Why justice matters

Lawyers, judges, politicians, academics and philosophers often appeal to notions of ‘justice’ in public debate and civic discourse. But what the term ‘justice’ actually means is often loosely defined and uncritically understood. Oxford defines justice in terms of ‘just behaviour or treatment’ and ‘the quality of being fair and reasonable’. Cambridge defines justice as ‘the … Continue reading Why justice matters →

2017/18 Outgoing MULC President’s Report

On April 16, 2018 I delivered the following Outgoing President's Report at the conclusion of my term as Melbourne University Liberal Club President. Today I am pleased to deliver my final Report as Club President after what has certainly been an eventful thirteen months in the role. Although not without its challenges, 2017 was an … Continue reading 2017/18 Outgoing MULC President’s Report →

If positivism is dissatisfying, legal realism is frightening

Legal realism, certainly of the kind that can be traced back to former US Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., represents a bleak picture of law that abandons noble liberal and democratic ideals in favour of a system of rule by a thousand emperors. Particularly, legal realists' insistence that law can be found in … Continue reading If positivism is dissatisfying, legal realism is frightening →

Why legal positivism is a dissatisfying theory of law

Critiquing an entire school of thought is an inherently dangerous undertaking, and this certainly holds true in the case of legal positivism. One of the foremost reasons for this difficulty is that legal positivists' views differ extensively, such that the distance between some classical and contemporary positivists (compare John Austin and Joseph Raz) is arguably … Continue reading Why legal positivism is a dissatisfying theory of law →

Cut tax to secure Australia’s future prosperity – my op-ed in The Australian (1 January 2018)

Maintaining our uncompetitive tax rate risks robbing future generations of Australian workers of the opportunity of the better and higher-paying jobs of the future to pay for services, the benefits of which they might never see.Cut tax to secure Australia’s future prosperity This time last year the United States Congress passed one of the most … Continue reading Cut tax to secure Australia’s future prosperity – my op-ed in The Australian (1 January 2018) →