Associate Professor Matthew Zagor
BA (Hons 1st Class, London), LLB (UNSW), DipLP
Associate Professor
ANU College of Law
Areas of expertise
- Constitutional Law 180108
- Human Rights Law 180114
- International Law (Excl. International Trade Law) 180116
- Comparative Law 180106
- Legal Institutions (Incl. Courts And Justice Systems) 180120
- Legal Theory, Jurisprudence And Legal Interpretation 180122
- Law And Society 180119
- Law And Society 180119
Research interests
Refugee law - doctrinal, theoretical, and interdisciplinary approaches (eg refugee narrative identities and recognition; judicial approaches to the Refugee Convention - the High Court of Australia as global outlier; autonomy and authenticity in refugee legal discourses; antinominianism in refugee resettlement policy; discerning a political theology in refugee law and policy)
Judicial roles and rhetoric - identifying a legal and political theory in judicial approaches to exclusion and detention (project with the AACL, co-authorship with Dr Amelia Simpson); principle of legality; constitutional reverence / patriotism.
International Law - the 'humanity turn'; international law and religion.
Current student projects
Current PhD Supervision (2019):
- Isaiah Okorie, Non-refoulement and customary international law - an empirical approach (Chair)
- Jeswynn Yogaratnam, Operation Sovereign Borders - a Human Security Approach (Chair)
- Justine Poon, Encounters at the Border: The disembodiment of asylum seekers and the embodiment of sovereignty in Australian law and discourse' (Panel)
- Katherine Waterford, The Nature and Limits of Commonwealth Executive Power to Detain (Panel)
- Andrew Willcocks, Between sovereignty and international legal cosmopolitanism: a comparative investigation into irregular migrant detention in the European Union (Panel)
- Angie Sturrock, The affective-discursive legitimation of Australia’s mandatory and offshore detention policies (Panel)
- Tina Dixson, What does it mean to be a queer refugee women? (Panel)
Publications
- Zagor, M 2019, 'Martyrdom, Antinomianism, and the Prioritising of Christians- Towards a Political Theology of Refugee Resettlement', Refugee Survey Quarterly, vol. 38, pp. 387ïÿý424.
- Rubenstein, K, Zagor, M & Dalla-Pozza, D 2019, 'Submission to the PJCIS: Inquiry into the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Strengthening the Citizenship Loss Provisions) Bill 2018'.
- Zagor, M 2016, 'Adventures in the grey zone: constitutionalism, rights and the review of the executive power in the migration context', in John Bell & Marie-Luce Paris (ed.), Rights-Based Constitutional Review: Constitutional Courts in a Changing Landscape, Edward Elgar Publishing, United Kingdom, pp. 180-217.
- Zagor, M 2015, 'The struggle of autonomy and authenticity: framing the savage refugee', Social Identities, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 373-394.
- Zagor, M, Kirk, L, Hoang, K et al 2014, Submission, Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014.
- Zagor, M 2014, 'PRESENTATION - 'The State "We" are In': Speech to Refugee Action Committee Annual General Meeting'.
- Zagor, M 2014, 'Recognition and narrative identities: is refugee law redeemable?', in Fiona Jenkins, Mark Nolan, Kim Rubenstein (ed.), Allegiance and Identity in a Globalised World, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, pp. 311-353.
- Zagor, M 2014, 'The Struggle of Autonomy and Authenticity: Framing the Savage Refugee', Access to Asylum: Current Challenges and Future Directions, Conference Organising Committee, Tuscany, Italy.
- Zagor, M 2013, 'Adventures in the Grey Zone: Constitutionalism, Rights and the Review of Executive Power in the Migration Context', Society of Legal Scholars Annual Seminar, Conference Organising Committee, Dublin, Ireland.
- Zagor, M 2013, Giving Teeth to Racist Dogma, pp. 2pp.
- McAdam, J, Berg, L, Crock, M et al 2013, Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights: Complementary Protection.
- Zagor, M 2012, BLOG - More suffering in asylum seekers solution, pp. 9-11pp.
- Zagor, M 2012, 'Refugees in Europe - A Tale of Two Regimes', Euro Legal Studies, no. 1, pp. 9-11.
- Zagor, M 2012, 'Exceptionalism and Experimentalism - the Australian approach to Extraterritoriality in Refugee Law', Irregular Immigrants and International Law, University of Grenoble, France, pp. 11pp.
- Zagor, M 2012, 'Hopes and Crises of Identity: Europe and Beyond', Colloquium on European Identity, Conference Organising Committee, Canberra, Australia.
- Zagor, M, Reilly, A, Kuek, V et al 2012, 'SUBMISSION - Constitutional Affairs, Migration and Security Legislation Amendment (Review of Security Assessments) Bill 2012'.
- Zagor, M 2011, Is Australia serious about eradicating cluster munitions?, p. 11.
- Zagor, M 2011, Migration Amendment (Detention Reform and Procedural Fairness) B¡ll 2010: Written submissions and views of Australian lawyers for Human Rights to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee.
- Walters, A & Zagor, M 2011, Written submissions and views of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights to the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Immigration Detention Network.
- Zagor, M 2010, 'Human rights, refugees, boat people, and civil rights', in (ed.), Australian Law Dictionary, Unknown, Australia.
- Zagor, M 2010, 'Playing God - Ministerial Discretion in Migration Law', LegalDate, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 14-15.
- Zagor, M 2010, 'Constitutional Patriotism in the Australian Context - applying Habermas Downunder', Revisiting Constitutional Patriotism and Constitutional Identity - an Antipodean Perspective, Roundtable at the ANU Centre for European Studies, Conference Organising Committee, Canberra, Australia.
- Zagor, M 2009, England and the Rediscovery of Constitutional Faith.
- Zagor, M 2009, The Oceanic Viking, Indonesia and Australia's refugee dilemma, pp. 1pp.
- Nasu, H, Zagor, M, Craft, A et al 2009, 'Submission to the Inquiry into the Migration Treatment of Disability conducted by the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, House of Representatives, October 2009'.
- Nasu, H, Zagor, M & Rice, S 2008, Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, Inquiry into Immigration Detention in Australia, 28 July 2008.
- Zagor, M 2012, 'Elementary considerations of humanity', in Karine Bannelier, Theodore Christakis and Sarah Heathcote (ed.), The ICJ and the Evolution of International Law: the enduring impact of the Corfu Channel case, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, London UK, pp. 264-292.
- Zagor, M 2011, '"I AM THE LAW!"-PERSPECTIVES OF LEGALITY AND ILLEGALITY IN THE ISRAELI ARMY ', Israel Law Review, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 551-589pp.
- Nasu, H, Zagor, M & Craft, A 2010, 'The Impacts of Australia's Ratification of the Disability Convention on the Health Requirement', Immigration Review, vol. March 2010, no. 44, pp. 3-6.
- Zagor, M 2008, 'Book Review: Watching Brief: Reflections on Human Rights, Law and Justice by Julian Burnside', Australian Year Book of International Law, vol. 27, pp. 268-273.
- Zagor, M 2008, 'Watching Brief: Relections on Human Rights, Law and Justice by J Burnside', Australian Year Book of International Law, vol. 27, no. ???, pp. 268-272.
- McDonald, L, Simpson, A, Stellios, J et al, eds, 2008, Federal Law Review.
- Zagor, M 2008, 'Judicial rhetoric and constitutional identity: comparative approaches to aliens' rights in the United Kingdom and Australia', Public Law Review, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 276-284.
- Zagor, M 2007, 'Judicial Rhetoric and Constitutional Identity', ANNUAL PUBLIC LAW WEEKEND 2007, Australian National University, Canberra.
- Zagor, M 2007, 'I am the Law: Perspectives of Legality and Illegality in Breaking the Silence: Israeli Soldiers Talk about Hebron'.
- McDonald, L, Simpson, A, Stellios, J et al, eds, 2007, Federal Law Review.
- Zagor, M 2007, 'Civil and Political Rights', in H Halsbury (ed.), Halsbury's Laws of Australia, LexisNexis Butterworths, Sydney Australia.
- Zagor, M 2007, Fundamental rights set adrift in the Pacific, The Australian.
- Zagor, M 2007, The Dark Age Art of Punitive Detention, The Canberra Times.
- Zagor, M 2006, 'Uncertainty and Exclusion: Detention of Aliens and the High Court', Federal Law Review, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 127-160.
- Zagor, M 2006, Judicial attitudes towards the 'principle of legality' - a comparative account, LSE Centre .
- Zagor, M 2005, No mean feat to walk the line between refugees and criminals, pp. 1pp.
- Zagor, M 2005, Terrorism is no excuse for torture, The Canberra Times.
- Zagor, M 2004, The Case for Environment Related Human Rights, ACT Attorney-General.
- Zagor, M 2000, 'Persecutor or Persecuted: Exclusion Under Article 1F(A) and (B) of the Refugees Convention', University of New South Wales Law Journal, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 164-189.
Projects and Grants
Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.
- Policy, Politics, Culture: EU Migration and Integration (Secondary Investigator)
- ANU Centre for European Studies 2014-2017 (Secondary Investigator)
