Overview
The broad research objectives of the Law Faculty are:
- To foster and maintain a research culture informed by national and international standards, and
- To provide high quality research training programs that suitably prepare candidates for careers as researchers.
The Law Faculty has a very active research program, and is one of the highest ranked faculties in the country in terms of research publications per staff. Research performance measured in high output is central to the achievement of the Law Faculty’s mission. This is reflected in the number of scholarly books and refereed journal articles produced by Law Faculty staff.
The research activity of the Law Faculty is fostered by the presence of two specific centres of legal scholarship:
- Centre for Law and Genetics – A number of members of the Faculty are involved in this centre, the main aim of which is to investigate bio-ethical matters and the legal implications arising from use of new technologies. The Centre is at the forefront of research into issues such as the legal standards in the commercialisation of human genetic technology.
- Tasmania Law Reform Institute – The Institute was established in July 2001 with a mission to undertake law reform work and research on topics proposed by the State Government, the community, the University and the Institute itself. Recent activity has included projects looking at a Charter of Rights for Tasmania, drug counts, contempt of court, sentencing trends and options, the role of victims and the community in the sentencing process, corporate manslaughter, vendor disclosure, intoxication as a defence to criminal charges, police powers of arrest, bail and an evidence project on trial judges’ directions to juries in relation to delayed complaint in sexual offences cases.
In addition to these centres, the Law Faculty has particular expertise in the general areas of medical law and ethics, property law, international law, corporations law, and equity & trusts. Individual researchers and scholars within the Law Faculty have produced leading texts on the law of evidence and procedure, succession law, juvenile justice, family law, sentencing, equity & trusts, charity law, legal ethics, agency and costs.
The Law Faculty also hosts two major publications: the University of Tasmania Law Review (that invites contributions on any topic of legal interest) and the Journal of Law, Information and Science.
