Mr Peter Bailey

AM, OBE, LLM (Melb.), MA (Oxf)
Adjunct Professor
ANU College of Law
T: 6125 4031

Areas of expertise

  • Human Rights Law 180114
  • International Law (Excl. International Trade Law) 180116
  • Family Law 180113
  • Access To Justice 180102
  • Civil Law And Procedure 180104
  • Legal Institutions (Incl. Courts And Justice Systems) 180120
  • Law 1801

Biography

Peter Bailey, is a former Rhodes Scholar from Victoria. Since 1999 he has been an Adjunct Professor in the ANU College of Law, after being a Visiting Fellow from 1987 to 1998. Before that, and between 1981 and 1986, he was Deputy Chairman and full-time chief executive of the Commonwealth's Human Rights Commission. His earlier career was in the Commonwealth Public Service, where he served in the Treasury and then in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, becoming a Deputy Secretary in the latter in 1972. He was a full time member of the Royal Commission on Australian Government Administration 1974-76.
A Thomson Reuters Lawbook in the Nutshell series, Human Rights Law, was published in 2012 and The Human Rights Enterprise: In Australia and Internationally by LexisNexis Butterworths in 2009.His main research interests are in human rights law and in public law generally, particularly in the area of the law relating to government and its instrumentalities.
He is currently working with Professor Mick Dodson on a chapter on indigenous law in International Law in Australia (3rd ed) by Professor Donald Rothwell. Earlier works include  a chapter on 'Interpreting Discrimination Law', in Interpreting Statutes, Corcoran and Bottomley (eda), Federation Press 2005; Human Rights: Australia in an International Context. (1990) and Bringing Human Rights to Life (1993). Between 1992 and 1996 he was foundation Title Editor for, and contributor to, the Human Rights Title in The Laws of Australia. In In 1998 his 'Civil and Political Rights' title was published in Halsbury's Laws of Australia.
He has published numerous articles, including 'Righting the Constitution without a Bill of Rights' (1995), 'The Right to an Adequate Standard of Living: New Challenges for Australian Law' (1997) and 'Is Administrative Review Possible Without Legalism?' (2001).

Return to top

Updated:  29 March 2024 / Responsible Officer:  Director (Research Services Division) / Page Contact:  Researchers