Welcome

This website has been designed to provide information on human rights law and related areas of study in the Melbourne Law School.

International reputation
The Melbourne Law School has an international reputation for leading scholarship in human rights, with a particular focus on Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Faculty members have expertise across a wide range of human rights areas and are engaged in both independent research projects and collaborative initiatives with universities, institutions and organisations nationally and overseas. Many of the Centres and Institutes at the Melbourne Law School specialise in human rights research and practice.  Prominent human rights scholars and practitioners regularly visit the Melbourne Law School and are involved in research, initiatives, teaching, consultation and events.

Contribution
The Melbourne Law School makes a distinctive contribution to the human rights discourse. Its strength is in the development of cutting-edge research that bridges the divide between theory and practice by stimulating debate and making a direct impact on social policy.

The Melbourne Law School's contribution involves interdisciplinary dialogue with leading international human rights law scholars and practitioners on the implementation, direction and future of human rights; and direct engagement with government, lawyers, human rights activists and scholars through teaching programs. Its practical contribution to the strategic development of human rights involves advising on litigation, working with national and international governmental and non-governmental organisations, and making submissions to law reform bodies and parliamentary inquiries

Unrivalled academic experience
The Melbourne Law School teaching program offers students a depth and range of human rights law and related subjects. Human rights subjects are taught by staff member experts and by leading international scholars and practitioners.

Melbourne Law School students contribute to developing human rights discourse through research and practical activities. There are a number of opportunities for students to engage in dynamic human rights activities both within the law school and in the community.  Students also experience human rights in context by undertaking internships with governmental and non-governmental organisations in human rights and related areas. Involvement in human rights activities and internships offer students practical legal experience and give Melbourne Law School students a competitive advantage in the professional field.

Expertise
Areas of human rights expertise include:

• Bills of rights
• Children’s rights
• Rights of indigenous peoples
• Rights-based approaches to policy development and implementation
• Civil and political rights
• Counter-terrorism
• Domestic implementation of human rights
• Economic, social and cultural rights
• Gender
• Globalisation
• Development
• National human rights institutions and practices in the Asia Pacific region
• International Humanitarian Law
• Labour rights
• NGOs
• Parliaments and rights
• Peace and security
• Race discrimination
• Refugees and asylum seekers
• Sexuality
• Trade
• United Nations and other international organisations

Contact
Contact us to learn more about human rights at the Melbourne Law School.