University staff have been successful in gaining funding for a range of human rights research projects. Some recent funded projects are profiled below. Please contact us with details of other funded human rights research projects for profiling on this webpage.
Australian Parliaments and the Protection of Human Rights
Simon Evans and Carolyn Evans of the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies are in their final year of a three year project, funded by an ARC Discovery Grant that considers whether or not the parliament is effectively protecting our rights or whether we need a Bill of Rights. The project may lead to a conference in 2006.
Commentary on the Convention on the Rights of the Child
John Tobin received a grant under the Melbourne Early Career Researcher Grants Scheme (MECRGS) to develop a Commentary on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This commenced in 2004.
From Paper to Practice: Meeting the Challenges of Implementing Human Rights in Australia
Dianne Otto received an ARC Large Grant to consider the implementation of economic and social rights in Australia. This project commenced in 2001 and concluded in 2004.
Contesting Globalisation: Human Rights, Democracy and the World Trade Organisation
Anne Orford received a Melbourne Research Development Grants Scheme for this project, which commenced in 2001.
Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements with Indigenous Peoples in Settler States: Their Role and Relevance for Indigenous and Other Australians
Maureen Tehan, Marcia Langton, Lisa Palmer and Larissa Behrendt are in the final year of this project, funded by an ARC Linkage Grant. This is an interdisciplinary project involving ATSIC as the Industry Partner. It examined the process of agreement-making/negotiating agreements with indigenous peoples and developed a publicly accessible database of agreements.
Competing Claims to Land and Resources – is Property Law the Answer?
Maureen Tehan and Lee Godden received an ARC Discovering Grant to examine resolving competing claims to land and resources, using a case study approach. The themes are competing interests and rights, including indigenous peoples interests, community interests, industry and sustainability.
Project on the Ownership, Access to and Control of Cultural Property
The Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia has a collaborative project with the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies involving the examination of issues relating to the ownership of, access to, and control of cultural property by indigenous peoples.
Pacific Media and Communications
The Centre for Media and Communications Law has an AusAid funded project looking at Pacific media and communications within Pacific Island constitutions. The project examines the way media and NGOs can improve governance, and reviews FOI laws.
Defamation and Journalism
The Centre for Media and Communications Law completed an ARC Discovery Grant projected in 2006, entitled: Defamation Law in Context: Australian and US News Production Practices and Public debate.
Asia Pacific Dispute Resolution Project
Sarah Biddulph is involved in a five year collaborative research project with the University of British Columbia’s Institute of Asian Research entitled the Asia Pacific Dispute Resolution Project. The project, now in its fourth year, is supporting research, analysis and policy proposals on cross-cultural dispute resolution in the areas of trade and human rights, with particular attention to Canada, China and Japan.
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