The University of New South Wales Law Journal eagerly announces the launch of Issue 46(2) on 18 July 2023, where the Hon Justice Robert Beech-Jones will deliver a keynote address on the thematic topic: ‘Life Sciences: Ethics, Innovation and the Future of Law’. Justice Beech-Jones is the Chief Judge of the Common Law Division of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and a Judge on the New South Wales Court of Appeal. During his time on the Bench, his Honour has presided over a number of landmark cases where the intersection of law and science has become contentious, including those concerning vaccine mandates, DNA evidence and climatic events.

The thematic component of Issue 46(2) contains a total of five articles, each touching upon the ethical and legal challenges arising out of the interplay between law and the life sciences. The articles within the Issue’s thematic component explore a vast array of themes, including: the human rights implications stemming from the imposition of vaccine mandates, and whether state coercion is legally and morally justified; the recognition of legal personhood for the protection of animals; the sociocultural problems arising from the use of genetic searching in criminal investigations; the evolving regulatory landscape of nanotechnologies; and the increasingly blurred grounds on which waivers of consent are authorised in medical research. Together, these articles provide a timely analysis of the future of Australian legal development.

Issue 46(2) also contains five general articles addressing a number of fascinating legal issues, including: constructions of Aboriginal identity in the sentencing of Indigenous offenders, the varied ways in which inequality against the queer community persists in Australian law; the admission of intoxication evidence in rape trials; understandings of governance duties in the Australian charities sector; and whether a right to disconnect can be recognised in Australian employment law. 

The launch event for Issue 46(2) will take place at 6pm on Tuesday 18 July 2023 at the Sydney office of Corrs Chambers Westgarth.

Please RSVP via this link by 5pm on Tuesday 11 July 2023: https://unswlj46-2.eventbrite.com.au/

Guests will receive name tags upon arrival, so please register each attendee’s details individually.