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Law & society
News about legal, social and ethical issues based on peer-reviewed studies or expert analysis
Latest news
18 June 2024
Tight-knit communities can prevent environmental progress
New research indicates that strong community bonds could hinder rather than help environmental initiatives.
18 June 2024
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to receive 2024 Sydney Peace Prize
The Sydney Peace Foundation has announced the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement will receive the Sydney Peace Prize in 2024.
07 June 2024
Sexual harassment rife in retail work
The peak bodies representing retailers and workers are calling on the industry to address the scourge of sexual harassment, in light of new research.
05 June 2024
'Junk science' in Australian courts threatens to cause wrongful convictions
The conviction of Robert Farquharson for the murder of his three sons is under intense scrutiny due to doubts about the prosecution's evidence. This case highlights the crisis in handling expert opinion evidence in Australian courts, which often ignore top scientific advice. Professor David Hamer from the Sydney Law School examines the system's susceptibility to "junk science."
04 June 2024
Black drivers in Chicago more likely to be stopped by police than ticketed by a camera
Researchers from the University of Sydney, Cornell University, Rutgers and the University of Illinois, Chicago has found Black drivers in Chicago have a disproportionately higher likelihood of being stopped by police than being ticketed by a traffic camera.
23 May 2024
Age verification for social media: Do kids and parents even want it?
Age verification for social media would impact all of us. Dr Justine Humphry, Dr Catherine Page Jeffery, Dr Jonathon Hutchinson and Dr Olga Boichak from Media and Communications investigate the efficacy and risks of age-checking technologies and whether there are better approaches to mitigating online harms affecting young people.
20 May 2024
The tentacles of retracted science reach deep into social media. A simple button could change that.
On social media, health myths based on debunked science abound. A new tool could be social media's best defence against misinformation.
01 May 2024
Where to next in Australia's battle with Elon Musk and X?
Professor Terry Flew, in Digital Communications and Culture, says the Australian government's battle with Elon Musk and X over violent content appears admirable, but will it change anything for those vulnerable to its harm?
01 May 2024
Methane emissions from landfill could be turned into sustainable jet fuel in plasma chemistry leap
A new plasma technique developed by researchers at the University of Sydney could help create a circular economy for waste-generated methane emissions.
22 April 2024
Fake news and misinformation: Sydney universities launch new database
Terry Flew, Professor of Digital Communication and Culture, leads a team of researchers working to combat misinformation, fake news and disinformation online.
11 April 2024
Plant more native trees to reduce landslide risk, say researchers
Landslides typically occur under heavy rain. With the potential for increased precipitation due to climate change and a possible return to La Nina reinforcing slopes with native trees and shrubs could be an effective, economical and sustainable solution.
27 March 2024
University of Sydney researchers to inform government on jobs, skills and immigration
Three University of Sydney academics have had their research expertise recognised with appointments to councils informing Australian government policy in the critical areas of jobs and skilled immigration policy.
18 March 2024
Ground-breaking research informs NSW AI inquiry
Sydney Law School researchers have provided evidence on the use of automated decision-making in state and local government sectors in New South Wales (NSW) at the NSW Artificial Intelligence Inquiry.
18 March 2024
Professor Fleur Johns appointed as Head of School and Dean of Sydney Law School
Professor Fleur Johns is returning to Sydney Law School, where she started her prestigious academic career. She commences in Semester 1, 2025. Professor Johns is committed to research excellence and educational innovation, and is dedicated to enhancing student experience, learning and well-being.
13 March 2024
Raising the Bar makes post-work socialising a whole lot smarter
The University of Sydney and the City of Sydney have teamed up to bring the classroom to the pub, inviting 10 researchers and 10 entrepreneurs to combine their visions of a healthy future with Sydney's thirst for knowledge.
06 March 2024
How to make schools gender inclusive
Becoming co-educational is not the answer to gender-inclusivity. Rather, a holistic, community-involved approach is needed, write Drs Kellie Burns and Jessica Kean.
27 February 2024
Why Egypt refuses to open its border to Palestinians
Gazans attempting to shelter in Rafah are not permitted to cross the border into Egypt. Liyana Kayali, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, explains why.
08 February 2024
Smartphones mean we're always available to our bosses. 'Right to disconnect' laws are a necessary fix
Availability creep has led to significant unpaid overtime which "takes workers away from a fair day's work for a fair day's pay", writes Associate Professor Chris F Wright for The Conversation.
06 February 2024
Why do we have single sex schools?
Tradition and retrograde ideas about social interactions between boys and girls still inform discussions around co-educational versus single-sex schooling, write University of Sydney authors for The Conversation.
30 January 2024
Mysterious pearl shells unearthed in French Polynesia
Associate Professor James Flexner, archaeologist, returned from a dig in French Polynesia where, together with local community members, he and his team found relics from the country's missionary past.