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Adjunct Professors
Julian Burnside QC
The honorary title of Adjunct Professor is awarded to very senior academics or highly eminent senior professional practitioners who are actively associated with the activities of the University, in either teaching, research, via a community engagement or consultancy activities. Through this relationship, they contribute greatly to the University’s intellectual life.
Adjunct Professors associated with the Institute of Legal Studies include:
Julian Burnside
Julian Burnside is a barrister practising in Melbourne and other parts of Australia. He joined the Bar in 1976 and took silk in 1989. He became an Adjunct Professor at ACU in 2005.
He acted for the Ok Tedi natives against BHP, for Alan Bond in fraud trials, for Rose Porteous in numerous actions against Gina Rinehart, and for the Maritime Union of Australia in the 1998 waterfront dispute against Patrick Stevedores. He was the Senior Counsel assisting the Australian Broadcasting Authority in the "Cash for Comment" inquiry and was senior counsel for Liberty Victoria in the Tampa litigation.
While specialising in commercial litigation, he has acted pro bono in many human rights cases, in particular concerning the treatment of refugees.
He is passionately involved in the arts. He collects contemporary paintings, photographs and sculptures, and regularly commissions music. He is Chair of Fortyfive Downstairs, Chair of Chunky Move, Chair of the Mietta Foundation and deputy Chair of Musica Viva Australia.
He has written a successful children's book, Matilda and the Dragon (Allen & Unwin) and a book of essays on language and etymology, Wordwatching – field notes from an amateur philologist, (Scribe, 2004). He compiled a book of letters written by asylum seekers held in Australia's detention camps. The book, From Nothing to Zero, was published in 2003 by Lonely Planet.
In 2004 he was elected as a Living National Treasure. He is married to artist Kate Durham.
Chris Sidoti
Chris Sidoti is a human rights lawyer, activist and teacher. He is currently director of the International Service for Human Rights, based in Geneva, Switzerland. He was appointed Adjunct Professor at ACU in 2005. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Sydney and Griffith University.
Chris has been Australian Human Rights Commissioner (1995-2000), Australian Law Reform Commissioner (1992-1995) and Foundation Director of the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (1987-1992). He has also worked in non-government organisations, including for the Human Rights Council of Australia and the Australian Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace.
