Upcoming events and opportunities

Read our monthly round up of upcoming public law events and opportunities, including conferences, seminars and calls for papers

If you have an AUSPUBLAW opportunity, conference or significant public lecture that you would like included in this roundup, please contact us at auspublaw@unsw.edu.au. The roundup is published once a month by the first business day of the month, so please let us know in time for that deadline.  

We would firstly like to draw your attention to the following opportunity:

15 October 2026

Courts and Constitutions in the Age of Polarisation
UNSW Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law

Date: Thursday, 15 October 2026  
Time: 1-2pm (AEDT)
Location: Level 2, Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW Kensington, and Online by Teams

Democratic politics worldwide is becoming increasingly polarised. In this seminar, Professor Iddo Porat presents the findings of his new book providing the first comprehensive comparative study of how political polarization reshapes the role and functioning of supreme and constitutional courts. Drawing on case studies from the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, India, Israel, Germany, Spain, and other jurisdictions, the book examines how courts are transformed when deep political and social divisions meet powerful judicial institutions. The book identifies the factors that drive courts toward partisanship, the mechanisms through which polarization alters judicial nominations, decision-making and public trust, and the broader implications for the rule of law and democratic stability. It also analyses reform proposals aimed at reducing the political stakes surrounding courts or balancing their internal composition.

Chair: Professor Rosalind Dixon, UNSW

Speakers:

  • Professor Iddo Porat

  • Dr Daniel Bogea, UNSW

For more information, and to register, click here.

Competitions and calls for papers

1 October 2026

Human Rights Law Essay Prize
Human Rights Law Association
Deadline: 1 October 2026

The Human Rights Law Essay Prize is awarded annually to the applicant who produces the most original essay on human rights in Australia and/or New Zealand, having previously submitted the essay for assessment to an Australian or New Zealand university.

The recipient of the Human Rights Law Essay Prize will be selected by a judging panel appointed by the committee of the Human Rights Law Association. The winner will be announced close to Human Rights Week in December and will receive a prize of $1000. 

To be eligible, the topic of the essay must be human rights in Australia or New Zealand and the essay must have previously been submitted for assessment to a university in Australia or New Zealand (whether undergraduate or graduate). Students from any discipline are encouraged to apply.

For more information, and to submit an entry, click here.

16 October 2026

ICON•S Aus/NZ Constitutional Theory Group: Biennial Conference
ICON•S Aus/NZ Constitutional Theory Group
Conference date: 1-2 February 2027
Conference location: The Australian National University, Canberra

To express of interest in participating at the event, please send an abstract of up to 150 words by 16 October 2026.

The Group anticipates arranging traditional panels covering either published or in-progress works, as well as more innovative roundtable-style events. Consider joining the Conference, in particular, if you have a book coming out in the relevant area.

For the purposes of this conference, constitutional theory includes the study of how generalised descriptive, normative, analytic and interpretive propositions about law — but also morality and politics — bear on and/or are shaped by constitutions.

For inquiries, please email ron.levy@anu.edu.au

Conferences and seminars

7 October 2026

Lucinda Lecture: The Law Governing Election and Party Finances
Monash University
Date: 7 October 2026  
Time: 6.00-7.10pm (AEDT)
Location: Online

How is money shaping Australian elections today, and where are the legal limits?

Join Monash Law for a focused lecture on donation caps, spending limits, and new reforms that are changing how political finance works across the country.

The 2026 Lucinda Lecture will be presented by Graeme Orr, an Emeritus Professor of law at the University of Queensland, with expertise in the law governing democracy.

This session will examine current laws, recent changes, and what they mean for democracy. It is timely, practical, and led by a recognised expert in electoral law.

The Lecture will be convened by Professor Marilyn Pittard, Associate Dean, Monash University, Faculty of Law.

For more information, and to register, click here.

7 October 2026

Trump v ICC
Centre for International and Public Law
Date: 7 October 2026  
Time: 5.30-7.00pm (AEDT)
Location: Phillipa Weeks Staff Library, ANU Law School

The United States has historically been ambivalent about the International Criminal Court. It has never become a state party, and while during the Biden Administration its position towards the court became more supportive, under the Trump Administration its position has hardened. During 2026 US sanctions have been placed on ICC staff including judges, and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has indicated the United States will “dismantle the ICC—brick by brick, if necessary”.

Hosted by the Centre for International and Public Law, this seminar addresses these issues with an historical perspective on the negotiation of the Rome Statue and the US role in that process, and the current US legal and political campaign against the ICC and its implications for Australia.

Speakers:

  • Honorary Professor Richard Rowe, Australian National University School of Law

  • Professor Douglas Guilfoyle, University of New South Wales Canberra

  • Associate Professor Cecilia Jacob, Australian National University

  • Professor Donald R Rothwell, Australian National University School of Law

For more information and to register, click here.

7 October 2026

The future of Australian super-tribunals: Constitutional constraints
Australian Institute of Administrative Law and the Australian Association of Constitutional Law
Date: 7 October 2026  
Time: 5-6.15pm (AEST)
Location: Bond University Brisbane City, Level 26, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane City, and Online

What is a court?

What is judicial power?

These questions are critically important for the design and functioning of the workhorses of the Australian justice system – the States’ super-tribunals. None of the interstate super-tribunals are courts; but thanks to Owen v Menzies [2013] 2 Qd R 327, QCAT is a court. But for how long? And what difference would it make if QCAT was not a court?

Speakers:

  • The Honourable Patrick Keane AC KC

  • Zelie Heger SC, Senior Counsel, Eleven Wentworth Chambers

Chair: Professor Rebecca Ananian-Welsh, University of Queensland Law School

For more information, and to register, click here.

13 October 2026

Prisoners’ Voting Rights
Castan Centre for Human Rights Law and the Australian Association of Constitutional Law
Date: 13 October 2026  
Time: 1-2.15pm (AEDT)
Location: Online

Two decades ago the High Court ruled in the Roach Case that there are constitutional limits on preventing prisoners voting in federal elections. Yet, prisoners face a range of barriers to exercise their right to vote.

It was only at the 2025 Federal Election that all states and territories allowed Australian Electoral Commission mobile polling booths to enter prisons. Prisoners are less likely than other Australians to be enrolled to vote. And Queensland recently enacted legislation to further restrict the number of prisoners eligible to vote in state elections.

Presented by the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law and the Australian Association of Constitutional Law, this lunchtime webinar explores prisoners’ voting rights today.

Speaker:

Moderators:

  • Associate Professor Ronli Sifris, Monash University, Faculty of Law

  • Professor Luke Beck, Monash University, Faculty of Law

For more information, and to register, click here.

20 October 2026

2026 Paul Byrne Memorial Lecture: Finding solutions in the criminal justice system: the role of courts in crime prevention
Sydney Institute of Criminology
Date: 20 October 2026  
Time: 6-7.30pm (AEDT)
Location: The University of Sydney Law School, Law Foyer, Level 2, New Law Building

Her Honour Judge Sarah Hopkins will deliver the 2026 Paul Byrne Memorial Lecture, titled Finding solutions in the criminal justice system: the role of courts in crime prevention.

In this lecture, Judge Hopkins will consider:

  • the importance of understanding the causes of crime, approaches to violent offending and recidivism, and the role of therapeutic jurisprudence

  • why violence prevention and First Nations solutions are key to addressing the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the criminal justice system

  • the key recommendations from the ALRC Pathways to Justice Report, the ALRC Responses to Sexual Violence Report, and the Inquest into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Related Deaths – NT

  • turning good ideas into practice: what is possible within the court system and what is already happening, including examples from the forensic mental health setting, the Tangentyere Family Violence Program (Alice Springs), the Homelessness List (New Zealand), and the Walama List (NSW).

Speaker: Her Honour Judge Sarah Hopkins, District Court of NSW

For more information, and to register, click here.

20 October 2026

UNSW Book Forum: Harry Hobbs and Stephen Young
UNSW Law & Justice
Date: 20 October 2026  
Time: 5-7pm (AEDT)
Location: UNSW Bookshop, Kensington

UNSW Law & Justice is hosting a book forum on Outlawed Responding to Sovereign Citizens and the Global Rise of Legal Conspiracies by Harry Hobbs and Stephen Young.

Outlawed explores one of the most dangerous and misunderstood movements of our time: the global rise of pseudolaw and sovereign citizen ideology.

Sharp, empathetic and unsettling, Outlawed asks a vital question: if so many people are turning to fake law in search of justice, what has gone wrong with the real thing?

Outlawed traces the hidden connective tissue between courtroom theatrics, viral traffic stop videos, fraudulent “common law” courts, and acts of deadly extremism. From unhappy New Zealand ratepayers to North American farm foreclosures to Australian pandemic protests, from German coup plots to suburban family courts, Outlawed reveals how legal conspiracy theories spread, mutate, and radicalise ordinary people.

Blending true crime, investigative reporting, legal analysis and cultural critique, Outlawed shows that pseudolaw is not fringe. It is a commodity sold by charismatic gurus. It is a performance staged for online audiences. And it is a symptom of a deeper crisis: collapsing trust in law, democracy and institutions.

The stories revealed are both bizarre and consequential. Pseudolaw has migrated from the fringes to the mainstream, spreading online alongside conspiracy theories, wellness grifts, and populist discontent. It must be understood to be stopped.

Speakers:

  • Dr Harry Hobbs, UNSW Law & Justice

  • Dr Stephen Young, University of Otago

Chair: Dr Elisabeth Perham, UNSW Law & Justice

For more information, and to register, click here.

20 October 2026

Mariam Veiszadeh: Advance Australia fair? - The Kaldor Centre Oration
UNSW Centre for Ideas and the Kaldor Centre
Date: 20 October 2026  
Time: 6.30-7.45pm (AEDT)
Location: Science Theatre, UNSW Kensington

Australians pride themselves on living in a country where anyone can have a good life and feel they belong. But is that the reality for those who have to start from scratch with a new language, new culture and new home? At a time when political grandstanding and immigration scapegoating spill over into everyday attitudes, how can we build a society where people forced to leave their homeland can get a fair go? 

Join Mariam Veiszadeh as she reflects on her journey from fleeing Afghanistan as a young girl, to building a life in Australia as a lawyer, advocate and human rights champion. Across countries, cultures and languages, Mariam’s story is a powerful testament to resilience and paying it forward.   

In a keynote talk and conversation with host Nicole Abadee, Mariam will share her views on how we need to reframe the debate on belonging – and what it might take to ensure all Australians have the same opportunities.   

Speaker: Mariam Veiszadeh

Host: Nicole Abadee

For more information, and to register, click here.

21 October 2026

Oversight of Integrity Agencies
Australian Academy of Law
Date: Wednesday, 21 October 2026  
Time: 5.00-6.15pm (AEDT)
Location: Online and in-person at Court 1, Level 8, Federal Court of Australia, 305 William Street, Melbourne, VIC

Integrity agencies monitor, review and report upon the work of other parts of government. They are independent and conduct wide-ranging investigations into corruption and maladministration. However, they are not immune from error or free of the government problems they investigate. There is a need for oversight of integrity agencies, for “oversight of oversight”. However, the purpose and operation of an investigative agency may be frustrated if oversight is too intrusive. In Australia, models for the oversight of integrity agencies include the Commonwealth Ombudsman, the Inspector of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and Victoria’s Chief Integrity Inspector. Can lessons be drawn from recent examples of the oversight of oversight about models that provide the appropriate balance?

Chair: The Hon Pamela Tate AM KC

Speakers:

For more information, and to register, click here.

23 October 2026

Getting to Yes - Can the Commonwealth Learn Anything from State Referendum Success?
Australian Senate Lecture Series
Date: Friday, 23 October 2026  
Time: 12.15-1.15pm (AEDT)
Location: Main Committee Room, Parliament House, ACT, and by live stream

This lecture looks at the history of state constitutional referendums and asks why they enjoy a much higher success rate than Commonwealth referendums. Since 1901, 75 per cent of state referendums have succeeded, compared to 18 per cent of Commonwealth referendums. The lecture begins by recounting the state referendum experience, looking at the sorts of issues that have appeared on the ballot and the different factors that shaped their outcomes. It then explores different reasons for the disparity in the state and Commonwealth records, including issue selection, consensus seeking and federalism. The Iecture closes by asking if the state referendum experience holds any lessons for the Commonwealth as it seeks to break its almost 50-year run of referendum failure.

Speaker: Associate Professor Paul Kildea, UNSW

For more information, and to register, click here.

27 October 2026

2026 Susan Campbell Oration: Access to Justice - Whose responsibility is it?
Monash University
Date: 27 October 2026  
Time: 6.00-8.00pm (AEDT)
Location: Monash University Law Chambers, 555 Lonsdale St, Melbourne

The Susan Campbell Oration is a series of public lectures hosted by Monash Law since 2014. It honours Susan Campbell AM, the first Professorial Fellow in legal practice at Monash University and a long‑standing leader of its Clinical Legal Education Program.

Each oration engages leading scholars to speak on the reach and impact of clinical programs and the role of experiential learning in legal education.

This year's Susan Campbell Oration brings together four legal researchers for a panel discussion exploring our collective responsibility for access to justice, and the roles that the legal profession, courts, legal educators, community organisations, government and others can play in creating a more accessible and equitable justice system.

Legal researchers explore who is responsible for creating a fairer, more accessible justice system at the Susan Campbell Oration.

Access to Justice: Whose responsibility is it? Access to justice is fundamental to a fair and effective legal system. But ensuring that people can understand, navigate and access that system cannot be the responsibility of any one part of the legal profession. So, whose responsibility is it?

Held on the eve of the Victoria Law Foundation's International Access to Justice Conference, the discussion will feature speakers from the Conference program, bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to address one of the most pressing challenges facing justice systems worldwide.

Join us for an evening of thought-provoking conversation, followed by an opportunity to continue the discussion with fellow attendees over drinks and canapés.

Speakers:

  • Professor Emily Taylor-Poppe, University of California Irvine School of Law

  • Justice Eshetu Yadeta, Supreme Court of Oromia, Ethiopia

  • Professor Naomi Creutzfeldt, University of Kent

  • Toli Sagaga, Director, Pacific Justice Sector Programme

For more information, and to register, click here. Registration is opened until close of business on Friday, 23 October 2026.

28 October 2026

Australian Academy of Law 15th Annual Patron's Address - The Hon Chief Justice Stephen Gageler AC
Australian Academy of Law
Date: 28 October 2026  
Time: 5.30pm (AEDT)
Location: Banco Court, Supreme Court Building, 184 Phillip Street, Sydney

Speaker: The Honourable Chief Justice Stephen Gageler AC, High Court of Australia 

For more information, and to register, click here.

10 November 2026

Beyond Borders: How International Law Shapes Australia's Highest Court
Castan Centre for Human Rights Law and Victorian Chapter of the International Law Association
Date: 10 November 2026  
Time: 6-7pm (AEDT)
Location: Monash University Law Chambers, 555 Lonsdale St, Melbourne

A conversation with Dr Christopher Ward SC on how the High Court of Australia has shaped — and been shaped by — international law since 1903

The Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, along with the Victorian Chapter of the International Law Association (Australia Branch), present an evening conversation with Dr Christopher Ward SC on his new book, International Law and the High Court of Australia (Melrose Legal Publishers, 2026), the first comprehensive examination of the High Court's engagement with public international law since the Court's establishment in 1903.

Tracing the development of the Court's approach from early uncertainty to a modern and coherent framework, the book covers constitutional foundations, human rights, indigenous rights, refugees and citizenship, criminal law and extradition, and state immunities — offering a detailed picture of international law's role in contemporary Australian domestic legal analysis. The foreword is by The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG.

Speaker: Dr Christopher Ward SC, Senior Counsel, 6 St James Hall Chambers

Chair: Dr Elizabeth Sheargold, Senior Lecturer, Monash University, Faculty of Law

For more information, and to register, click here.

12 November 2026

Hal Wootten Lecture with Michelle Jarvis
University of Queensland
Date: 12 November 2026  
Time: 6.30-7.30pm (AEDT)
Location: Law Theatre G04, UNSW Kensington

Our Global Crisis of Values: Can International Justice Rally?

Professor Hal Wootten AC believed that the law is to be judged by the extent to which it promotes the wellbeing of people living in society. In this lecture, Michelle Jarvis explores this theme through the lens of international justice. At a time when world leaders are increasingly candid about a global crisis of values and international institutions face unprecedented pressure, what role can international justice play in fostering new frameworks that centre care for people and planet?

Drawing on her 26 years of experience working on accountability processes for conflict-related crimes, from the Balkans and Rwanda, to Syria, Michelle will offer a diagnosis of the current state of international justice as well as the opportunities to use its mechanisms to advance global wellbeing.

The Hal Wootten Lecture was established in 2006 by UNSW Law & Justice in honour of founding Dean, Emeritus Professor Hal Wootten AC. This lecture is a highlight of the Faculty's year and commemorates Hal Wootten's founding vision for the Faculty – that a Law School should have and communicate to its students a keen concern for those on whom the law bears harshly.

Speaker: Michelle Jarvis

For more information, and to register, click here.

12 November 2026

Inaugural Professorial Lecture: When Australian Governments Pray: Religious Privilege and the Fair Go
Monash University
Date: 12 November 2026  
Time: 6.00-8.00pm (AEDT)
Location: Monash University Law Chambers

Australia prides itself on the ideal of a fair go. But what happens when governments choose a favourite religion and give it special treatment?

From public schools where atheists, Jews and Hindus are not eligible for some jobs, to local councils expecting all councillors regardless of belief to participate in Christian prayers, to taxpayer funds being used to purchase new pews for a church, religious privilege is woven into contemporary Australian public life in ways that often go unnoticed, that are sometimes unlawful and that are certainly not consistent with the fair go.

This lecture asks a provocative question: can Australia really give everyone a fair go while one favoured religion enjoys a privileged place in government and public institutions? Drawing on real stories, it challenges common assumptions about Australia as a secular country and asks what genuine freedom of religion or belief might look like.

The Monash Law Inaugural Professorial Lecture Series is a forum to showcase and celebrate the academic excellence, research, and societal impact of our faculty’s esteemed professors.

Featuring leaders in their fields, each lecture offers an opportunity to hear firsthand from those shaping the future of law as they share their academic journeys, valuable insights, and the passion driving their research.

Speaker: Professor Luke Beck, Monash University, Faculty of Law

For more information, and to register, click here. RSVP by close of business on Friday, 6 November 2026.

12 November 2026

Through the looking glass: new rights, interpretation and drafting models
Australian Institute of Administrative Law
Date: 12 November 2026  
Time: 5.30pm (AEDT)
Location: Australian Migration Lawyers, Level 45, 600 Bourke Street, Melbourne, and Online

The rules of interpretation for the protection of distinct cultural rights and human rights are shifting. The uncertainty is causing a reconsideration of the limits of the rights protected by statutory dialogue models and leading to varying developments in the preservation of fundamental rights at common law. This environment poses challenges to the drafting models and conventions used to draft legislation that is clear and certain in its operation. The panel will explore the topic by considering:

  • Is there a shifting relationship between constitutional environments and judicial rights interpretation?

  • What are the models required to protect human rights in legislation and deliver law making that is clear and certain in its operation?

  • How are the apparent changes in the interpretative methods adopted by courts in response an expanding range of distinct cultural rights and human rights obligations impacting on legislative drafting?

Speakers:

  • The Honourable John Basten AO KC

  • Tony McAvoy SC, Senior Counsel, Frederick Jordan Chambers

  • Emrys Nekvapil SC, Senior Counsel, Koiki Mabo Chambers and Mindil Chambers

Chair: Natalie Plumstead

For more information, and to register, click here.

3-4 December 2026

The Law and Politics of Migration in Australia
Faculty of Law, Monash University
Date: 3-4 December 2026  
Time: 10.00am-4.00pm (AEDT)
Location: Monash University Law Chambers Auditorium, 555 Lonsdale St, Melbourne

The Law and Politics of Migration In Australia is a collaboration between Monash Law's new Borders, Sovereignty, and Justice Lab (led by Associate Professor Samantha Currie) and the School of Social Sciences Migration and Mobilities Research Hub.

Registrations opening soon. For more information, click here.

7-8 December 2026

11th Asian Constitutional Forum
Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies, The University of Melbourne
Date: 7-8 December 2026  
Location: Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne, Australia

We are pleased to announce that the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies at Melbourne Law School will host the 11th Asian Constitutional Forum on Monday 7 December and Tuesday 8 December 2026.

The overarching theme of the Forum is ‘Constitutionalism in Asia in a Changing World”. We are honoured to announce the following keynote speakers:

  • The Hon Justice Chung Kyesun, Constitutional Court of Korea

  • Associate Professor Rohit De, Department of History, Yale University

  • Assistant Professor Shamshad Pasarlay, Social Sciences Collegiate Division, University of Chicago

  • Professor Dinesha Samararatne, Department of Public and International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo

Registrations opening soon. Ticket pricing to be advised. For more information, click here.

12 February 2027

Federal Law Conference
Law Council of Australia
Date: 12 February 2026  
Time: 9.00am-3.00pm (AEST)
Location: Hyatt Canberra, 120 Commonwealth Avenue, Canberra ACT 260

Formerly known as the Commonwealth Law Conference, this newly renamed event will continue to bring together leading practitioners and members of the judiciary for seminars exploring the federal legal landscape as it stands in 2027.

From the evolving class action procedures to fresh constitutional challenges, shifting migration policy, and the rapid rise of AI as both a tool and a regulatory target, these seminars will equip solicitors, barristers, in-house counsel and policymakers with a practical, up-to-date view of the areas reshaping federal practice.

Attendees can look forward to a full day of insightful presentations, expert panel discussions and valuable networking opportunities.

This year's theme is "The Federal Edit 2027" What's changing, what's challenged, and what's coming—across litigation, employment, migration, and technology.

Early bird registrations are now open and close 30 October 2026.

To register, click here.