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Delegation of Eminent Thai Judges Participate in International Tax Program

10 May 2019
Training for the Office of the Judiciary of Thailand
More than thirty Judges from Thailand, including 6 Justices of the Supreme Court, have joined the University of Sydney Law School for a two-week program in international tax law and policy.

Together with the Ross Parsons Centre for Corporate, Commercial and Taxation Law, Sydney Law School international taxation experts have welcomed the participants for a 10-day intensive program, covering topics such as the Australian tax system; anti-avoidance; interpretation and tax administration; custom duties and treaties.

“We are delighted by the opportunity to welcome and work with members of the Office of the Judiciary of Thailand,” said Dr Michael Dirkis, Professor of Taxation Law and Director of the Parsons Centre. “The program provides an excellent opportunity for engagement between our two countries, and the transfer of knowledge in the field of international taxation.”

“We look forward to opportunities for future collaboration.”

The University of Sydney Law School has a long-standing history with Thailand through the involvement and impact of our alumni in the region.

“Many Thai students who have graduated from the Sydney Law School have proved to be of great asset to the Thai Judiciary,” said Dr. Suthatip Jullamon Tasanachaikul, Judge of the Office of the President of the Supreme Court.

“This Program is a great opportunity for 35 of our Judges to work closely with a world-class leader in taxation.”

The delegation concludes on 10 May with a Presentation and Farewell Ceremony, and visit to the Federal Court.

Thailand delegation

About the Ross Parsons Centre

Founded in 2004, the Ross Parsons Centre engages in research and inquiry into the impact of commercial, corporate and taxation law in Australia and the international community. 

The centre aims to undertake, promote and support innovative and important scholarship, including research, consultancy and advocacy in all areas of commercial, corporate and taxation law. 

2019 Program

Monday 29 April Australian tax system and policy Graeme Cooper & Micah Burch

Tuesday 30 April

International Taxation Law

Michael Dirkis

Wednesday 1 May

Anti-avoidance

Graeme Cooper

Thursday 2 May

Interpretation

Chloe Burnett

Friday 3 May

Tax administration

Celeste Black & Michael Dirkis

Monday 6 May

Tax profession

Mark Brabazon

Tuesday 7 May

Customs duties

Alan Bennett

Wednesday 8 May

Treaties

Richard Vann

Thursday 9 May

Transfer pricing

Melissa Ogier

Friday 10 May

Court visit and presentation ceremony

Micah Burch

Alan Bennett is an international trade lawyer and principal of Alan Bennett Legal, Sydney, Australia. He is an adjunct lecturer in the University of Sydney Law School's post-graduate faculty where he teaches courses in international trade and customs law.

Mark Brabazon, QC (BA, LLM Qld, PhD Syd) was called to the bar in Queensland in 1984 and in New South Wales in 1988. He took silk in 2008. He has also worked as a legal researcher at the High Court, a law lecturer and a solicitor. Before commencing legal practice, he was associate to Dunn J. His main areas of professional practice are taxation, commercial law and equity. He has a particular professional and academic interest in tax policy, international taxation and the taxation of trusts. He advises and appears for both taxpayers and revenue authorities.

Celeste Black (BA Harvard, JD Penn, LLM (Hons) Syd, PhD Macquarie) is an Associate Professor in the University of Sydney Law School. She is a member of the Parsons Centre of Commercial, Corporate and Taxation Law, the Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law and a founding and executive member of the University's Human Animal Research Network. Celeste teaches and researches in taxation law, with particular interests in tax administration, international tax, and the interaction between taxation law and policy and environmental law. She recently completed her PhD on the domestic and international tax implications of carbon trading transactions. Celeste is a member of the Law Council of Australia Tax Subcommittee and the Australia Branch of the International Fiscal Association.

Micah Burch joined the University of Sydney Law School in 2010 after teaching at New York University School of Law from 2006 to 2009. Prior to academia, Micah practiced tax law at large corporate law firms in New York City and co-founded an independent publishing house specialisingin translations of popular Japanese books. A former Fulbright Fellow and graduate of Princeton University (magna cum laude, East Asian Studies) and Harvard Law School (cum laude), Micah teaches and researches in a range of areas, primarily domestic and international income tax law and not-for-profit law.

Graeme Cooper studied tax in Australia and the United States and holds a doctorate in law from Columbia University. He has taught tax in Law Schools in Australia, Europe and the United States. His principal research and teaching focus is domestic corporate taxation, comparative tax law and tax policy. He is the director of the Ross Parsons Centre of Commercial, Corporate and Taxation Law at the University of Sydney.

Richard J Vann is Challis Professor of Law at the University of Sydney. In 2006 he was William K Jacobs Jr Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School and he has taught regularly at New York University School of Law and the School of Advanced Study, University of London. He specialisesin corporate, comparative and international taxation. He is a graduate of the University of Queensland, Australia and Oxford University, UK.

Michael Dirkis is a Professor in tax law at the University of Sydney Law School. A noted researcher, he has authored and co-authored over 600 publications and papers. He has been engaged with taxation law for over 30 years through his roles within the Australian Taxation Office, the academy and the private sector. From May 1999 until October 2009 he was, as Senior Tax Counsel for the Tax Institute, in the forefront of the all major tax reform and taxation administration reforms through participation in key Australian governmental consultative forums conducted by the Treasury, Australian Taxation Office, the Board of Taxation, the Inspector General of Taxation and the Australian National Audit Office and appearing before numerous Parliamentary committees.

Melissa Ogier is an official of the Australian Taxation Office with special responsibilities for corporate international taxation including double tax agreements, financing structures and transfer pricing. Melissa has worked for multi-national corporations and has spent most of her career working for a big-4 advisory firm, before joining the Australian Taxation Office in 2014. She is also an adjunct lecturer at the University of Sydney teaching transfer pricing. Melissa’s current research is focused on the arm’s length principle and its ability to allocate profits in line with MNE value creation.

Chloe Burnett (B Comm, LLB Syd, LLM NYU) practices as a barrister in Sydney where she works in commercial and public law, with a specialisationin tax law. Chloe also has an extensive advisory and alternative dispute resolution practice. Before becoming a barrister Chloe was a solicitor at Allensand worked as an Associate to the HonourableJustice Edmonds of the Federal Court. She has also worked for Macquarie Bank in Sydney and Slaughter and May in London. Chloe has expertise in international tax and she is an active member of the International Fiscal Association.

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