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Macquarie Law School

Higher Degree Research

Macquarie Law School offers higher degree research programs of the Doctor of Philosophy and the Master of Philosophy. Students may undertake their studies on either a full-time or part-time basis.

Supervisors are available within Macquarie Law School across a diverse range of areas, and many of our academic staff undertake interdisciplinary research and are willing to supervise students with similar interests. Macquarie Law School has a vibrant research culture, which includes our higher degree research students. Our students participate in research seminars, present their own workshops, conduct annual symposiums, present at conferences nationally and internationally, collaborate with Macquarie researchers on diverse projects, and have the opportunity to conduct field research as necessary.

Macquarie Law School candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy undertake three legal research units during their candidature.

The work undertaken by our higher degree research students ranges from international trade law to piracy to legal history to the exercise of emergency powers.

Further information for future candidates is available on: Scholarships and Funding, Fees and Costs, and How to Apply. Students may also wish to browse general information, opportunities and requirements for higher degree research at Macquarie University.

Macquarie Law is able to offer postgraduate supervision in a wide range of areas, by academic staff with national and international research profiles.

Research Areas by Academic Staff

Administrative Law
A/Prof. Iain Stewart, Dr Margaret Kelly, Prof. Denise Meyerson

Asian Law
A/Prof. Archana Parashar

Biodiversity Law and Sustainable Livelihoods
Dr Erika J Techera

Biodiversity and Biotechnology Law
Dr Alexander Zahar

Censorship
Mr Roy Baker

Children and the Law
Mr George Tomossy

Climate Change Law 
Dr Alexander Zahar

Commercial Law
Prof. Peter Radan, Ms Vijaya Nagarajan

Common Law
Dr Margaret Kelly

Common Law Constitutionalism
Dr Margaret Kelly

Comparative Law
A/Prof. Iain Stewart, Prof. Denise Meyerson, Dr Erika J Techera, Dr Margaret Kelly

Comparative Constitutionalism
Prof. Denise Meyerson, Prof. Brian Opeskin, Dr Margaret Kelly

Competition Law
Ms Vijaya Nagarajan

Constitutional History
Dr Margaret Kelly

Constitutional Law
Prof. Denise Meyerson, A/Prof. Iain Stewart, Dr Margaret Kelly, Ms Francesca Dominello, Prof. Brian Opeskin

Constitutional Law of Bangladesh
Prof. Rafiqul Islam

Consumer Regulation
Ms Vijaya Nagarajan

Contract Law
Prof. Peter Radan

Corporate Law
Ms Vijaya Nagarajan

Criminal Law
Mr George Tomossy

Cultural Studies of Law
A/Prof. Archana Parashar, Ms Francesca Dominello

Defamation Law
Mr Roy Baker

Democracy and the Law
Dr Margaret Kelly

Discrimination Law
A/Prof. Archana Parashar, Prof. Denise Meyerson, Mr Roy Baker, Ms Therese MacDermott

Dispute Resolution
Prof. Natalie Klein, Dr Shawkat Alam, Ms Therese MacDermott

Elder Law
Mr George Tomossy

Environmental Law
Dr Erika J Techera, Dr Shawkat Alam, Dr Alexander Zahar, Dr Cameron Holley

Environmental Regulation
Dr Cameron Holley

Equity
Prof. Peter Radan

European Law
Mr Roy Baker

Family Law
A/Prof. Archana Parashar, Ms Francesca Dominello

Federalism
Dr Margaret Kelly

Feminism and the Law
A/Prof. Archana Parashar

Foreign Investment
Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Prof. Natalie Klein

Free Speech
Prof. Denise Meyerson, Mr Roy Baker

Freedom of Information
Carolyn Adams

Genocide
Dr Alexander Zahar

Government Decision-Making
Carolyn Adams

Groundwater Governance
Dr Cameron Holley

Health and Medical Law
Mr George Tomossy

Health Law and Bioethics
Mr George Tomossy

Heritage Law
Dr Erika J Techera

Human Rights Law
Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Prof. Denise Meyerson, Prof. Natalie Klein, Dr Shawkat Alam

Indigenous People in International Law
Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Dr Erika J Techera

Indigenous People's Rights
Ms Francesca Dominello, Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Dr Shawkat Alam, Dr Erika J Techera

Inheritance and Succession
A/Prof. Malcolm Voyce

Intellectual Property
Dr Shawkat Alam

International Criminal Law
Dr Alexander Zahar

International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Prof. Brian Opeskin, Prof. Natalie Klein, Dr Shawkat Alam, Dr Alexander Zahar

International Environmental Law
Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Dr Erika J Techera, Dr Shawkat Alam, Dr Alexander Zahar

International Law
Prof. Natalie Klein, Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Prof. Peter Radan, Dr Shawkat Alam, Dr Roy Baker, Dr Erika J Techera, Prof. Brian Opeskin

International Law in the Asia-Pacific
Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Prof. Brian Opeskin, Prof. Natalie Klein, Dr Erika J Techera

International Law of Foreign Investment
Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Prof. Natalie Klein, Dr Shawkat Alam

International Economic Law/Institutions
Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Dr Shawkat Alam

International Migration Law
Prof. Brian Opeskin

International Trade Law/WTO Law
Dr Shawkat Alam, Prof. Rafiqul Islam

Journalism and the Law
Dr Roy Baker

Judges and Judicial Power
Dr Margaret Kelly

Judicial Decision-making
Dr Margaret Kelly

Jurisprudence
Prof. Denise Meyerson, A/Prof. Iain Stewart, Dr Margaret Kelly, A/Prof. Archana Parashar, Dr Margaret Kelly

Law and Critical Theory
A/Prof. Iain Stewart, A/Prof. Archana Parashar

Law and Literature
Prof. Andrew Buck, Dr Margaret Kelly

Law and Mental Health
Mr George Tomossy

Law of International Organisations
Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Prof. Natalie Klein

Law of the Sea
Prof. Natalie Klein, Dr Erika J Techera

Law Reform
Carolyn Adams

Legal Education
Ms Vijaya Nagarajan, A/Prof. Archana Parashar

Legal History
Prof. Andrew Buck, Dr Margaret Kelly, Prof. Peter Radan, A/Prof. Iain Stewart, Dr Margaret Kelly

Legal Theory
A/Prof. Iain Stewart, Prof. Denise Meyerson

Media Law
Dr Roy Baker

Monarchy and the Law
Dr Margaret Kelly

Natural Resources Law
Dr Cameron Holley

Parliament and the Law, Parliamentary Sovereignty
Dr Margaret Kelly

People and Constitutions
Dr Margaret Kelly

Politics and the Constitution
Dr Margaret Kelly

Post-colonial Law
A/Prof. Archana Parashar, Dr Erika J Techera

Property Law and Property Rights
Prof. Andrew Buck, Prof. Peter Radan, A/Prof. Malcolm Voyce

Privacy
Carolyn Adams

Public and Private Governance
Ms Vijaya Nagarajan

Public International Law
Prof. Natalie Klein, Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Prof. Brian Opeskin, Dr Shawkat Alam

Public Law
Prof. Denise Meyerson, A/Prof. Iain Stewart, Prof. Brian Opeskin, Dr Margaret Kelly

Regional Governance Agreements and Co-Management
Dr. Erika J Techera

Regulation
Ms Vijaya Nagarajan

Religion and the Law
Prof. Peter Radan, A/Prof. Malcolm Voyce, Prof. Denise Meyerson, Dr Margaret Kelly, A/Prof. Archana Parashar

Republicanism
Dr Margaret Kelly

Remedies
Ms Francesca Dominello

Research Ethics and Regulation
Mr George Tomossy

Rights Protection
Prof. Denise Meyerson

Separation of Powers
Prof. Denise Meyerson, A/Prof. Iain Stewart

South Pacific Law
Prof. Brian Opeskin, Ms Therese MacDermott, Dr Erika J Techera, Ms Vijaya Nagarajan

Theory of Law
A/Prof. Iain Stewart

Trade Practices Law
Ms Vijaya Nagarajan

Water and Marine Law
Dr Erika J Techera

Workplace Law
Ms Therese MacDermott

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Legal Research Units

Each doctoral candidate at Macquarie Law School undertakes legal research units to facilitate the research and writing of their thesis, as well as equipping them with skills to pursue academic endeavours, such as publication and conference presentations. These units provide students with access to a group of people who are all engaged in the endeavour of thesis writing and who can provide informed support, as well as providing opportunities for participants to refine and improve their research and writing by exposing central ideas from their theses to constructive criticism by peers.

  • LAW 901 Legal Research 1 - Advanced Legal Research Methods

This unit will be undertaken through participation in seminars conducted in Macquarie Law School, during the first year of candidature in Semester 1. The seminars will focus on research methodology and differing theoretical approaches in legal discourse.

  • LAW902 Legal Research 2 - Legal Theory and Writing in Law

This unit will be undertaken through participation in seminars conducted in Macquarie Law School. It will be offered after completion of LAW901 Legal Research 1 and will normally be undertaken in the first two years of candidature, and will be run in Semester 2. The seminars will focus on the role of legal theory in a thesis.

  • LAW903 Legal Research 3 - Giving a Conference Paper to your Peers

This unit is designed to take students through the process of applying for and preparing a conference paper. Students prepare an abstract, then write a paper that is presented to their peers. The unit assists students with each stage of preparation.

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