law

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Once upon a time in Babylon

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Law and order are a common feature of everyday existence. But how did it come to be this way? Join Domenic as he ventures to Babylon and uncovers the very beginnings of law in the world.

The More Things Change…

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Australian industry has experienced a wealth of changes due to accelerating globalisation in the late 20th century. Dr George Raitt explores the effects that the changes have had on competition law, particularly in reference to the beer brewing industry.

This article first appeared in Short Supply 2015 – check out the full magazine via the Short Supply tab at the top of this page!

John Freebairn Lecture recap

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On Thursday the 19th of September the University of Melbourne hosted the inaugural John Freebairn lecture titled ‘Governing the ungovernable: the market, technology and you’, presented by Professor Stephen King from Monash University. I had the opportunity to attend what was an insightful lecture about how the growing complexity, pace of change and use of technology has brought about a conundrum for market regulators. Stephen King’s speech was broken up into three parts: how regulation has adapted in the context of new technology, how some of the old rules will need remaking as technology has changed many business models, and finally regulating big data and the information revolution.  This article will provide a recap of the lecture for those who could not attend the event.

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The ‘calculus of negligence’ and economic efficiency

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When I saw the word calculus in my lecture slides I had to double-check that I wasn’t actually sitting in an economics class. Sure enough, I was in a torts law lecture.

In the tort of negligence the ‘calculus of negligence’ is a term used to describe the weighing up of diverse variables to assess whether a party has behaved appropriately in the face of a foreseeable risk. This inquiry is made to determine whether the party has breached a duty of care.

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Looking into Child Labour in India

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Child labour is hardly a new phenomenon. Some countries have attempted to address and curb this prevailing issue and yet, the number of children engaged in child labour continues to persist and climb. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), there are reportedly 246 million children trapped in child labour in the world, out of which approximately 70% of them toil long, hard hours under exploitative and perilous conditions.

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Uruguayan parliament lights up the legalisation debate

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In this coming Australian federal election it is likely that you may come across the HEMP party, whilst you are fulfilling your civic duty at the ballot box. The Help End Marijuana Prohibition Australia Party, claims that marijuana, or more widely known as ‘pot’, contains superior protein to beef, is healthier than alcohol, and can be used for food, fuel, medicine and of course, recreation.[1]

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The economics of choosing to go to law school

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There comes a point in every person’s childhood where they ponder if law is the right profession for them. Many go on to pursue this track and hold onto the notion of becoming a lawyer as their dream, without understanding what the practice of law entails. If we think about the extent of which popular media distorts our impression of lawyers, this really isn’t that hard to believe. From best-selling novels such as To Kill a Mockingbird, to popular TV series like Suits, and even hit video games like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, we are continuously exposed to false representations of the ‘glorified’ lawyer.

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