Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law

CPICL 20th anniversary Law Journal Special Issue

A Special Issue of the University of Queensland Law Journal celebrates the 20th anniversary of the foundation of Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law ('CPICL') in 2003.

The Special Issue features a forward from Professor Anthony Cassimatis AM, and an Introduction by Professor  Ann Black and Dr Jospeh Lelliot (The CPICL editors for the edition). Contributors include: Professor Nicholas Aroney, Dr Paul Taylor, Professor Jonathon Crowe (University of Southern Queensland), Professor Reid Mortensen (University of Southern Queensland), Dr Yvonne Breitwieser-Faria, Professor Sue Farran (Newcastle University), Dr Constance Lee (CQ University), and Simon Miller.

The articles represent the full breadth of CPICL, spanning issues in public, international, and comparative law. The Centre’s focus on the Asia-Pacific is well represented, with articles on Japan’s Constitution, the push from Pacific nations for Climate Justice, and the tension (and convergence) between the foundations of Confucianism and constitutionalism.

Read the Special Issue online

The Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law (CPICL) brings together a large group of faculty members and doctoral students who are actively engaged in research and teaching in the following areas:

Public law

  • constitutional law
  • administrative law
  • domestic human rights law
  • law of institutions, including educational, religious and professional institutions.

International law

  • public international law
  • international human rights law
  • international criminal and humanitarian law
  • the law of international organisations
  • private international law

Comparative law

Analysis and comparison of:

  • law in nations of Asia and the South Pacific
  • legal systems, other than the common law, including civil, chthonic, socialist and Syariah legal systems
  • role of legal institutions in different nations and legal systems
  • legal pluralism
  • inter- and intra-legal pluralism in Australia.

Legal theory

Philosophical, economic, social and historical perspectives on law.

 

About the Centre

Established in September 2003, the Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law is dedicated to advanced research and seeks collaborative links and scholarly exchanges with other disciplines within the University, and with like-minded research organisations around the world.

Support is provided by the Centre for doctoral research and currently 15 doctoral students work with the supervision of the Fellows of the Centre. Fellows and other Centre members also contrinute to the graduate program of the School of Law by the conduct of courses in its research areas. View our management and members.

The Centre disseminates its research through public seminars and conferences and publications. Froom 2004-2020, the Centre published the LAWSASIA Journal in partnership with LAWASIA, The Law Association for Asia and the Pacific and from 2017, the Australian Journal of International Law, edited by Centre Director, Professor Anthony Cassimatis.

CPICL has established links with relevant government and public institutions and offers consultancy services in its area of expertise.

CPICL is currently running eight research programs:

 

Contact

Whether you're a potential student, a scholar from Australia or overseas, or someone who's active in public, international and comparative law, CPICL welcomes your enquiries about our research areas, seminars and organisation. Please contact our Centre Director.

Professor Anthony Cassimatis, Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law Professor Anthony Cassimatis
Centre Director, Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law 


Email: cpicl@law.uq.edu.au
Telephone: +61733652446

Law School
The University of Queensland
Brisbane QLD 4072
Australia

Featured publication

Parker & Evan's Inside Lawyers' Ethics Vivien Holes Francesca Bartlett

Source: Getty Images

The text provides a practical and engaging introduction to ethical decision-making in legal practice in Australia. Underpinned by four theoretical concepts – adversarial advocacy, responsible lawyers, moral activism and ethics of care – this text analyses legal and professional frameworks in the Australia context. Relevant parts of the Australia Solicitors’ Conduct Rules are highlighted, and the accompanying text provides guidance on professional obligations. Case studies and discussion questions offer contemporary, practical examples of the application of ethics in legal practice for both students and practising lawyers. The book also addresses the challenge of ethical action and offers skills and techniques to deal with ethical conflicts. 

Featured scholar

Rebecca Barber, PhD candidate

Rebecca Barber is a PhD candidate with the School of Law and a Senior Research Fellow at the Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, University of Queensland. Her PhD thesis (currently under examination) focused on the legal powers of the UN General Assembly to prevent and respond to atrocity crimes. In 2021 she authored a guidance document for States on that topic. She is currently working on the development of a framework for the implementation of the Responsibility to Protect.

Rebecca's research encompasses UN Charter law, International peace and security law, international organisations, state responsibility, international human rights and humanitarian law, and then responsibility to protect. Her research has been published in leading international law journals including the International and Comparative Law Quarterly, the International Review of the Red Cross, the Journal of Conflict and Security Law and the Journal on the Use of Force in International Law, among others. She also writes frequently for online international law forums including Just Security and EJIL: Talk! Her blogs for EJIL: Talk! have for the last two years been listed as among the blog's most widely read.

Rebecca has received several national and international awards for her research including the International and Comparative Law Quarterly early career prize (2021), an Australian Legal Research Award (2022) and awards for HDR research excellence from the University of Queensland's Law School (2021) and Faculty of Business, Economics and Law (2022).

Rebecca previously had a career in international humanitarian assistance and advocacy, with assignments in Africa, South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

For Rebecca's publications see her UQ POLSIS page here.