Professor Peter Billings

Professor

School of Law
Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
p.billings@law.uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 57176

Overview

Dr Peter Billings is a Professor at the School of Law, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His research interests are in particular areas of public law: administrative law, immigration and refugee law, social welfare law and human rights law. In 2016 he received an Australian Award for University Teaching - Award for Programs that Enhance Learning (Pro Bono Centre). Since 2010 he has received five teaching excellence awards within the School of Law for outstanding course/teacher evaluations, and in 2011 was awarded the Vice Chancellor's Equity and Diversity Award (UQ) for the Asylum and Refugee Law Project.

Recently, he has published several papers on 'crImmigration' law, policy and practice in Australia, including a chapter, "International crimes, refugee 'prisoner' swaps and duplicity in Australia's refugee admissions", in J Simeon (ed) Serious International Crimes, Human Rights and Forced Migration (Routledge, 2022). And he authored chapter one in his own edited collection, Regulating Refugee Protection through Social Welfare: Law, Policy and Praxis (Routledge, 2023). Most recently, he has authored a chapter on the corrosive effect of immigration detention laws on officialdom, in M Peterie, Immigration Detention and Social Harm: The Collateral Impacts of Migrant Incarceration (Routledge) forthcoming.

Research Interests

  • Crimmigration
  • Administrative Law
  • Administrative Justice
  • Social Welfare Law
  • Refugee Law

Research Impacts

Peter's submission, on migration law reform, to the Australian Law Reform Commission for its project, Where next for law reform?, was cited in the final report: The Future of Law Reform: A Suggesdted Program of Work 2020-25, published on 2 December 2019. His submission to the Inquiry into a Possible Human Rights Act for Queensland: written submission no 468, Report No. 30, 55th Parliament, Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee (June 2016). was cited on several occasions in the final parliamentary committee report. His written submission (with A/Prof Cassimatis) to the Administrative Review Council: Judicial Review in Australia, Administrative Review Council (Consultation Paper - Administrative Review Council, Canberra, ARC 2011) was cited throughout the ARC Report (No.50), Federal Judicial Review in Australia Sept. 2012. His research into crimmigration law and policy informed an expert panel discussion held at the Queensland Supreme Court (Banco Court) - "Unlawful Non-citizens: the Rise in Character Visa Cancellations" (Oct 5, 2017) chaired by Paul Barclay for ABC Radio National. The discussion was aired on on 8 December 2017. He regularly provides expert legal commentary on radio and features in print and online media; most recently in The Guardian (Australia) in May and September 2019.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Southampton
  • Bachelor of Law, University of Southampton

Publications

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Supervision

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Available Projects

    • Topics that explore socio-legal issues related to the intersection or intermingling of immigration/refugee law/policy with criminal law/policy
    • Topics that explore the socio-legal issues relating to the criminalisation of asylum seekers
    • Topics that related to the detention or containment of asylum seekers and refugees
    • Topics that relate to refugee protection and regulation of risks to national/border security

    For further information contact Professor Peter Billings, e: p.billings@law.uq.edu.au

View all Available Projects

Publications

Featured Publications

Book

Book Chapter

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

    • Topics that explore socio-legal issues related to the intersection or intermingling of immigration/refugee law/policy with criminal law/policy
    • Topics that explore the socio-legal issues relating to the criminalisation of asylum seekers
    • Topics that related to the detention or containment of asylum seekers and refugees
    • Topics that relate to refugee protection and regulation of risks to national/border security

    For further information contact Professor Peter Billings, e: p.billings@law.uq.edu.au