Dr Rebecca Ananian-Welsh
Centre Director of Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law & Affiliate of Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law
Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law
Associate Professor
TC Beirne School of Law
+61 7 336 52218
W472 Forgan Smith Building, St Lucia campus. Availability by appointment (Monday only).
Researcher biography
Associate Professor Rebecca Ananian-Welsh is a constitutional law scholar, Executive Director of Public Law with the Centre for Public International and Comparative Law (CPICL), and Chief Editor of the University of Queensland Law Journal. Her research focuses on courts, national security and press freedom and she has published widely in these fields, including more than 25 journal articles and 4 books. Her research interests focus on the separation of judicial power, the constitutional role and nature of courts, national security law and policy, and press freedom in security contexts.
Rebecca is an Honorary Senior Fellow at Melbourne Law School and has been a visiting scholar at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Prior to joining UQ, She held positions at UNSW Law with the Laureate Fellowship Project 'Anti-Terror Laws and the Democratic Challenge' and the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law's Terrorism & Law Project, as a litigation solicitor with global law firm DLA Piper, and as a legal officer with the Federal Attorney-General's Department Canberra.
| Featured projects | Duration |
|---|---|
| Journalistic Freedom in Australia | 2019–2021 |
Publications
Books
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca, Brennan, Sean, Lynch, Andrew, Stephenson, Peta and Williams, George (2024). Blackshield and Williams Australian constitutional law and theory: commentary and materials. 8th ed. Alexandria, NSW, Australia: The Federation Press.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca, Appleby, Gabrielle and Lynch, Andrew (2016). The Tim Carmody affair: Australia's greatest judicial crisis. Sydney, New South Wales: NewSouth.
Book Chapters
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2024). The separation of judicial power and national security. National Security Law in Australia. (pp. 76-93) edited by Danielle Ireland-Piper. Sydney, NSW, Australia: The Federation Press.
Murray, Richard, Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Greste, Peter (2021). Journalism on Ice - National Security Laws and The Chilling Effect in Australian Journalism. Counter-Terrorism Laws and Freedom of Expression: Global Perspectives. (pp. 295-317) edited by Workneh, Tewodros and Haridakis, Paul. Lanham, MD United States: Lexington Books.
Billings, Peter and Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2020). Counter-terrorism and the exclusion of refugees and refugee-citizens from Australia. Terrorism and asylum. (pp. 175-214) edited by James C. Simeon. Leiden, the Netherlands: Brill Nijhoff. doi: 10.1163/9789004295995_008
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019). A fair trial for accused terrorists. The legal protection of rights in Australia. (pp. 313-333) edited by Matthew Groves, Janina Boughey and Dan Meagher. Oxford, United Kingdom: Hart Publishing. doi: 10.5040/9781509919857.ch-016
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019). Crimmigration-counterterrorism in the war on foreign terrorist fighters. Crimmigration in Australia: law, politics and society. (pp. 173-195) edited by Peter Billings. Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-9093-7_8
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and McGarrity, Nicola (2018). National security: a hegemonic constitutional value?. Australian constitutional values. (pp. 267-286) edited by Rosalind Dixon. Oxford, United Kingdom: Hart Publishing. doi: 10.5040/9781509918430.ch-014
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2017). If at first you don't succeed...: effectiveness and the evolution of preventive organised crime measures. Regulating preventive justice: principle, policy and paradox. (pp. 177-194) edited by Tamara Tulich, Rebecca Ananian-Welsh, Simon Bronitt and Sarah Murray. New York, NY United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315620978-10
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2016). Introduction. Judicial independence in Australia: contemporary challenges, future directions. (pp. 1-6) edited by Crowe, Jonathan and Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca. New South Wales: Federation Press.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2016). Judicial independence in an age of terror. Judicial independence in Australia: contemporary challenges, future directions. (pp. 241-254) edited by Rebecca Ananian-Welsh and Jonathan Crowe. Annandale, Australia: Federation Press.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Williams, George (2016). State judges as lieutenant-governors. Judicial independence in Australia: contemporary challenges, future directions. (pp. 194-207) edited by Rebecca Ananian-Welsh and Jonathan Crowe. Annandale, Australia: Federation Press.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2015). Secrecy, procedural fairness and state courts. Secrecy, law and society. (pp. 120-135) edited by Greg Martin, Rebecca Scott Bray and Miiko Kumar. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.
Lynch, Andrew, Tulich, Tamara and Welsh, Rebecca (2013). Secrecy and control orders: the role and vulnerability of constitutional values in Australia and the United Kingdom. Secrecy, national security, and the vindication of constitutional law. (pp. 154-172) edited by David Cole, Federico Fabbrini and Arianna Vedaschi. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. doi: 10.4337/9781781953860.00018
Welsh, Rebecca (2013). Anti-terror preventive detention and the independent judiciary. Preventive detention: asking the fundamental questions. (pp. 137-158) edited by Patrick Keyzer. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Intersentia.
Journal Articles
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2025). History and values in YBFZ v Minister For Immigration, Citizenship And Multicultural Affairs. Public Law Review, 36 (1), 3-11.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Bosland, Jason (2023). Protecting the Press from Search and Seizure: Comparative Lessons for the Australian Reform Agenda. Melbourne University Law Review, 46 (3), 602-655.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2022). Who is a journalist? A critical analysis of Australian statutory definitions. Federal Law Review, 50 (4), 449-478. doi: 10.1177/0067205x221126583
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Kendall, Sarah (2022). Crimes of communication: the implications of Australian espionage law for global media. Communication Law and Policy, 27 (1), 1-27. doi: 10.1080/10811680.2021.2014293
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca, Cronin, Rose and Greste, Peter (2021). In the public interest: protections and risks in whistleblowing to the media. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 44 (4), 1242-1280. doi: 10.53637/WMZR2175
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca, Kendall, Sarah and Murray, Richard (2021). Risk and uncertainty in public interest journalism: the impact of espionage law on press freedom. Melbourne University Law Review, 44 (3), 764-811.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2020). Smethurst v Commissioner of Police and the Unlawful Seizure of Journalists’ Private Information. Media and Arts Law Review, 24 (1), 60-71.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Orange, Joseph (2020). The confidentiality of journalists' sources in police investigations: privacy, privilege and the freedom of political communication. Australian Law Journal, 94, 777-790.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019). The Inherent Jurisdiction of Courts and the Fair Trial. Sydney Law Review, 41 (4), 423-454.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019). Journalistic confidentiality in an age of data surveillance. Australian Journalism Review, 41 (2), 225-239. doi: 10.1386/ajr_00008_1
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019). CATs, courts and the constitution: the place of super-tribunals in the National Judicial System. Melbourne University Law Review, 43 (3), 852-902.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2016). Extraordinary powers without judicial oversight: a separation of powers dilemma. Public Law Review, 27 (4), 249-254.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2016). Criminal Due Process and Chapter III of the Australian Constitution by Anthony Gray. Australian Law Journal, 1-1.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Gover, Kate (2015). Commonwealth v Director, Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate: The End of Penalty Agreements in Civil Pecuniary Penalty Schemes?. The Sydney Law Review, 37 (3), 417-435.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2015). Preventative detention orders and the separation of judicial power. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 38 (2), 756-791.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Williams, George (2015). Judges in vice-regal roles. Federal Law Review, 43 (1), 119-146. doi: 10.1177/0067205x1504300105
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2015). Kuczborski v Queensland and the Scope of the Kable Doctrine. University of Queensland Law Journal, 34 (1), 47-71.
Hoole, Grant and Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2015). Judicialization or renunciation? Judges in today's landscape of anti-terror laws. Constitutional Forum, 24 (1), 7-14.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Williams, George (2014). Judicial Independence from the Executive: A First-Principles Review of the Australian Cases. Monash University Law Review, 40 (3), 593-638.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Williams, George (2014). The new terrorists: The normalisation and spread of anti-terror laws in Australia. Melbourne University Law Review, 38 (2), 362-408.
Welsh, Rebecca (2013). Understood but undefined: why do Argentina and Brazil resist criminalising terrorism?. Vienna Journal on International Constitutional Law, 7 (3), 327-348.
Welsh, Rebecca (2012). A path to purposive formalism: interpreting Chapter III for judicial independence and impartiality. Monash University Law Review, 39 (1), 66-105.
Welsh, Rebecca (2011). A question of integrity: the role of judges in counter-terrorism questioning and detention by ASIO. Public Law Review, 22 (2), 138-152.
Welsh, Rebecca (2011). "Incompatibility" rising? Some potential consequences of Wainohu v New South Wales. Public Law Review, 22 (4), 259-265.
Conference Papers
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2024). Federalismo e a Separação do Poder Judiciário Federal / Federalism and the Separation of Federal Judicial Power. Federalismo Comparado: Austrália e Brasil / Comparative Federalism: Australia and Brazil, Online, 3 October 2024.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2024). Benbrika II, Jones and Punishment by Post- Conviction Citizenship Revocation. Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law Constitutional Law Conference, Gilbert + Tobin Lawyers, Sydney, Australia, 9 February 2024.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2024). Updates and trends in Australian national security law (Panel 2: legal updates on Indonesia's new criminal code: implications for legal frameworks and justice systems). The Legal Updates Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia, 13 November 2024.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2023). AZC20 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (What is a Matter?). Constitutional Law Speed Dating: Four Cases in Forty Minutes, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 8 November 2023.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2023). AZC20 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (what is a matter?). Constitutional law speed dating: four cases in forty minutes, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 8 November 2023.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2023). What is a Court? (And why do constitutional lawyers care so much?). The International Society of Public Law 9th Annual Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, 3-5 July 2023.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca, Midford, Sarah, Barnett, Tully and Stannard, Georgia (2022). The most pressing issues facing Australian early and mid-career academics in the Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts and how to solve them. Congress of the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 25 November-2 December 2022.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2022). Minister for Home Affairs v Benbrika [2021] HCA 4. Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law Annual Conference, Sydney, NSW Australia, 11 February 2022.
Murray, Richard, Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Greste, Peter (2021). Journalism on Ice: National Security Laws and the Chilling Effect in Australian Journalism. International Communication Association Conference: Engaging the Essential Work of Care: Communication, Connectedness, and Social Justice, Denver, CO United States, 27-31 May 2021.
Breitwieser-Faria, Yvonne, Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Lelliot, Joseph (2021). Careers in academia. UQ Legal Researchers Panel, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 26 October 2021.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019). Decision-Making and the New Human Rights Act: Why, What and How?. Queensland Forensic Psychiatry Meeting, Brisbane, Australia, 7 May 2019.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019). The Queensland Human Rights Act. Forensic Mental Health and Human Rights Workshop, Supreme Court Library, Brisbane, 21-22 March 2019.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019). Is QCAT (still) a Court? Super-tribunals and Ch III of the Constitution. Current Constitutional Controversies: Occasional Colloquium Series, Queensland Bar Association, Brisbane, 28 March 2019.
Murray, Richard , Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Greste, Peter (2019). The law or the lawyers: understanding the of legal counsel and advisors in Australian editorial processes. The Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia: Plurality, Precarity and Possibilities, Sydney, NSW Australia, 3-6 December 2019.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019). Implied freedom and other constitutional law 'Hot Topics'. 2019 Crown Law Legal Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 6 June 2019.
Rebecca Ananian-Welsh (2018). National security and human rights in the courtroom. ICON-S Conference: Identity, Security, Democracy: Challenges for Public Law, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 25-27 June 2018.
Working Paper
Ananian-Walsh, Rebecca, Billings, Peter, Cassimatis Am, Anthony, Larkin, Dani and Lino, Dylan (2023). Submission on the Constitutional Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 . Submission Number 77. Joint Select Committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum .
Audio Document
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2016). The Tim Carmody Affair: Australia's Greatest Judicial Crisis. Australian Broadcasting Commission.
Thesis
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2014). A Purposive Formalist Interpretation of Chapter III of the Australian Constitution. PhD Thesis, University of New South Wales, University of New South Wales.
Generic Documents
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca, Tulich, Tamara, Hardy, Keiran, Greste, Peter, Bernot, Ausma and Ireland-Piper, Danielle (2024). Submission to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, 'Data Disruption, Network Activity and Account Takeover Powers – Review of Surveillance
Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act 2021 (SLAID Act)'.
Research Reports
Dalla-Pozza, Dominique, Tulich, Tamara, Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Hardy, Keiran (2025). Commonwealth Reviews considering the definition of a ‘Terrorist Act’ in s 100.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). Online: Commonwealth Government, Office of the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor.
Hardy, Keiran, Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca, Tulich, Tamara and Dalla-Pozza, Dominique (2025). Australia's Legal Definition of Terrorism: United Nations and Five Eyes Comparison. Online: Australian Government.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Whitsed, William (2023). Submission on the Review into the Operation and Effectiveness of the National Security
Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act 2004 (Cth). https://www.inslm.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-06/7-dr-rebecca-ananian-welsh-and-william-whitsed.pdf: INSLM.
Hardy, Keiran , Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and McGarrity, Nicola (2021). Open democracy dossier: secrecy and power in Australia’s national security state. Sydney, Australia: GetUp!.
Newspaper Articles
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2025, 04 02). Life after D-notices: Australia can learn from Britain’s updated system The Strategist
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2025, 01 17). A new era in administrative power over undeportable migrants Border Criminologies
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2023, 11 02). Is a terrorist’s win in the High Court bad for national security? Not necessarily The Conversation
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Bosland, Jason (2022, 10 28). Journalists must be protected in police investigations. Here’s our five point plan for reform The Conversation
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Hardy, Keiran (2021, 09 09). Before 9/11, Australia had no counter-terrorism laws, now we have 92 — but are we safer? The Conversation
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019, 10 22). Australia needs a media freedom act The Conversation
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019, 09 01). Explainer: what are the media companies’ challenges to the AFP raids about? The Conversation
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2019, 06 05). Why the raids on Australian media present a clear threat to democracy The Conversation
Seminar Papers
Ireland-Piper, Danielle, Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca, Guilfoyle, Douglas and Dalla-Pozza, Dominique (2025). Book Launch Panel: 'National Security Law in Australia'. The Australian National University.
Sīle, Sabīne, Rožukalne, Anda, Greste, Peter and Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2024). Press freedom and security: press conference. Media Hub Riga, Stockholm School of Economics.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2024). A court is called a court: parliamentary sovereignty and the search for courts. Public Law Discussion Group. Faculty of Law, University of Oxford.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2023). Academic Career Building. Faculty of Law, Bond University.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Bosland, Jason (2022). Search and seizure warrants and press freedom. Minter Ellison.
Kirby, Michael, Williams, George, Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Hardy, Keiran (2022). Public law values, accountability and national security. Gilbert + Tobin Centre for Public Law, University of New South Wales.
Oakes, Dan, Pender, Kieran, McLeod, Fiona and Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca (2021). Whistleblowers, war crimes and press freedom: David McBride on trial. TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Hume, David (2021). Secret Trials and Constitutional issues in the Collaery Case’, Australian Association of Constitutional Law ‘Secret Hearings and the Constitution: SDCV v D-G of Security [2021] FCAFC 51 and the Collaery Case. Australian Association of Constitutional Law, NSW Chapter.
Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca and Nagorcka, Felicity (2021). Minister for Home Affairs v Benbrika: terrorism, preventive detention and the separation of powers. Australian Association of Constitutional Law, Queensland Chapter.
Cowdery, Nicholas, Pender, Kieran, Ananian-Welsh, Rebecca, Wright, Pauline and Rubenstein, Kim (2021). Secrecy and spying: the trials of Bernard Collaery and Witness K. ANU Law School.