Melissa's research contributes to the fields of law and society; comparative constitutional law; and law and religion,with a focus on Indonesia and Myanmar. Her current research for her ARC Future Fellowship is on the role of the military as a constitutional actor in Asia. This project builds on her earlier ARC Discovery Project on constitutions in authoritarian regimes, which focused on Myanmar (2018-23). The main output of that project is the book, The Palimpsest Constitution: The Social Life of Constitutional Legacies in Myanmar (OUP, forthcoming 2025).
Melissa's publications contribute to studies of constitutionalism in the Global South, the role of constitutions and courts in authoritarian regimes, and legal pluralism. For example, she is the author of The Constitution of Myanmar (2019) (shortlisted for the Australian Legal Research Awards inaugural book award) and Law and Religion in Indonesia: Conflict and the Courts in West Java (2014). She has published in a range of peer-reviewed journals including Law & Society Review, Law & Social Inquiry, Annual Review of Law & Social Sciences, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies and International Journal of Constitutional Law. She is the editor of several volumes, including Constitutional Democracy in Indonesia (OUP 2023), Women and the Judiciary in the Asia-Pacific (CUP 2021) and The Politics of Court Reform: Judicial Change and Legal Culture in Indonesia (CUP 2019).
She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities. She currently serves as the Past President on the council of the Asian Studies Association of Australia (2025-26), the peak academic body for the study of Asia in Australia. She is the recipient of the Podgorecki Prize 2022 for outstanding scholarship of an early career socio-legal scholar, awarded by the Research Committee on the Sociology of Law, the International Sociological Association. She has also been awarded a Visiting Fellowship at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Japan; the University of Indonesia Visiting Fellowship; and the University of Melbourne Kathleen Fitzpatrick Visiting Fellowship. She serves on the editorial board of Law & Social Inquiry (2023-25), the Asian Journal of Law & Society and the Asian Journal of Comparative Law, among other journals.
At UNSW, she runs the Asia Law & Policy Forum, and is also co-director with Theunis Roux of the project on Constitutionalism in the Global South. From 2019-21 she was Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Law. Prior to UNSW, she worked at the National University of Singapore, the University of Melbourne and Monash University.
My Grants
2025-28, Australian Research Council, FT240100384 Defending Constitutional Democracy: The Military & the Constitution in Asia. $1,205,235.00 (awarded 2024)
2021-23, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade Sri Lanka Knowledge & Linkages for an Inclusive Economy Grant on 'Reimagining Vulnerability in the Light of COVID 19 in Sri Lanka, in partnership with Dr Mario Gomez, International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka
2019-20, Australia-ASEAN Council grant, ‘Fostering Women’s Empowerment through Digital Entrepreneurship’ with Felix Tan, Carmen Leong, Minako Sakai, Wing Wah Tham
2019, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung grant for workshop on Protecting Rights, Addressing Inequality: Constitutional Writs in Asia
2019, ASAA Workshop Grant for bursaries for students to attend the 'Women in Asia Conference' at UNSW
2019, Australian Academy of Humanities, grant to support the Early Career Workshop of the Women in Asia Conference at UNSW
2019, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung grant for workshop on the Women in the Legal Profession and Judiciary in Asia Panel Stream
2018-21, ARC Discovery Grant, Chief Investigator, "Constitutional Change in Authoritarian Regimes: The Case of Myanmar"
2017-19, UNSW IGD Myanmar Seed Funds, "Constitutional Reform and the Peace Process in Myanmar"
2016-19, Asian Development Bank, Professional Legal Education in Corporate and Commercial Law in Myanmar
2016, New Colombo Plan funding for UNSW Myanmar Law Ambassadors Program (scholarships for law students).
2016-17, ANU Indonesia Project Research Grants and UNSW Indonesia Seed Grant, with Dr Fritz Siregar, University of Indonesia, Jakarta. Project: ‘Administrative Justice in Indonesia’.
2016, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Australia-Myanmar Constitutional Democracy Project, Workshops with the Constitutional Tribunal of Myanmar, (with T Roux).
2015-18, Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Australia-Myanmar Constitutional Democracy Project on Building Constitutionalism in Myanmar (with W Sadurski, T Roux, M Krygier and C Renshaw).
2015, Faculty Research Grant, Project: From Military Rule to Rule of Law in Myanmar; Early Career Grant; Faculty Workshop Support Scheme, UNSW Law: The Business of Transition in Myanmar
2014-15, Harvard Law School's Institute for Global Law and Policy (IGLP) Research Grant, Project: ‘Authority and Islam: An Ethnography of Fatwa in Myanmar’
2013-14, Research & Conference Grant, Project: ‘Law, Governance & Minorities in Myanmar’; and Myanmar Law Reform Project Fund (for workshops in Myanmar), Centre for Asian Legal Studies, National University of Singapore
2012–13, Postdoctoral Research Support Funds, Law Faculty, National University of Singapore
2012, Myanmar Engagement Fund, University of Melbourne, with Professor Tim Lindsey
2010, Melbourne Abroad Travelling Scholarship; MA Bartlett Research Scholarship Fund Competitive Funding; and Research Support Funds, the University of Melbourne
My Qualifications
BA/LLB (Hons), University of Melbourne
PhD, University of Melbourne
My Awards
2024, Fellow, Australian Academy of Humanities
2024, Senior Fellowship, The Baldy Centre for Law & Social Policy, the State University of New York at Buffalo (6 months)
2024, Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year Award (Law), Honorable Mention, Postgraduate Council and Graduate Research School, the University of New South Wales
2023, Honourable Mention, Distinguished Article Award 2023 of the Asian Law & Society Association (for the article 'Judicial Loyalty to the Military in Authoritarian Regimes' Law & Social Inquiry 2022)
2023, Visiting Research Fellowship, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Japan (3 months)
2022, Podgorecki Prize for outstanding scholarship of an early career socio-legal scholar, awarded by the Research Committee on the Sociology of Law, International Sociological Association.
2022, Visiting Scholars Scheme, Faculty of Law, University of Diponegoro (Semarang, Indonesia)
2021, Visiting Scholars Scheme, Faculty of Law, University of Brawijaya (Malang, Indonesia)
2021, Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year Award 2021 (Law), Postgraduate Council and Graduate Research School, the University of New South Wales
2021, Finalist, Australia Indonesia Award (Education) of the Australia Indonesia Association
2020, Shortlisted for the inaugural Australian Legal Research Award's Book Award of the Council of Australian Law Deans, for the book The Constitution of Myanmar: A Contextual Analysis
2019, National Library of Australia, Asia Studies Visiting Fellowship, "Legal Legacies of Authoritarian Regimes"
2018, Kathleen Fitzpatrick Visiting Fellowship in Comparative Constitutional Law, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne
2017, University of Indonesia Resolv Visiting Scholars Fellowship, Faculty of Law (Jakarta, Indonesia)
2012, International Institute of Asian Studies, Visiting Fellowship, the Netherlands
2009, Endeavour Australia Research Fellowship
2008-11, Australian Research Council Federation Fellowship ‘Islam & Modernity in Southeast Asia' (FF0668730) Doctoral Scholarship and Travel Scholarships
My Research Activities
Current projects include:
Defending Constitutional Democracy: The Military and the Constitution in Asia
Women judges in Asia
Asia Law & Policy Forum
My Research Supervision
Supervision keywords
My Engagement
Service to Academic Associations and Editorial Boards
Past President & Councillor, Asian Studies Association of Australia (2025-26)
Board member, Research Committee of the Sociology of Law (RCSL) (2024-25)
Editorial Board, Asian Law & Society Journal (2023-)
Editorial Board, Law & Social Inquiry (2023-24)
Advisory Board, Trunojoyo Law Review, Faculty of Law, University of Trunojoyo, Madura, Indonesia (2023-)
Advisory Board, As-Siyasi: Journal of Constitutional Law, Dept of Constitutional Law, Shariah Faculty, Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Intan Lampung, Indonesia (2023-)
Editorial Board, Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies (est. 2021-)
Editorial Board, Al-Ahkam, Faculty of Sharia and Law, State Islamic University of Walisongo, Indonesia (2022-)
Reviewer, Jurnal Mengkaji Indonesia, University of Airlangga (2022-)
Editorial Board, Human Rights in the Global South, Indonesian Consortium for Human Rights Lecturers (2021-)
Editorial Board, Jurnal Ilmyiah Syariah, Sharia Faculty, Institut Agama Islam Negeri Batusangkar (2021-)
Editorial Board, PETITA, Jurnal, Kajian Ilmu Hukum dan Syariah, Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry, Banda Aceh, Indonesia (2019-)
Editorial Board, ADLIYA: Jurnal Hukum & Kemanusiaan, State Islamic University of Bandung, Indonesia (2019-)
Advisory Board, Mazahib Journal of Islamic Legal Thought, Samarinda Institute of Islamic Studies, IAIN, Indonesia (2018-)
Editorial Board, Asian Journal of Comparative Law, National University of Singapore
Editorial Board, Southeast Asia Publication Series, ASAA, NUS Press
Editorial Board, Women in Asia Publication Series, ASAA, Routledge
Member, Law and Society Association; Asian Studies Association of Australia; Asian Law and Society Association; International Society of Public Law (ICON-S); International Association of Constitutional Law (IACL); Australian Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies
Senior Associate, Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society, University of Melbourne
Former roles
President, Asian Studies Association of Australia (2023-24); organised John Legge Best Thesis Prize; Reid Book Prize
Committee member for Best Article Prize, Asian Law & Society Association (2024)
Vice-president, Asian Studies Association of Australia (2021-22), Wang Gungwu Best Article Prize
Secretary, Association for Mainland Southeast Asia Scholars (AMSEAS) (2017-19)
Secretary, Asian Studies Association of Australia (2019-20), and Committee member, Wang Gungwu Best Article Prize; Early Career Book Prize; Postdoctoral Writing Grant; Postgraduate Bursary Awards
Committee member, PhD Award, Australian Law Research Awards (CALD) (2020)
Advisory Board, Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS), Indonesian Law Practicum (2018)
My Teaching
My teaching interests include Constitutionalism in the Global South; Constitution-making; Law and Society; Comparative Law; Asian Legal Systems; and Law and Religion in Asia. I have taught a range of workshops overseas, including on Judicial Independence; Principles and Processes of Constitution-making; The Role of Courts in Democratisation; Constitutional Courts in Federal Systems; Federalism and Minority Rights; and Emergency Powers. At UNSW, I teach the following: The Rule of Law in Asia (LAWS3167; JURD7567; LAWS8500) and Constitutionalism in the Global South (LAWS8375/JURD7975); and Law and Society in Asia (LAWS3139). I also teach Principles of Public Law (LAWS1141).
I am interested in considering proposals for research supervision in the following areas: law and society; comparative constitutional law; law and governance; law and religion. This includes Indonesian law (constitutional law, administrative law, criminal law, legal pluralism and Islamic law); Myanmar law (public law, legal pluralism and socio-legal studies); and Southeast Asian law and legal traditions, comparative or socio-legal studies on the region. I am available to supervise LLB, LLM and PhD research thesis.
Supervision
Existing PhD supervision:
Tirtawening Parikesit, 'Access to Justice for Child Victims of Sexual Abuse in Indonesia' (LPDP scholarship)
Natasha Naidu, 'The System of Indian indentured labour in Fiji: A Socio-legal Analysis' (Westpac Asia Scholar)
Jessica Marpaung, 'The Eradication of Gender-Based Violence against Women in Indonesia' (Australia Awards scholarship)
Mohammad Ibrahim, 'Stealth Theocracy in Democratic Indonesia' (UNSW scholarship)
Ali Salmande, The Role of Indonesian Domestic Courts in Promoting ASEAN Regional Integration' (LPDP scholarship)
Raisa Annisa, 'Conflict of Interest in Policy Responses during an Emergency in Indonesia' (UNSW scholarship)
Abdul Halim, 'The Regulation of Judges in Indonesia' (Australia Awards scholarship)
Titis Anindyajati, 'The Enforcement of Indonesian Constitutional Court Decisions' (LPDP scholarship)
Supervision completions (PhD)
Mhd Abu Sayeed, 'Constitutionalism of the Other: Non-Sovereign Politics in Gandhi and Agamben' (UNSW scholarship)
Chuhunvoleak Srun, 'Access to Justice in Cambodian Commercial Land Disputes' (UNSW scholarship)
Ayesha Wijayalath, 'Constraining Abusive Constitutional Change in Sri Lanka' (Scientia Fellow)
Maidina Rahmawati, 'Restorative Justice in the Criminal Investigation Process in Indonesia' (LLM) (Australia Awards)
Emma Dunlop, 'Justice in Exile: A study of state obligations to ensure refugees access to courts under international law' (UNSW scholarship)
Ashraf Azad, 'Irregular Migration of Rohingya Refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh and Malaysia' (UNSW scholarship)
Nikki Edwards, 'Civil Society and Legal Activism in Southeast Asia' (external, USyd)
Mahaarum Kusuma Pertiwi, 'Religion and the Indonesian Constitutional Court' (external, Macquarie)
Luke Potter, 'Decentralised Government and Disaster Displacement Reduction in Small Island States in the Pacific'
Indriaswati Dyah Saptaningrum, ‘Internet Regulation in Indonesia 1990-2018: An Inquiry into a Contested Regulatory Field' (Australia Awards)
Xu Zhuangsi, ‘The Implications of International Human Rights Law on China’s Protection of Minority Language Rights’
Milda Istiqomah, 'Factors Contributing to Terrorism Sentencing Outcomes in Indonesia' (LPDP scholarship)
Supervision completions (JD, LLB, LLM)
LLM research thesis, Maidina Rahmawati, 'The Role of Restorative Justice: A Case Study of Drug Offences in Indonesia'
LLM research thesis, Yance Arizona, 'Becoming Indigenous Citizens in Indonesia' (external, Onati)
JD research thesis: Sai Myint Aung, 'Law and Economic Development in Myanmar: A Case Study of the Central Bank'
LLB research thesis: Jarrod Mitchell, 'Community Stability and Adat Law in Indonesia'; Goran Matic, 'Toward a Modern Egyptian Constitution'; Elsa Lo, 'A Constitutionally Islamic Malaysia'
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9821-1209