These include: 

Our members demonstrate a commitment to law reform by making submissions to the Australian Law Reform’s Commissions and by contributing to public debate nationally and internationally. 

The Institute runs several annual public events, including:

Recent conferences include:

  • Pandemic Policing
  • Domestic and Family Violence Conference
  • Youth Justice Symposium
  • Neurotechnology, Criminal Law and Human Rights


We value the contributions and commitment of our partner organisations that support our public seminars and events. Some of our sponsored seminars include: 

  • Beyond Punishment, Corrective Services NSW: Since 2002 Corrective Services NSW has sponsored the Beyond Punishment seminar series established as a forum for research presentations, lectures, panel discussions and formal networking. This program focuses on key issues relevant to criminal justice and the correctional systems.
  • Juvenile Justice Seminar Series: We are pleased to announce the renewal of the Juvenile Justice seminar program sponsored by Juvenile Justice NSW. The seminar series began in 2010 and is a key element of Juvenile Justice’s community engagement program, which aims to better educate the public on aspects of the juvenile justice system. 

In 2016 the Sydney Institute of Criminology celebrated 50 years of innovative and critical criminological, criminal law and criminal justice research, teaching and community engagement.

For more information on the events and celebrations around the 50th anniversary, please download the following documents:

Associate members

 

Current Issues in Criminal Justice is our prestigious peer-reviewed international journal that provides a forum for contemporary academic debate from leading experts.

In addition, institute members publish and present their research outputs in high-quality international journals, research monographs, texts and conference proceedings and contribute to media analysis of current crimino-legal matters.

Special Issue in Criminal Law - Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Volume 35, Issue 1

This Special Issue arose from the Annual Criminal Law Workshop for Australian and New Zealand criminal law scholars, which was held at the University of Sydney Law School on 7 February 2022.

Most of the contributors to the Special Issue participated in that Workshop – either as presenters or commentators or both – and we thank all of them very much for contributing their work to Current Issues in Criminal Justice.

The Special Issue concerns recent criminal law and criminal justice developments, particularly (though not only) in Australia; and contributors have dealt with an eclectic range of topics, demonstrating the vibrancy and wide reach of criminal law scholarship.

Topics covered are: jury directions in sexual offence proceedings; intimate partner violence; sentencing for infanticide; wrongful convictions; summary justice; the minimum age of criminal responsibility; corporare crime; the law relating to mental incapacity; and the partial defence of provocation.

A primary objective of the institute is to lead, stimulate and contribute to public debate and education. It continues its proud tradition of hosting seminars and events involving an array of world renowned and local experts. Sponsored seminar series and the Professional Development Program contribute to the institute's calendar of events.

If you would like to receive information on jobs, events, reports and research in criminology, criminal law and criminal justice, sign up to CrimNet by emailing us at law.criminology@sydney.edu.au.  

Visit our events calendar for all upcoming events

Centre for Continuing Education

The Centre for Continuing Education and the Sydney Institute of Criminology hold courses throughout the year aimed at criminal justice practitioners, students and others. The Centre for Continuing Education courses focus on delivering practical and applied learning opportunities. 

Publicising events

Other organisations are encouraged to submit information about upcoming criminology events. Please email law.criminology@sydney.edu.au so that we may publicise your event via CrimNet.

The Sydney Institute of Criminology is seeking to recruit four student interns for Semester 2, 2023.

Each intern must be available to work for a total of 7 hours per week for a 10-week period in Semester 2. These roles are paid positions. 

The internship is open to Sydney Law School students who:

  • have completed at least third year Combined Law or second year of the JD program; or
  • are currently enrolled in a Sydney Law School postgraduate degree e.g. Master of Criminology or Master of Laws (LLM).

To learn more, check out the eligibility criteria and application form. Applications close on Sunday, 25 June 2023.

A new webinar will be released each month from April to November and will include a quiz to test your comprehension of the material being discussed.

Register now for the full series or individual webinars and enjoy the flexibility of watching at your own pace from any location at any time.

Program schedule (release dates)

Registration: 

  • Full series (8 webinars) = $300
  • Individual webinar(s) = $50

*University of Sydney Alumni are eligible to receive a 10% discount. Find out more and register

Information for lawyers and barristers

If this educational activity is relevant to your professional development and practice of the law, then you should claim 1.5 MCLE/CPD points per seminar attended or 12 points for the full series. Practioners are advised to check with the CPD governing body in their jurisdiction for the most accurate and up-to-date information. Find out about interstate accreditation. 

For further enquiries:

Gain access to on-demand recordings and earn your CPD compulsory units for the year

The 2022-23 Criminal Law CPD series, presented by the Sydney Institute of Criminology is an innovative educational program made up of 7 recorded webinars delivered by eminent speakers from the University of Sydney and the legal profession.

A new webinar will be released each month from September 2022 - March 2023. 

Quizzes will be included to test your comprehension of the material being discussed.  

Register now for the full series or individual webinars and enjoy the flexibility of watching at your own pace from any location at any time.

Program schedule 

View series flyer

Registration:

  • Full series (7 webinars) = $300
  • Individual webinar(s) = $50

*University of Sydney Alumni are eligible to receive a 10% discount.

Find out more and register

CPD accreditation:

Information for lawyers and barristers: If this educational activity is relevant to your professional development and practice of the law, then you should claim 1.5 MCLE/CPD points per seminar attended or 10.5 points for the full series. 

For further enquiries:

Professor Murray Lee receives 2022 Best peer-reviewed publication award - American Society of Criminology Division of Cybercrime. 

Exploring Fear of Crime for Those Targeted by Romance Fraud, Cassandra Cross and Murray Lee, published in Victims and Offenders.

Editorial Board: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology; Current Issues in Criminal Justice; International Journal of Crime, Justice and Social Democracy

Series Editor: Crime and Justice in Digital Society

Our leadership team

Carolyn McKay

Dr Carolyn McKay, Co-Director

Areas of interest

  • Crime and criminal justice
  • Technologies in justice / digital criminology
  • Prisons and penology
  • Visual criminology
  • Surveillance and policing
  • Interdisciplinary research methodologies.

Visit Dr McKay's academic profile.

Andrew Dyer

Dr Andrew Dyer, Co-Director

Areas of interest

  • Criminal law doctrine and theory
  • Human rights law
  • Sentencing
  • Judges, judicial reasoning and judicial law-making.

Visit Dr Dyer's academic profile.

Dr Helen Paterson

Associate Professor Helen Paterson, Deputy Director

Areas of interest

  • Social and cognitive psychology in legal settings
  • Trauma, memory and psychological wellbeing
  • Techniques in capturing eyewitness evidence
  • Detection of deception

Visit Associate Professor Paterson's academic profile.

Dr Allan McCay, Deputy Director

Areas of interest

  • Neuroethics, neurolaw, behavioural genetics and crime 
  • Legal and ethical issues relating to emerging technologies
  • Criminal responsibility and free will
  • Artificial intelligence and brain-computer interfaces

Visit Dr McCay's profile.


Contact details

Address
  • Law School Building (F10) Eastern Avenue, Camperdown Campus The University of Sydney NSW 2006 AUSTRALIA

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