Kaldor Centre Unsw

Kaldor Centre Director, Professor Jane McAdam, and Fiona Chong’s new book 'Refugees: Why Seeking Asylum Is Legal and Australia’s Policies Are Not' (UNSW Press, 2014) was launched on 4 September 2015. Admiral Chris Barrie AC, the former Chief of Defence in Australia at the time of the 2001 'Children Overboard' affair, spoke at the launch. The book rejects spin and panic to provide a straightforward and balanced account of Australia’s asylum policies in light of international law. Written for a general audience, it explains who asylum seekers and refugees are, what the law is, and what policies like offshore processing, mandatory detention, and turning back boats mean in practice. Using real-life examples, this book reminds us about the human impact of Australia’s policies. Refugees has been shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

22 July 2014 - An expert panel on the High Court case involving 157 Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers held by an Australian customs vessel on the high seas (later handed down as CPCF v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2015] HCA 1). The case raises questions of international law, constitutional law, and administrative law, all of which were the subject of the discussion. Panel members: Professor Jane McAdam, Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law Professor George Williams, UNSW Associate Professor Tim Stephens, University of Sydney Ed Santow, CEO, Public Interest Advocacy Centre The event was kindly hosted by Gilbert + Tobin and chaired by partner Steven Glass.