On 27 February, NSC hosted the launch of National Security Law in Australia – a first-of-its-kind book, edited and authored by Associate Professor Danielle Ireland-Piper.
This edited volume takes an interdisciplinary approach and includes chapters on national security in the context of judicial power, executive power, federalism, human rights, gender, citizenship, counter-terrorism, foreign interference, cyberspace, biosecurity, policing, law of the sea, space law, and international humanitarian law.
In her introductory remarks Associate Professor Ireland-Piper emphasised the evolving nature of national security as a concept, requiring an interdisciplinary legal approach to balance protection and rights. She then moderated a panel discussion with chapter authors Dr Dominique Dalla-Pozza, Associate Professor Rebecca Ananian-Welsh and Professor Douglas Guilfoyle.
Why national security law is “more than the sum of its parts” | Speech and panel discussion
Concluding the event, Jake Blight, Australia’s Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM) spoke about the explosion of legislation and the critical need to review its effectiveness, proportionality, and impact on rights in the face of ever-changing threats.
Reassessing national security law for modern threats | INSLM Jake Blight
He underscored the importance of the book in this regard, “[This book] takes us through some fields that we should expect to be national security law, but some things that are newer thinking about climate, energy agenda, space, we've really expanded our understanding of the law."
National Security Law in Australia is available for purchase through the Federation Press website.
Read Associate Professor Ireland-Piper's speech.
Who decides? Courts, citizenship, and national security (podcast)
Event Speakers
Associate Professor Danielle Ireland-Piper
Danielle Ireland-Piper is the Academic Director and Associate Professor at NSC. Danielle’s expertise includes national security law, constitutional law, transnational crime, and international law. Her work is recognised internationally and she is the author of books, journal articles, and public commentary.
Dr Dominique Dalla-Pozza
Dr Dominique Dalla-Pozza is a Senior Lecturer with NSC and the ANU Law School. Her research interests are primarily focused on parliament and the legislative process and Australian public law issues. She also teaches Australian Public Law and Commonwealth Constitutional Law, and assists in teaching Legislation and Legislative Drafting (for Masters students).
Associate Professor Rebecca Ananian-Welsh
Associate Professor Rebecca Ananian-Welsh is a constitutional law scholar and Editor of the University of Queensland Law Journal at the TC Beirne School of Law. Her research focuses on courts, national security and press freedom and she has published widely in these fields, including more than 25 journal articles, two edited collections and a monograph.
Professor Douglas Guilfoyle
Professor Douglas Guilfoyle is an expert in maritime security, the international law of the sea, and international and transnational criminal law. He is presently an Australian Research Council Future Fellow working on the project Small states, legal statecraft and the law of the sea.