Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Professor Melissa Castan is Director of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, and Associate Dean (Staffing) in the Law Faculty. She has over 25 years experience teaching, researching and publishing in Australian Public Law, Constitutional law, Human Rights Law, Indigenous Legal Issues and Legal Education.
Melissa's most recent ARC Project is Real-time rights-based recordkeeping governance with Professor Moira Paterson, Associate Professor Joanne Evans and Professor Elisabeth Shepherd. It explores how records co-creation can be conceptualised in child protection and information law and overseen dynamically through a new digitally enabled, child-centred and rights-based advocacy and regulatory framework (2020-2023).
Her most recent books are Critcal Perspectives in Human Rights Law in Australia co-editied with Professer Paula Gerber; The Global Lawyer (2019) Associate Professor Kate Galloway, and Professor John Flood; and Federal Constitutional Law: A Contemporary View (2019) with Professor Sarah Joseph. She is also co-author, with Professor Sarah Joseph, of The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Cases, Commentary and Materials (OUP, 2013), The impact of this book is wide-ranging, with citations in the High Court of Australia and other Australian judgments, in the European Court of Human Rights and further citations by the UK House of Lords, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, the New Zealand Courts, the Supreme Court of Pitcairn Island, numerous international law bodies, and in law reform commission reports.
Melissa is an experienced HDR and Honours supervisor, and is available for PhD supervisions in her areas of expertise.
Melissa is National Convenor of the Alternative Law Journal, and hosts podcasts 'Law Radio' and 'Just Cases'. She tweets as @drmcastan.
Biography
Indigenous Peoples and the Law
Australian Public Law
Constitutional Law
Human Rights
International Human Rights Law
legal Identity
Legal History
Legal Education
Monash teaching commitment
International Human Rights Law
Public Law and Statutory Interpretation
Foundations of Law
Constitutional Law
Indigenous Rights and International Law
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
External positions
Board Member, Victoria Law Foundation
1 Oct 2015 → …
National Editorial Convenor, Alternative Law Journal
Research area keywords
- Human Rights
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Law
- Constitutional Law
- International Human Rights
- Public law
- Legal history
- Legal Education
- Indigenous Rights
- Legal Identity
Network
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Real-time rights-based recordkeeping governance
Evans, J., Paterson, M., Castan, M. & Shepherd, E.
12/12/20 → 12/12/24
Project: Research
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Digitising the Drafting of the Australian Constitution
Wesson, M., Murray, S., Dharmananda, J., Saunders, B., Stellios, J., Genovese, A., Twomey, A., Dixon, R., Beck, L., Castan, M., Williams, J., Cole, N., Aroney, N., Lino, D. & Tulich, T.
1/09/23 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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Contract in relation to research into record keeping by institutions with responsibilities for the care and welfare of children
Paterson, M. & Castan, M.
10/10/14 → 31/05/15
Project: Research
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Closing the Gap on Indigenous Birth Registration
Gerber, P., Castan, M., Freemantle, C. & Russell, L.
Australian Research Council (ARC), Plan International (Australia), Clayton Utz Lawyers, South East Australian Aboriginal Justice Services Limited (trading as Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service), Rise Network Inc, Equal Opportunity Commission Western Australia, Tangentyere Council, Department of Seniors and Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DSDSATSIP) (Queensland)
2/07/12 → 31/12/18
Project: Research
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Constitution, land, and sovereignty: love as a ‘race relations’ case?
Galloway, K. & Castan, M., 8 Aug 2022, In: Public Law Review. 33, p. 97-103 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment / Debate › Research › peer-review
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Constitutional Law
Beck, L. & Castan, M., 2022, Mastering Law Studies and Law Exam Techniques. Krever, R. (ed.). 11th ed. Lexis Nexis, p. 225-239 15 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Other › peer-review
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Hacking the Priestleys
Galloway, K., Castan, M. & Steel, A., 2022, Critical Legal Education as a Subversive Activity. Gibbon, H., Golder, B., Lixinski, L., Nehme, M. & Vines, P. (eds.). 1st ed. Abingdon UK: Routledge, p. 127-146 20 p. (Emerging Legal Education).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review
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Critical Perspectives on Human Rights Law in Australia: Volume 1
Gerber, P. (ed.) & Castan, M. (ed.), 2021, 1st ed. Prymont NSW Australia: Thomson Lawbook Co. 662 p.Research output: Book/Report › Edited Book › peer-review
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Critical Perspectives on Human Rights Law in Australia: Volume 2
Gerber, P. (ed.) & Castan, M. (ed.), 2021, 1st ed. Prymont NSW Australia: Thomson Lawbook Co. 623 p.Research output: Book/Report › Edited Book › peer-review
Activities
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Castan Centre submission to the Inquiry into the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum
Melissa Castan (Contributor), Kate Galloway (Contributor), Katie O'Bryan (Contributor) & Scott Walker (Contributor)
Apr 2023Activity: External Academic Engagement › Submissions to industry or govt committees, commissions and inquiries
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Inquiry into the Application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - Response to Additional Written Questions on Notice
Kate Galloway (Contributor), Katie O'Bryan (Contributor), Melissa Castan (Contributor) & Scott Walker (Contributor)
Mar 2023Activity: External Academic Engagement › Submissions to industry or govt committees, commissions and inquiries
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Appearance at the Inquiry into the application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Australia
Melissa Castan (Contributor), Kate Galloway (Contributor) & Katie O'Bryan (Contributor)
10 Mar 2023Activity: External Academic Engagement › Submissions to industry or govt committees, commissions and inquiries
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Submission on behalf of the Castan Centre to the EMRIP study on 'Treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements between indigenous peoples and States.'
Scott Walker (Contributor), Andrea Olivares Jones (Contributor), Katie O'Bryan (Contributor) & Melissa Castan (Contributor)
Jan 2022Activity: External Academic Engagement › Submissions to industry or govt committees, commissions and inquiries
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Castan Centre Human Rights Law Conference 2022
Melissa Castan (Organiser), Ronli Sifris (Organiser) & Maria O'Sullivan (Organiser)
22 Jul 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
Press/Media
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Human rights and election campaigns: Never the twain shall meet?
12/05/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Indigenous people cannot be aliens in their own land. Why challenging this fact (again) is so concerning.
Melissa Castan & Kate Galloway
21/10/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Connecting the dots: What really lies beneath the 'lucky country
25/03/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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High Court rules Indigenous people cannot be deported as aliens, but the fight for legal recognition remains
Melissa Castan & Kate Galloway
11/02/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature