Children's Law in Australia

Children's Law in Australia is a new title by Karen Konte that explores the many aspects of our Australian legal system as it applies specifically to children. The issues covered in this text are developing and unfolding regularly, especially innovations in the criminal justice system and the on-going controversies surrounding ‘Doli Incapax’ and whether Australia has fallen behind other countries in our recognition and adoption of various children’s law issues.

Commencing with Australia’s obligations on the international stage in relation to children, the book reviews the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the way this Convention has been adopted in Australia to form the springboard for many other legal considerations as they apply to children.

The book looks into aspects of criminal law as it applies to children including the youth justice system and the implementation of various initiatives within this system including the specialist courts for juvenile indigenous offenders. Controversial issues regarding children in detention and the presumption of ‘Doli incapax’, as well as international standards and practices regarding children and the criminal law system are also discussed.

Children’s law issues as they apply to care and protection Law, adoption and family law and the concept of the ‘best interest of the child’ are reviewed.

Current issues impacting on Children’s Law such as indigenous, cultural and religious perspectives, as well as medical, disability, gender identification and donor/artificial insemination issues are also explored. Finally, the book looks at Children’s Law regarding child asylum seekers, refugees and immigration issues.

Children's Law in Australia is a comprehensive book encompassing many and significant facets of children’s law in Australia. It is dedicated to the issue of children’s law. It stands alone as a specialist and unique text.

This book has significant and appropriate indigenous content which is woven into most of the topics. In addition, there is a dedicated topic on Indigenous issues and perspectives in relation to children’s law.

AUTHOR

Karen Conte is a lecturer in the Law School at UNE and a practising barrister (since 2007), mediator and arbitrator. Karen practices in the areas of Family Law, Crime, CAre and Protection Law and Defamation. Prior to her life as a lawyer and a lecturer, Karen was a primary school principal and primary school teacher for twenty years.

Lecturing in law combines her two passions: the law and education. Karen has a particular interest in all aspects of Children's Law issues and has written this unit of study for the LLB and LLM programs at UNE. karen is the unit coordinator and lecturer in Introduction to Legal Studies, Professional Conduct and Children's Law units at UNE.

As a teacher, Karen has received a National Excellence in Teaching Award and worked with the "Project Zero" team at Harvard University. As a barrister, Karen has written and presents the "Barristers in Schools" program through the NSW Bar Assocation and NSW Talent Centre, a program she sees as integral in raising up the next generation of outstanding lawyers. 

Karen's academic qualifications are: MEd (Administration)(UWS); LLB (Macquarie); BEd (UWS); Dip Legal Practice (College of Law NSW); Dip Teach (Nepean).

Chapter 1 Introduction to Children's Law

Chapter 2 The Rights of a Child

Chapter 3 Youth Justice and the Criminal Law

Chapter 4 Family Law

Chapter 5 Care and Protection Law

Chapter 6 Indigenous Issues and Perspectives

Chapter 7 Cultural and Religious Considerations and Perpsectives

Chapter 8 Disability, Medical and Ethical Issues

Chapter 9 Immigration Law

Chapter 10 Children and their Legal Rights

Chapter 12 Future Issues