Researcher

Emeritus Professor Brendan Edgeworth

My Expertise

Residential tenancy law; property law; legal theory; law and poverty; native title

Fields of Research (FoR)

Property Law (excl. Intellectual Property Law), Social Change, Legal Theory, Jurisprudence and Legal Interpretation, Law and Society

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Biography

Brief overview

I have been a member of the academic staff at the UNSW Law School since 1989. In my time at the School, I have been Director of Teaching (1997-2000), Associate Dean (Undergraduate) (1999-2001), Head of School (2008-2012), and Director of Postgraduate Studies (2013-2016). Prior to my appointment I taught at Macquarie Law School (1982-8). I have held positions as Visitor at Stellenbosch University (2013), Warwick University...view more

Brief overview

I have been a member of the academic staff at the UNSW Law School since 1989. In my time at the School, I have been Director of Teaching (1997-2000), Associate Dean (Undergraduate) (1999-2001), Head of School (2008-2012), and Director of Postgraduate Studies (2013-2016). Prior to my appointment I taught at Macquarie Law School (1982-8). I have held positions as Visitor at Stellenbosch University (2013), Warwick University (2006), National University of Ireland, Galway (1999), the International Institute for the Sociology of Law, Onati, Spain (1995) and Trinity College Dublin (1988). In 1978 was Senior Research Assistant at the National Law Centre, George Washington University. I was appointed Visiting Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence in Semester 2, 2016. 

My research interests span most of the areas in which I teach, as is reflected in my books such as: The Precarious Home: Socio-Legal Perspectives on the Home in Insecure Times, Hart Publishing, Oxford (2018) (with Helen Carr, and Caroline Hunter, eds); Butt's Land Law, 7th ed, Thomson Reuters, (2017); Law and Poverty in Australia: 40 Years after the Poverty Commission, Federation Press, Leichhardt, NSW (2017) (with Andrea Durbach and Vicki Sentas); Native Title from Mabo to Akiba: A Vehicle for Change and Empowerment?, Federation Press, Leichhardt, NSW (2015) (with Sean Brennan, Megan Davis and Leon Terrill); Sackville and Neave: Australian Property Law, 10th ed, LexisNexis, Sydney (2016) (with Chris Rossiter, Pam O'Connor and Andrew Godwin), the most widely prescribed property law text in Australian law schools; and LawModernityPostmodernity: Legal Change in the Contracting State, Ashgate, Aldershot, UK (2003). In addition, my research and publications cover the areas of law and social theory, and legal history. My research is also directed to the reform of housing law and property law. As well as making frequent submissions to government and law reform bodies, I have been engaged as a consultant to the New South Wales Law Reform Commission (1996), and was a member of the Board of the Tenants' Union of New South Wales from 2004-12. In 2015 I received the Vice Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence (Postgraduate Research Supervision). I was appointed Adjunct Professor of Law at the National University of Ireland, Galway in 2019, and Fellow of the Cambridge Centre for Property Law, University of Cambridge in 2020.


My Grants

(2016) Thomson Reuters, "Land Law Research Support", $6000

(2011) UNSW International Office: "Capacity Building in South East Asian Legal Education (with Colin Picker and Lisa Toohey): $28,000

(2010) UNSW Research Office: "Land Titling Options in Vietnam": $5000

(2003) Australian Research Council (Discovery-Projects): $89,000.

(1994) Australian Research Council (Small Grant Scheme): $7,000.

(1984) Australian Research Grants Scheme: $7,300 (with Michael Newcity).


My Awards

Vice Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence (Postgraduate Research Supervision), 2015.

Social Science Research Council (UK) Postgraduate Award - £1,600, 1978.


My Research Activities

Land law; law, poverty and inequality; theories of law and justice; native title; residential tenancy law


My Research Supervision


Areas of supervision

Awarded: 

Ulla Secher, "Radical Title and Native Title at Common Law", PhD, (2003);  

Shaunnagh Dorsett, "A Theory of Jurisdiction", PhD, (2007) (with Garth Nettheim);  

Scott Grattan, "Court-Imposed Easements in Australia", PhD, (2007);  

Roy Baker, "The Ordinary Unreasonable Person in Defamation Law", PhD, (2010) (with Michael Chesterman);  

Michael Nancarrow, "The Development of Community Title in NSW", PhD, (2011);  

David Thorpe, "Athlete Endorsement and Restraints of Trade", LLM, (2013) (with Deborah Healey and Carolyn Penfold);  

Cathy Sherry, "Strata Title, Community and Property Law", PhD, (2014) (with Scott Grattan);

Ilan Lewis, "An Estoppel-based Understanding of Section 51(xxxi)", LLM, (2017), (with Theunis Roux)

Xiaomeng Qu, "A Comparative Analysis of Compulsory Acquisition Law", (with Weihuan Zhou).


Currently supervising

Mary Morrisroe, "Privatisation of Utilities in Russia", PhD (with Martin Krygier);

Lena Hanifah, "Islamic Law and Succession Law in Indonesia" (with Prue Vines).


My Engagement

Editorships

Australian Law Journal - Editor: Conveyancing and Property

Australian Indigenous Law Review - Member Editorial Board,

Macquarie Law Journal, Member Editorial Board 


My Teaching

  • Advanced Issues in Property Law (LAWS8062)
  • Principles of Private Law (LAWS1150)
  • Housing Law (LAWS3413)
  • Land Law (LAWS2383/JURD7283)
  • Legal Theory (LAWS2320)
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Location

Room 371
The Law Building
University of New South Wales
UNSW Kensington Campus
Sydney NSW 2052
Australia
(Access via Gate 2 off High Street)

Contact

+ 61 2 9385 2227
59628