Dr Joel Harrison
People_

Dr Joel Harrison

BA LLB (Hons) (Auckland) MSt DPhil (Oxford)
Senior Lecturer
Phone
+61 2 8627 8162
Address
F10 - Law School (Camperdown)
The University of Sydney
Websites
Dr Joel Harrison

Dr Joel Harrison specialises in constitutional law and public law. His research focuses on constitutionalism, religious liberty, and human rights norms, with a particular emphasis on the relationship of these to theological ideas, questions, and history. He is the author of Post-Liberal Religious Liberty: Forming Communities of Charity (Cambridge University Press, 2020).

Joel's previous positions include Senior Lecturer at Macquarie University, Associate-in-Law at Columbia University, New York, and Tutor in Constitutional Law at the University of Oxford. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Programme for the Foundations of Law and Constitutional Government, Oxford, in 2018.

After graduating from the University of Auckland, he was judicial clerk to Sir Grant Hammond at the Court of Appeal of New Zealand. He completed his masters and doctorate at Oxford as a Woolf Fisher Scholar.

  • Constitutional law
  • Religious liberty
  • Constitutionalism
  • Law and theology (particularly public law concepts and rights)
  • Federal Constitutional Law
  • Public Law
  • Australasian Society of Legal Philosophy
  • Australian Association of Constitutional Law
  • Law and Religion Scholars Network (UK)

Selected publications

Publications

Books

  • Aroney, N., Murray, S., Gerangelos, P., Emerton, P., Stone, A., Harrison, J. (2022). Winterton's Australian Federal Constitutional Law - 5th Edition. Sydney: Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia Ltd. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2020). Post-Liberal Religious Liberty: Forming Communities of Charity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [More Information]

Book Chapters

  • Harrison, J. (2022). Inconsistency. In Nicholas Aroney, Sarah Murray, Peter Gerangelos, Patrick Emerton, Adrienne Stone (Eds.), Winterton's Australian Federal Constitutional Law - 5th Edition, (pp. 367-410). Sydney: Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia Ltd.
  • Harrison, J. (2022). Sovereignty: Dual, Plural, and One. In Nicholas Aroney and Ian Leigh (Eds.), Christianity and Constitutionalism, (pp. 173-192). New York: Oxford University Press. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2020). The Problem and the Promise of Religious Liberty. In Babie, P., Rochow, N., Scharffs, B. (Eds.), Freedom of Religion or Belief: Creating the Constitutional Space for Fundamental Freedoms, (pp. 40-57). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [More Information]

Journals

  • Harrison, J. (2022). The Liberal and Post-Liberal Futures of Law and Religion in Australia. Australian Journal of Law and Religion, 1, 106-107. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2021). Christian Accounts of Religious Liberty: Two Views of Conscience. Brigham Young University Law Review, 46(5), 1273-1299.
  • Harrison, J. (2020). "Public Reason" and a Theology of Law. St Mark's Review, 252(2), 4-18.

Conferences

  • Harrison, J. (2018). Comparative Law of Religion-State. 2018 Advanced Program on Religion and the Rule of Law, Oxford, United Kingdom: Presentations.
  • Harrison, J. (2018). Pope Francis on Dignity and Rights. Human Dignity for Everyone Everywhere, Oxford, United Kingdom: Presentation.
  • Harrison, J. (2018). The Problem and the Promise of Religious Liberty. Freedom of Religion or Belief: Creating the Constitutional Space for Other Fundamental Freedoms, Sydney, NSW: Presentation.

Magazine / Newspaper Articles

  • Harrison, J. (2023). "What a Gift This Is That We Can Give You”: What Does the Voice to Parliament Offer Australian Politics? ABC Religion and Ethics. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2021). Radicalizing Biggar's "What's Wrong with Rights?". Canopy Forum. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2018). Religious Liberty and the Ruddock Review: Negotiating Competing Claims in a Plural Society. ABC Religion and Ethics. [More Information]

Other

  • Harrison, J. (2021), Pluralism and Revisability in Hunter-Henin's "Why Religious Freedom Matters for Democracy". [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2021), The Australia School and Politico-Theological Inquiry: Joel Harrison Responds. [More Information]

2023

  • Harrison, J. (2023). "What a Gift This Is That We Can Give You”: What Does the Voice to Parliament Offer Australian Politics? ABC Religion and Ethics. [More Information]

2022

  • Harrison, J. (2022). Inconsistency. In Nicholas Aroney, Sarah Murray, Peter Gerangelos, Patrick Emerton, Adrienne Stone (Eds.), Winterton's Australian Federal Constitutional Law - 5th Edition, (pp. 367-410). Sydney: Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia Ltd.
  • Harrison, J. (2022). Sovereignty: Dual, Plural, and One. In Nicholas Aroney and Ian Leigh (Eds.), Christianity and Constitutionalism, (pp. 173-192). New York: Oxford University Press. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2022). The Liberal and Post-Liberal Futures of Law and Religion in Australia. Australian Journal of Law and Religion, 1, 106-107. [More Information]

2021

  • Harrison, J. (2021). Christian Accounts of Religious Liberty: Two Views of Conscience. Brigham Young University Law Review, 46(5), 1273-1299.
  • Harrison, J. (2021), Pluralism and Revisability in Hunter-Henin's "Why Religious Freedom Matters for Democracy". [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2021). Radicalizing Biggar's "What's Wrong with Rights?". Canopy Forum. [More Information]

2020

  • Harrison, J. (2020). "Public Reason" and a Theology of Law. St Mark's Review, 252(2), 4-18.
  • Harrison, J. (2020). Post-Liberal Religious Liberty: Forming Communities of Charity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2020). Review: "Law, Love and Freedom: From the Sacred to the Secular" by Joshua Neoh, Cambridge University Press, 2019. Jurisprudence, 11(1), 150-156.

2019

  • Harrison, J. (2019). Towards Re-Thinking 'Balancing' in the Courts and the Legislature's Role in Protecting Religious Liberty. Australian Law Journal, 93(9), 734-746.

2018

  • Harrison, J. (2018). Comparative Law of Religion-State. 2018 Advanced Program on Religion and the Rule of Law, Oxford, United Kingdom: Presentations.
  • Harrison, J. (2018). Dworkin's Religion and the End of Religious Liberty. In Rex Ahdar (Eds.), Research Handbook on Law and Religion, (pp. 79-102). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2018). Pope Francis on Dignity and Rights. Human Dignity for Everyone Everywhere, Oxford, United Kingdom: Presentation.

2017

  • Harrison, J. (2017). Good Disagreement: The Same-Sex Marriage Debate Shows We Still Have a Long Way to Go. ABC Religion and Ethics. [More Information]
  • Aroney, N., Harrison, J., Babie, P. (2017). Religious Freedom under the Victorian Charter of Rights. In Matthew Groves, Colin Campbell (Eds.), Australian Charters of Rights a Decade On, (pp. 120-135). Sydney, NSW: Federation Press.
  • Harrison, J. (2017). Sovereignty. Christianity and Constitutionalism, Durham, United Kingdom: Presentation.

2016

  • Harrison, J. (2016). Against Popular Will: Why Plebiscites Need Not be Binding. ABC Religion and Ethics. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2016). Debating Rights and Same-Gender Relationships. Journal of Law, Religion and State, 4(2), 194-226. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2016). Religious Markets and Religious Freedom: Pope Francis on Healthy Pluralism and the Worshipping Creature. Economy, Idolatry and Secularisation, Sydney, NSW: Presentation.

2015

  • Harrison, J. (2015). Debating Rights and Same-Gender Relationships. Chinese University Law School, Hong Kong, Hong Kong: Presentation.
  • Harrison, J. (2015). Debating Rights and Same-Gender Relationships. Religion and Equality, Tel Aviv, Israel: Presentation.
  • Harrison, J. (2015). Good Disagreement over Same-Sex Relationships: What Can We Learn from the Anglican Church in New Zealand. ABC Religion and Ethics. [More Information]

2014

  • Harrison, J. (2014). 'A Communion in Good Living': Human Dignity and Religious Liberty Beyond the Overlapping Consensus. In Christopher McCrudden (Eds.), Understanding Human Dignity, (pp. 451-465). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press/British Academy. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J., Parkinson, P. (2014). Freedom Beyond the Commons: Managing the Tension Between Faith and Equality in a Multicultural Society. Monash University Law Review, 40(2), 413-451.
  • Harrison, J. (2014). Ordering Public Life: Anti-Discrimination Law and Religious Associations. Freedom of Speech, Conscience and Association in a Religiously Tolerant Society, Brisbane, Qld: Presentation.

2012

  • Harrison, J. (2012). Religious Freedom, Pluralism, and Human Dignity. Understanding Human Dignity, Oxford, United Kingdom: Presentation.
  • Harrison, J. (2012). Review: Law and Religion in Europe: A Comparative Introduction. By Norman Doe. and Religion and the Public Order of the European Union. By Ronan McCrea. Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, 1(1), 311-316. [More Information]
  • Harrison, J. (2012). The Resurgence of 'Religion': Definitions, Commodities, and the Zero-Degree Dialectic in Religious Rights Jurisprudence. In Andrea Pin (Eds.), I Nuovi Diritti Dell'Uomo: Le Sfide Della Societa Plurale, (pp. 97-106). Venice, Italy: Marcianum Press.

2006

  • Harrison, J. (2006). Truth, Civility, and Religious Battlegrounds: The Contest between Religious Vilification Laws and Freedom of Expression. Auckland University Law Review, 12, 71-96.

In the media

Should the “no jab, no entry” rule apply to places of worship?, ABC Radio National, The Religion and Ethics Report with Andrew West, 15 September 2021

Why should we care about religious liberty?, ABC Radio National, The Religion and Ethics Report with Andrew West, 23 December 2020

Clash of rights over religious freedom, ABC Radio National, The Religion and Ethics Report with Andrew West, 18 March 2020

When are Plebiscites Legitimate?, ABC Radio National,The Minefield with Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens, 1 September 2016