Does your university have an 'internship' scheme, or an Honours program? Are you looking for a topic related to the law, civil liberties and human rights? CLA may have highly-qualified members available who can help mentor/supervise internships or Honours essays of 6-8000 words. Here's some of our ideas...

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Civil Liberties Australia (CLA)  – internship/research project possibilities:  version 110701

At ANU, contact the internship supervisor Peter Ford in the first instance: peter.ford@law.anu.edu.au
For other universities, check with your internship and/or Honours manager.
For CLA, contact Secretary/CEO Bill Rowlings at secretary@cla.asn.au

CLA is also looking for volunteers to develop admin experience in the Canberra office 1-2 days a week.


NOTE: Topics may be adapted, or suggest your own

1.         Braking of the Waters:   Examine at what storage levels and in which circumstances human rights might be applied to water in an Australian environment (say the Perth/Kalgoorlie, Goulburn/Canberra or Murray Vic/SA water complexes – or include another area of your choice), and whether/how laws of ownership, equity, human rights, or commerce might be used to ensure appropriate distribution of a scarce resource.

2:         National police chase code (completed)

3.         Tort by the Dead:  Research a selection (6-7) of coronial inquests in three States/Territories and/or federally (?Private Kovco, handled by NSW) resulting from incidents since c. 2000, and analyse alternative methods, approaches or mechanisms which could have resulted in a speedier resolution of issues relating to the government and community's need to take corrective and preventative action.

4.         Course and Intent:   Analyse the legal needs of CEOs/managers of a selection (say, 3-4) of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), small to large, with a view to recommending a course structure and subjects for legal training of current and potential NGO CEOs.  (Say, Amnesty, Red Cross, CLA, Bahai, etc). Note: Check whether Treasury has a project under way that is peripheral to this project, in that it looks at structures of NGO entities).

5.         A Certain Trade:   Undertake a literature search of developments since c.2000 on issues relating to human rights in relation to trade, and prepare a paper on how Australia might develop a charter/strategy of Corporate Rights and Responsibilities, and a timeframe for implementation. Pay special attention to the Pacific Islands (and PNG-Timor Leste) region.

6.         Treaty Fealty:   Examine a selection (say 3 of the roughly 40) of the national Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, and Extradition treaties approved by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties  (contrast with any ‘special’ treaties with China, UAE, USA, Israel, South Korea and Hong Kong).  Are these treaties having any impact on Australian domestic law (eg, a UAE treaty may cause elements of sharia law to be notionally implemented in Australia). NOTE: New Bill in 2011.

7.         Reporting Improvement  (for the October-January period):    Analyse and report on three Annual Reports, focusing on human rights and governance obligations; if appropriate, recommend improved approaches and possibly develop a template for human rights reporting by govt depts./agencies:

• Federal Attorney-General's Department (esp. Legal Services Directions/Model Litigant Principles)
• ASIO (and ASIS, if available)
• Australian Federal Police
• Commonwealth Ombudsman
• Inspector General of Intelligence and Security, Indpendent Monitor
• Attorney-General’s Department, WA and/or Tas and/or Vic and/or NT
• WA Police and/or Tas and/or Vic and/or NT

8.         DNA law in Australia (criminal): Completed

9.         Legitimate Models:    Examine the model rules for registered, incorporated, not-for-profit entities in three Australian States/Territories (say ACT, Victoria, WA), identify technology issues, and propose new model rules for managing and operating these entities, state-by-state and/or nationally. (Note: Treasury may be working on a relevant project).

10.       It’s Not Cricket:   For two sports (say AFL and cricket, or Rugby Union/Rugby League and women's basketball), analyse the code, club and player contractual arrangements, and disciplinary tribunal provisions, mechanisms and history; compare and contrast in relation to liberties and human rights, freedom of speech and contractual issues.

11: a. Pacific: Rising Tide – contrast liberties/rights in nations: Completed
11: b. Pacific: Charter of rights – cultural considerations: Completed.

12.       Media Mediation:  Analyse the unlawful killing rate of media people worldwide since 2000; review protections for media representatives worldwide - if inadequate, devise laws/systems to better protect them; should an International Covenant for Media Protection be a priority for the UN. 

13.       Is there doubt over ‘Reasonable Doubt?’    Research reports, statistics and exemplar cases, and analyse how ‘reasonable doubt’ is interpreted at Magistrate, District and Supreme court level in selected States/Territories, and compare the quality of justice in different jurisdictions, including recommending how to improve the system.

14.       Is the Government now a Model Litigant?  Analyse the history and current status of Model Litigant laws and provisions in Australia and – if needed – recommend changes to the laws, reporting, supervision/monitoring and training, as well as a possible penalty system where the government breaches its statutory duty. Australia, or for Australia and one or more State Govts; also, could compare internationally with, say, Canada, UK, NZ.

15.  Client rights: right to a lawyer:   Examine how police forces in a selection of states, and the AFP, do or do not abide by the legal principles associated with a person’s right to consult a lawyer.

16:  COAG, SCAG and the 41 Ministerial Councils: changing how Australian laws are developed:  Examine a selection of meetings (say one each of COAG, SCAG and 1-2 Ministerial Councils) and report on developing  legislation through this process; nalyse consultation or lack of it with relevant interest groups and the community; analyse passage of relevant laws through 2-3 parliaments (federal and 1-2 state or territory parliaments). 

17.  Are Human Rights Compatibility Statements compatible with legislative rights?   Analyse and report on the use/relevance of compatibility statements accompanying legislative instruments in the first 7 years of the ACT Human Rights Act 2004, and the first 5 years of the Victorian Charter of Rights and Responsibilities 2006. Recommend (if needed) improvements to the processes and methodologies.

18. On the Warpath:   Analyse the legislative basis for how 3 countries (UK, USA, Canada) decide to go to war, decide to continue at war, report on war to parliament as war continues, and decide to end wars. ‘War’ includes ‘warlike deployments. Compare and contrast with Australia, and recommend a set of principles on which to base a new legislative instrument for consideration by the Australian Parliament.

19. Serious and Organised Persecution: Restricting Legal Robbery:   Examine two cases, from each of three Australian jurisdictions, brought under Serious and Organised Crime (Proceeds of Crime) legislation, and report on the legal processes, the results, and the impact(s) on the accused and family members involved.  Recommend amendments to legislation to better protect innocent people caught up in the system.

20: How Private is the Australian Public Service:    Analyse prosecutions under privacy and code of conduct violation rules in 3 selected government departments and agencies (say Medicare, Centrelink, Workplace Relations, Indigenous Affairs, etc) for the past five years. Recommend changes to legislation and/or rules/codes if the analysis suggests changes are needed.

21. Executive Fiat: Examine and analyse the common, media and legal use of the word “Executive” in relation to the Australian Constitution, Parliament and Government.  Recommend a new system and terminology for Australia.

22.  Reporting on Report Cards: Examine the legal reporting record of Australia for the period 2001-2010 under the formal requirements of international conventions, the Human Rights Council and its predecessor, and any other relevant international body. Recommend a new system and structure to improve the analysis, consulting and reporting process.

23.  Liberties Lost: Analyse, for Australia, the USA, Britain and Canada, the customary freedoms and liberties lost due to laws introduced following the September 2001 aircraft attacks on New York (“9/11”). Recommend a method and timetable to restore as many freedoms and liberties as possible by 2020.

24: (Communications/Journalism/Public Relations): Spin Cycle: Analyse and report on the growth in public relations staff, resources, equipment and output by 3-4 selected police forces in Australia between 1990 and 2010 (say AFP, NSW, WA, NT).  Consider how the growth has had an impact on the media and Australian democracy, and make recommendations for the future.

25:  DNA – Marked for Life: Examine laws in other countries (say 3) that protect citizens in relation to DNA use/abuse, and recommend a set of principles on which new law in Australia should be based (and/or draft a new law for Australia).

26:  Organ donation – Waiting for God, Oh!   Examine the legal, regulatory and professional bases around organ donation in Australia, nationally and by State/Territory. Highlight anomalies (if any) and recommend any changes to legal, regulatory of professional ‘rules’ which could improve national/state/territory systems.

27:  The Reformation: Improving Democracy in/of the Australia Parliament: Examine the formalities (including the legal basis), structures, orders/rules and practices that make the Australia Parliament less than ideal in how it operates. Recommend a series of changes, based on principles, to improve how the parliament operates and its effectiveness.

28: Drugs: How to Win a New ‘War’: Analyse approaches to the ‘war on drugs’ in 3-5 countries, and highlight emerging trends. Recommend an improved legal, health and allied system for Australia.

Bill Rowlings, CEO, CLA

PS: We expect to adapt these concepts for the different types of internships/research projects over the next couple of years, so would be grateful if you would consider them 'CLA ideas'.

V110701