Feminist Legal Studies Group expands world-first Feminist Legislation Project in 2023
The world-first Feminist Legislation Project is the brainchild of Associate Professor Becky Batagol, in which legislation is proposed as a feminist solution to contemporary problems. In this context, members of the Feminist Legal Studies Group have worked on specific ideas for new legislative proposals.
One of these proposals is soon to be published as:
Julie Debeljak and Tania Penovic, ‘Re-Charting the Victorian Charter of Human Rights: Advancing Enforcement in Human Rights legislation’, in Becky Batagol, Heli Askola, Jamie Walvisch, Kate Seear (eds), Feminist Legislation: Australia (Routledge, 2023, forthcoming).
Another proposal from Feminist Legal Studies group member Professor Marilyn Pittard will also be published as:
‘Women and Flexible Work’, Chapter 16, forthcoming in: The Feminist Legislation Project: Rewriting laws for gender-based justice (edited by Kate Seear et al.), to be published by Routledge.
Women’s pay gap, flexible working and a new work relations architecture
Professor Pittard has further contributed to the research on women’s pay gap and on flexible work with a number of publications in the past year.
In fact Professor Pittard's law reform work is now holding up the roof of a new architecture for work relations. Marilyn contributed a chapter to the book, 'A New Work Relations Architecture', which is the result of a 'think tank' of labour law specialists.
Working with the Australian Institute of Employment Rights, the think tank adopted the metaphor of a Greek building for a new architecture in work relations - foundations, pillars and a roof. Marilyn's chapter or 'pillar' is focussed on Fair Standards and Remuneration.
Editor James Fleming summed up the book in his Introduction, saying, "This book outlines a new work relations architecture: new rules of the game between workers and business, new rules for a fairer system and a more just society."
'A New Work Relations Architecture' was recently launched at the State Library of Victoria.
In 2023 Associate Professor Janice Richardson published her fourth single authored book: J. Richardson, Law, Selfhood and Feminist Philosophy: Monstrous Aberrations (Oxon: Routledge, 2024).
A/prof Richardson also delivered a keynote address to the Free University of Berlin entitled ‘Subordination and Surrogacy: Feminist perspectives on Locke’s conception of “Property in the Person”.’
Associate Professor Ronli Sifris has authored ‘Abortion in Australia: Law, Policy and the Advancement of Reproductive Rights’ in Mary Ziegler (ed) Research Handbook on International Abortion Law (Edward Elgar, 2023) 124-140.
Feminist Legal Studies partners with Transnational Criminal Law Group for conference
The Feminist Legal Studies group had a cross-over with criminal law when Associate Professor Jacqui Horan convened a conference for Monash University's Transnational Criminal Law Group. In conjunction with the Victorian Juries Commissioner's Office and the Court of the Future Network, the conference looked at ‘Emerging Challenges In The Management Of Sexual Assault Trials.’
Deputy Chief Judge Meryl Sexton, County Court of Victoria & Professor Judy Cashmore, University of Sydney, at ‘Emerging Challenges In The Management Of Sexual Assault Trials.’
Recent high-profile sexual assault trials have highlighted the numerous problems that all participants in the criminal trial process encounter when prosecuting this type of crime. This conference provided a timely critique of sexual assault trial processes and new ideas for improving the system were explored. The perspectives of complainants, witnesses, investigators, practitioners and judges were heard throughout the extensive program. Over 70 people attended this event, including several victim survivors and several law students from around Australia.
The day began with Queensland Police explaining their innovative and empirically tested approach to obtaining the initial sexual assault complaint. Associate Professors Becky Batagol from Monash Law and Kate Seear from La Trobe University contributed a reflection on practitioner ethics in sexual assault trials.
Associate Professor Becky Batagol with psychiatrist Dr Danny Sullivan listening.
Journalist and victim survivor Nina Funnell made a compelling case for involving victim survivors in law reform. Andres Harfuch joined virtually from Argentina and provided an account of the introduction of the jury system in his jurisdiction. The Group was fascinated to learn that Argentinian juries in sexual assault trials must be equal gendered. The day ended with a reflection led by Deputy Chief Judge Meryl Sexton joined by staff from Legal Aid, the Office of Public Prosecutions and Professor Judy Cashmore (Sydney).
Monash Law students Lily Polak and Eva Scopelitti with University of Queensland student September Fisher at ‘Emerging Challenges In The Management Of Sexual Assault Trials.’