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Law & society
News about legal, social and ethical issues based on peer-reviewed studies or expert analysis
Latest news
08 September 2023
How Australia can achieve net zero
The University's Net Zero Initiative has released a portfolio of "ready-to-go" solutions and technology to address key issues in the transformation towards net zero.
04 September 2023
Parents worst affected by COVID-19 lockdown
A University of Sydney study of the second longest lockdown worldwide found that mothers, in particular, were the loneliest demographic and suffered the largest physical and mental health declines as a result. The research was published in Nature Human Behaviour.
30 August 2023
What you need to know about the 14 October Voice referendum
Amid the political debate, the logistics of the referendum has received less attention. Constitutional law expert Professor Emerita Anne Twomey breaks down what to expect on the day and afterwards.
21 August 2023
Universities can help fix governments hooked on consultants
There is no question that we need a more active, creative, and capable public service. To do that, education and research in the area needs urgent attention, writes Professor Duncan Ivison.
31 July 2023
Sexual consent education program wins $1.1 million research boost
Professor Lee Wallace and Dr Victoria Rawlings from the University of Sydney's Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre (SSSHARC) to support Consent Labs with school programs that seek to prevent sexual and gendered violence.
26 July 2023
Crime scene motel project
Ordinary suburban motels, utterly banal and unremarkable to most. However, what goes on behind their closed doors intrigued Sydney Law School criminologist and artist, Carolyn McKay. Presenting a new art installation of neon signs based on her research into crimes in motel rooms.
03 July 2023
PwC scandal a symptom of a narrow mindset that governs Australia's tax matters
The trickle-down economics mantra is still so entrenched in our tax mindset that not even the critics have entertained challenging its assumptions, writes Dr Mattia Anesa, Associate Professor Paul Spee and Associate Professor Fabio James Petani in The Canberra Times.
28 June 2023
Re-imagining Australia using a multilingual lens
'Opening the Multilingual Archives of Australia' project hopes to mobilise under-utilised non-English resources from over 50 languages to highlight the multilingual nature of Australian history.
27 June 2023
Is Australia ready for future mind-reading technologies?
Recent advancements using artificial intelligence to extract meaningful thoughts from brain waves have concerned human rights and privacy advocates, who say technology is developing at a rate faster than the law. It is the first paper that considers whether Australia is prepared for the potential applications of neurotechnologies.
09 June 2023
The government has an opportunity to address wage theft issues
A new labour agreement for temporary skilled workers in aged care is a promising step towards enforcing Australia's minimum wage laws because it provides for union induction of temporary migrant workers, writes Associate Professor Stephen Clibborn in the Sydney Morning Herald.
06 June 2023
Australia needs a dedicated body for wrongful convictions
Professor David Hamer and Dr Andrew Dyer from Sydney Law School explain why Kathleen Folbigg's pardon points to the need for a Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in Australia.
06 June 2023
The final frontier: University of Sydney introduces space law
It may seem like a futuristic concept or one confined to Hollywood blockbusters - but space law is becoming more important than ever. With private entities launching space flights and exploration activities, and an increasing dependence on space-based systems, laws are needed to pave the foundation for how we govern human activity in outer space. The Sydney Law School introduces a new unit which explores the policies and developments of space global governance.
05 June 2023
Sydney invests in Australia's research future with innovative fellowship scheme
An unprecedented investment by the University will support up to 40 new continuing positions, empowering the world's most talented emerging researchers to undertake innovative research to address some of the biggest challenges of our time.
02 June 2023
What the Ben Roberts-Smith judgment says about defamation law
Professor David Rolph from the Sydney Law School unpacks two key questions from the high-profile defamation trial brought by the decorated Australian soldier.
30 May 2023
Nordic work view sunnier than Australia
Work conditions put Australia behind Nordic countries in Happiness Index. We must learn from them, writes Associate Professor Chris F Wright in the Sydney Morning Herald.
03 May 2023
How close are we to reading minds?
A US study has decoded language and meaning from brain scans. Christina Maher from the School of Biomedical Engineering unpacks how the process works.
06 April 2023
What role can Passover play in the cause for animal liberation?
Professor Danielle Celemajer, Deputy Director of the Sydney Environment Institute, explores how the Jewish Passover seder might help us approach the momentous challenge of animal liberation.
23 March 2023
Can Holocaust education prevent antisemitism?
The recent Nazi-tainted demonstration in Melbourne has highlighted the vulnerability of our ethical codes. Associate Professor Avril Alba examines whether historical reflection on the Holocaust can itself ensure ethical action in the present.
22 March 2023
Humanities and medicine excel in QS Subject Rankings
The University of Sydney has performed strongly in the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject, with seven disciplines ranked in the global top 20 and 30 in the top 50.
17 March 2023
Calls for total elimination of direct sales of vaping products
All sales of vaping products other than those prescribed by a doctor to aid in quitting smoking should be stopped to curb skyrocketing uptake of e-cigarettes in young people, according to a leading tobacco control expert.