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Law & society
News about legal, social and ethical issues based on peer-reviewed studies or expert analysis
Latest news
30 September 2024
Police stop more Black drivers, while speed cameras issue unbiased tickets: study
Traffic stops in Chicago have more than doubled, with Black drivers being stopped more often, research shows. This raises concerns about fairness and safety, co-writes Professor David Levinson from the Faculty of Engineering in The Conversation.
26 September 2024
With hundreds dead in Lebanon, is international law being violated?
Israel and Hezbollah must protect civilians under international law, but both sides are increasingly causing civilian casualties amid escalating violence, writes Professor Emily Crawford from the Law School in The Conversation.
23 September 2024
OpenAI's data hunger raises privacy concerns
It is not difficult to imagine a scenario in which centralised control over many kinds of data would let OpenAI exert significant influence over people, writes Professor Uri Gal in The Conversation.
11 September 2024
As cities axe shared e-scooters, the many more personally owned ones are in a blind spot
It is high time for researchers and regulators to recognise the significant potential impacts of personal e‑scooters - both benefits and burdens, writes Professor Stephen Greaves for The Conversation.
06 September 2024
Living more radically after a cancer diagnosis
New research has found that people who receive a serious medical diagnosis may use it as a greenlight to undertake major changes within their lives, writes Professor Alex Broom, from the University of Sydney and his co-authors.
02 September 2024
AI was born at a US summer camp 68 years ago. Here's why that event still matters today
The Dartmouth participants didn't spend much time discussing the ethical implications of AI. Today we know better and must do better, writes Associate Professor Sandra Peter for The Conversation.
26 August 2024
Australians now have the right to disconnect - but how workplaces react will be crucial
The right to disconnect can improve work-life balance and wellbeing, but its success depends on how it is implemented and enforced within each workplace, write Professor Emmanuel Josserand and Associate Professor Martijn Boersma for The Conversation.
09 August 2024
Max Dupain captures university life in the Cold War era
A new Chau Chak Wing Museum exhibition of work by Max Dupain, one of Australia's best-known modernist photographers, documents the nation at a crossroads.
08 August 2024
How old's too old to be a doctor?
The Medical Board of Australia is reviewing regulations for doctors aged 70+. Options include detailed health assessments or general health checks, prompted by rising complaints. A third option keeps current rules, requiring doctors to ensure their fitness. Dr Christopher Rudge from the Sydney Law School examines.
01 August 2024
The 3 changes Australian sport must make after Volleyball Australia's shocking abuse report
Transparency, accountability and redress are needed to break the cycle of systemic abuse in sport, write Dr Natalie Galea, Dr Mary Woessner and Victoria Roberts for The Conversation.
31 July 2024
Does Donald Trump really want to be a dictator?
David Smith, Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy in the Discipline of Government and International Relations, unpacks the language Donald Trump is using to address his Christian audience.
16 July 2024
Past shootings of US presidents led to new gun controls - will this one?
David Smith, Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy in the Discipline of Government and International Relations, looks into the history of the AR-15 rifle and attempts at gun control in America.
08 July 2024
Should the NSW Government buy our toll roads?
Toll roads charge too much yet we don't have enough of them. To fix both things, NSW should buy their private owners, writes Professor David Levinson for The Conversation.
18 June 2024
Tight-knit communities can prevent environmental progress
New research indicates that strong community bonds could hinder rather than help environmental initiatives.
18 June 2024
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to receive 2024 Sydney Peace Prize
The Sydney Peace Foundation has announced the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement will receive the Sydney Peace Prize in 2024.
07 June 2024
Sexual harassment rife in retail work
The peak bodies representing retailers and workers are calling on the industry to address the scourge of sexual harassment, in light of new research.
05 June 2024
'Junk science' in Australian courts threatens to cause wrongful convictions
The conviction of Robert Farquharson for the murder of his three sons is under intense scrutiny due to doubts about the prosecution's evidence. This case highlights the crisis in handling expert opinion evidence in Australian courts, which often ignore top scientific advice. Professor David Hamer from the Sydney Law School examines the system's susceptibility to "junk science."
04 June 2024
Black drivers in Chicago more likely to be stopped by police than ticketed by a camera
Researchers from the University of Sydney, Cornell University, Rutgers and the University of Illinois, Chicago has found Black drivers in Chicago have a disproportionately higher likelihood of being stopped by police than being ticketed by a traffic camera.
23 May 2024
Age verification for social media: Do kids and parents even want it?
Age verification for social media would impact all of us. Dr Justine Humphry, Dr Catherine Page Jeffery, Dr Jonathon Hutchinson and Dr Olga Boichak from Media and Communications investigate the efficacy and risks of age-checking technologies and whether there are better approaches to mitigating online harms affecting young people.
20 May 2024
The tentacles of retracted science reach deep into social media. A simple button could change that.
On social media, health myths based on debunked science abound. A new tool could be social media's best defence against misinformation.