Deakin Law School news bites.

DLS PhD student Michael Guihot receives prestigious prize – 20 May 2016

The 2016 International Insolvency Studies bronze medal prize has been awarded to DLS PhD student Michael Guihot.The prize is awarded for original legal research, commentary or analysis on topics of international insolvency and restructuring significance and on comparative international analysis of domestic insolvency and restructuring issues and developments. Michael’s medal-winning entry "Cross-border insolvency: A Case for a Transaction Cost Economics Analysis" will be  considered for publication in the Norton Journal of Bankruptcy Law and Practice (West) and for inclusion in the Westlaw electronic database.

DLS academic referenced in Dhaka Courier – 19 May 2016

JD deputy director and Deakin Law School lecturer Dr M. Ehteshamul Bari’s article, titled 'The Natural Death of the Supreme Judicial Commission of Bangladesh and the Consequent Patronage Appointments to the Bench: Advocating the Establishment of an Independent Judicial Commission', has been extensively referred to by the prestigious Dhaka Courier in its recent brief on the superior judiciary of Bangladesh. The brief can be accessed on the Dakha Courier website. 

DLS Professor Samantha Hepburn responds to CSIRO announcement of new Climate Science Centre – 26 April 2016 

'The announcement today by CSIRO to establish a national climate research centre in Hobart suggests a strong shift in strategic direction. Following close on the heels of the decision by CSIRO Chief, Dr Larry Marshall, to reduce the climate research division at CSIRO, with approximately 275 climate change scientists and research staff at CSIRO losing their jobs, this new centre comes as a welcome relief. It will, of course, need to facilitate significant external collaboration to ensure success. Viewed from a positive perspective, and without in any way negating the devastating impact of the loss of crucial CSIRO researchers, it is to be hoped that this new initiative will fill what has become a gaping hole in climate change research in Australia.  A national climate change centre capable of facilitating strong, collaborative, inter-disciplinary research is a crucially important move towards understanding and responding more effectively to the enormous imperatives connected with our climate change future.'

DLS academic presents CPD seminar – 20 April 2016

Deakin Law School lecturer, Dr Benjamin Hayward, recently presented a CPD seminar on ‘The Australian Arbitration Framework’ at a seminar series run by the Resolution Institute – a professional alternative dispute resolution body.  Dr Hayward’s seminar was well attended by the profession, as well as interested law students, and addressed the legal rules underpinning international commercial arbitration and domestic commercial arbitration in Australia.  A copy of Dr Hayward’s paper delivered at the seminar can be downloaded on the Deakin University website.

Professor Du Plessis addresses Rotary District Conference – 19 March 2016

On Saturday 19 March 2016, Professor Jean Du Plessis, Director, Centre for Comparative Corporate Governance and Professor at Deakin Law School, addressed 350 delegates attending the Rotary District Conference. The conference theme was 'Ethics in Leadership'. Professor Du Plessis focused on the importance of business ethics and, in particular the importance of a code of conduct. He argued that the ethical tone should be set at the top, but the ethical behaviour should be promoted throughout any organisation.

Dan Simmonds, Managing Principal Harwood Andrews Lawyers, chaired the session and emphasised the importance of different types of ethical conduct in different environments as well as the hypothesis of 'What is really the truth?'. Paul Cohen, Acting CEO, Barwon Health, focused on ethical behaviour in a medical and health context, while Stephanie Beard, Human Resources Manager at Harwood Andrews emphasised the importance of strong leadership in an organisation and fair treatment and openness in the workplace to create a friendly and collegial working environment.

Photo left to right: Dan Simmonds, Stephanie Beard Paul Cohen and Professor Jean du Plessis

DLS professors address ASIC – Investment Managers Superannuation (IMS) Conference  – 8 March 2016

On invitation from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Professor Sandeep Gopalan, Dean of Law and Head of Deakin Law School and Professor Jean Du Plessis, Director, Centre for Comparative Corporate Governance and Professor at Deakin Law School, recently addressed 48 members of the ASIC Management Investment and Superannuation (IMF) team. The conference theme 'Workforce Diversity', lent itself to a focus on the merits and advantages of board gender diversity and both Prof. Gopalan and Prof. Du Plessis speculated, whether or not the business case for more women on boards should be the main argument for or against better board gender diversity.

The session was chaired by ASIC Commissioner John Price.

Photo left to right: Professor Sandeep Gopalan, Commissioner John Price, Professor Jean Du Plessis and Mr Tim Walker