Tamara Walsh is a Professor of Law and Director of the UQ Pro Bono Centre. She has degrees in both Law and Social Work, and her interest is in social welfare law and human rights. Her research examines the impact of the law on vulnerable people including children and young people, people experiencing homelessness, people on low incomes, people with disabilities, mothers and carers. Her research has spanned 20 years and has been widely published, both in Australia and internationally.
In 2008, Tamara designed and established the UQ Pro Bono Centre, along with Dr Paul O'Shea and Prof Ross Grantham. The UQ Pro Bono Centre facilitates student and staff participation in pro bono legal activities, particularly public interest research and law reform. It is now a flagship program of the UQ Law School.
In 2016, Tamara established the UQ Deaths in Custody Project, which she runs in partnership with Prisoners' Legal Service. This Project monitors deaths in custody across Australia, and administers a public website which is an important resource for researchers, coroners and members of the public: www.deaths-in-custody.project.uq.edu.au
In 2020, Tamara established the UQ/Caxton Human Rights Project, along with Bridget Burton at Caxton Legal Centre. This project is staffed by volunteer law students and makes information on every case that refers to the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld) publicly available: https://law.uq.edu.au/human-rights-cases.
Tamara is currently undertaking an ARC Linkage project on human rights dispute resolution in Australia (2023-2025). She has recently completed an ARC Linkage project on the criminalisation of poverty and homelessness in Australia (2017-2021).
Tamara undertakes pro bono legal practice in the area of child protection, and she lectures in human rights law, and child and family law. Tamara also runs the UQ Law School's clinical legal education program.
Journal Article: Adolescent family violence: what is the role for legal responses?
Douglas, Heather and Walsh, Tamara (2018). Adolescent family violence: what is the role for legal responses?. Sydney Law Review, 40 (4), 499-526.
Journal Article: Perceptions of competence and well-being in clinical legal education
Taylor, Monica and Walsh, Tamara (2018). Perceptions of competence and well-being in clinical legal education. Australian Journal of Clinical Education, 3 (1) 1. doi: 10.53300/001c.6327
Journal Article: Public nuisance, race and gender
Walsh, Tamara (2018). Public nuisance, race and gender. Griffith Law Review, 26 (3), 334-354. doi: 10.1080/10383441.2018.1449055
Journal Article: Keeping vulnerable offenders out of the courts: lessons from the United Kingdom
Walsh, Tamara (2018). Keeping vulnerable offenders out of the courts: lessons from the United Kingdom. Criminal Law Journal, 42 (3), 160-177.
Journal Article: Video links in youth justice proceedings: when rights and convenience collide
Walsh, Tamara (2018). Video links in youth justice proceedings: when rights and convenience collide. Journal of Judicial Administration, 27 (4), 161-181.
Journal Article: New Zealanders in crisis in Australia: the absence of a social safety net
Walsh, Tamara (2015). New Zealanders in crisis in Australia: the absence of a social safety net. New Zealand Universities Law Review, 26 (3), 673-702.
Journal Article: Homelessness legislation for Australia: a missed opportunity
Walsh, Tamara (2014). Homelessness legislation for Australia: a missed opportunity. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 37 (3), 820-846.
Australian human rights complaints: Litigation, mediation or conciliation
(2023–2025) ARC Linkage Projects
Delivery of - Review of court and judicial processes research paper
(2022–2023) Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General
'We need to talk' : Genomics and disability
(2020–2023) MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission, Project Grant administered by AusIndustry
Capacity and Treatment Refusal: How Law Should Deal with the Case of Anorexia Nervosa
(2018) Doctor Philosophy
Plain language and the law: Rethinking legal information for vulnerable people in Australia
(2019) Doctor Philosophy
EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL?: An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) as a Tool for the Delivery of Equality of Opportunity in Education to People with Impairments
(2007) Doctor Philosophy
Human rights and social welfare law
The PhD program provides students with an opportunity to examine the legal and social impacts of human rights law, and explore in depth the effects of the law and legal systems on people experiencing social and economic disadvantage. Students could apply human rights law, and related scholarship, to a number of different legal areas and problems, including:
For further information contact Professor Tamara Walsh, e: t.walsh@law.uq.edu.au.
Adolescent family violence: what is the role for legal responses?
Douglas, Heather and Walsh, Tamara (2018). Adolescent family violence: what is the role for legal responses?. Sydney Law Review, 40 (4), 499-526.
Perceptions of competence and well-being in clinical legal education
Taylor, Monica and Walsh, Tamara (2018). Perceptions of competence and well-being in clinical legal education. Australian Journal of Clinical Education, 3 (1) 1. doi: 10.53300/001c.6327
Public nuisance, race and gender
Walsh, Tamara (2018). Public nuisance, race and gender. Griffith Law Review, 26 (3), 334-354. doi: 10.1080/10383441.2018.1449055
Keeping vulnerable offenders out of the courts: lessons from the United Kingdom
Walsh, Tamara (2018). Keeping vulnerable offenders out of the courts: lessons from the United Kingdom. Criminal Law Journal, 42 (3), 160-177.
Video links in youth justice proceedings: when rights and convenience collide
Walsh, Tamara (2018). Video links in youth justice proceedings: when rights and convenience collide. Journal of Judicial Administration, 27 (4), 161-181.
New Zealanders in crisis in Australia: the absence of a social safety net
Walsh, Tamara (2015). New Zealanders in crisis in Australia: the absence of a social safety net. New Zealand Universities Law Review, 26 (3), 673-702.
Homelessness legislation for Australia: a missed opportunity
Walsh, Tamara (2014). Homelessness legislation for Australia: a missed opportunity. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 37 (3), 820-846.
Walsh, Tamara (2011). Homelessness and the law. Leichardt,NSW, Australia: Federation Press.
Mothers and the Child Protection System: A Report, (Brisbane, 2009)
Douglas, H., Walsh, T. and Blore, K. (2009). Mothers and the Child Protection System: A Report, (Brisbane, 2009). Brisbane, Qld Australia: The University of Queensland.
Practical legal training in ‘child law’: lessons in collaboration, emotion and relationships
Walsh, Tamara (2024). Practical legal training in ‘child law’: lessons in collaboration, emotion and relationships. Teaching family law: reflections on pedagogy and practice. (pp. 86-100) edited by Henry Kha and Mark Henaghan. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.
Walsh, Tamara (2022). Homeless persons. Elgar encyclopedia of human rights. (pp. 1-20) Vienna, Austria: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781789903621
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Marginalised Families
Douglas, Heather and Walsh, Tamara (2015). Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Marginalised Families. Mandatory Reporting Laws and the Identification of Severe Child Abuse and Neglect. (pp. 491-509) edited by Matthews, Ben and Bross, Donald C. New York, United States: Springer Netherlands. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-9685-9_23
Mothers in crisis: mothers and the child protection system
Walsh, Tamara and Douglas, Heather (2015). Mothers in crisis: mothers and the child protection system. Mothers at the Margins: Stories of Challenge, Resistance and Love. (pp. 89-107) edited by Lisa Raith, Jenny Jones and Marie Porter. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2004). Professionalism. Professional liability and property transactions. (pp. 2-24) edited by Sharon Christensen and Bill Duncan. Sydney, Australia: The Federation Press.
Walsh, Tamara K.E. (2004). Professionalism. Professional Liability and Property Transactions. (pp. 2-24) edited by Sharton Christensen and Bill Duncan. Australia: Federation Press.
Looked after children's right to contact with birth parents: an Australian study
Healy, Karen, Walsh, Tamara, Venables, Jemma and Thompson, Kate (2023). Looked after children's right to contact with birth parents: an Australian study. Child and Family Social Work, 28 (3), 659-668. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12992
Solitary confinement and prisoners' human rights
Walsh, Tamara and Blaber, Helen (2023). Solitary confinement and prisoners' human rights. Monash University Law Review, 49 (1), 1-35. doi: 10.26180/23632422.v1
Supporting birth parents’ relationships with children following removal: a scoping review
Healy, Karen, Venables, Jemma and Walsh, Tamara (2023). Supporting birth parents’ relationships with children following removal: a scoping review. Children and Youth Services Review, 149 106961, 106961. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106961
'We're not doing any harm... just leave us alone': why street offences should be decriminalised'
Walsh, Tamara (2023). 'We're not doing any harm... just leave us alone': why street offences should be decriminalised'. European Journal of Homelessness, 17 (1), 105-118.
An interdisciplinary classroom in law and social work: can it be done?
Venables, Jemma and Walsh, Tamara (2023). An interdisciplinary classroom in law and social work: can it be done?. Legal Education Review, 33 (1), 1-23. doi: 10.53300/001c.74263
Can we fix it? Law, lawyers and social change
Walsh, Tamara (2023). Can we fix it? Law, lawyers and social change. Bond Law Review, 34 (1), 1-20. doi: 10.53300/001c.68067
Walsh, Tamara, Healy, Karen, Venables, Jemma and Thompson, Kate (2022). Are human rights ‘toothless’ in Australian child protection matters? Perspectives of lawyers and social workers. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 36 (1) ebac028, 1-16. doi: 10.1093/lawfam/ebac028
Walsh, Tamara (2022). Poverty in Australian law. Pandora's Box, 28, 23-40.
Women who die in custody: what Australian coroners' reports tell us
Walsh, Tamara (2022). Women who die in custody: what Australian coroners' reports tell us. The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, 61 (4), 1-16. doi: 10.1111/hojo.12495
Coroners' perspectives on deaths in custody in Australia
Walsh, Tamara, Alagappan, Eashwar and Cornwell, Lucy (2022). Coroners' perspectives on deaths in custody in Australia. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 71 100558, 100558. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlcj.2022.100558
Youth justice, community safety and children's rights in Australia
Walsh, Tamara and Fitzgerald, Robin (2022). Youth justice, community safety and children's rights in Australia. The International Journal of Children's Rights, 30 (3), 617-643. doi: 10.1163/15718182-30030009
Social housing, homelessness and human rights
Walsh, Tamara (2022). Social housing, homelessness and human rights. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 45 (2).
Adolescent family and dating violence and the criminal law response
Douglas, Heather and Walsh, Tamara (2022). Adolescent family and dating violence and the criminal law response. Journal of Family Violence, 38 (2), 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s10896-022-00373-x
Walsh, Tamara, Fitzgerald, Robin, Cornwell, Lucy and Scarpato, Cara (2021). Raise the age - and then what? Exploring the alternatives of criminalising children under 14 years of age. James Cook University Law Review, 27, 37-56.
The UQ/Caxton human rights case law database: what have we learnt in the first year?
Walsh, Tamara and Burton, Bridget (2021). The UQ/Caxton human rights case law database: what have we learnt in the first year?. Proctor.
A study into the operation of the Queensland Mental Health Review Tribunal
Boyle, Sam, Walsh, Tamara and Nelson, Lucinda (2021). A study into the operation of the Queensland Mental Health Review Tribunal. Medical Law Review, 29 (1), 106-127. doi: 10.1093/medlaw/fwaa043
Prisoner isolation and COVID-19 in Queensland
Blaber, Helen, Walsh, Tamara and Cornwell, Lucy (2021). Prisoner isolation and COVID-19 in Queensland. Griffith Journal of Law and Human Dignity, 8 (2), 52-69.
McNamara, Luke, Quilter, Julia, Walsh, Tamara and Anthony, Thalia (2021). Homelessness and contact with the criminal justice system: insights from specialist lawyers and allied professionals in Australia. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 10 (1), 111-129. doi: 10.5204/IJCJSD.1742
Imposed isolation plagues Queensland prisons during pandemic
Blaber, Helen and Walsh, Tamara (2020). Imposed isolation plagues Queensland prisons during pandemic. Proctor.
Procedural fairness in mental health review tribunals: the views of patient advocates
Boyle, Sam and Walsh, Tamara (2020). Procedural fairness in mental health review tribunals: the views of patient advocates. Psychiatry, Psychology and the Law, 28 (2), 1-22. doi: 10.1080/13218719.2020.1767715
Introduction to the special issue on welfare conditionality in Australia
Parsell, Cameron, Vincent, Eve, Klein, Elise, Clarke, Andrew and Walsh, Tamara (2020). Introduction to the special issue on welfare conditionality in Australia. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 55 (1) ajs4.102, 4-12. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.102
The moral hazard of conditionality: restoring the integrity of social security law
McKeever, Gráinne and Walsh, Tamara (2020). The moral hazard of conditionality: restoring the integrity of social security law. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 55 (1) ajs4.101, 73-87. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.101
Queensland's new right to education: what does it mean for children with disabilities?
Walsh, Tamara and Burton, Bridget (2020). Queensland's new right to education: what does it mean for children with disabilities?. Alternative Law Journal, 45 (1), 18-24. doi: 10.1177/1037969X19883967
From child protection to youth justice: Legal responses to the plight of 'Crossover Kids'
Walsh, Tamara (2019). From child protection to youth justice: Legal responses to the plight of 'Crossover Kids'. University of Western Australia Law Review, 46 (1), 90-110.
Deaths in custody in Australia: A quantitative analysis of coroners' reports
Walsh, Tamara and Counter, Angelene (2019). Deaths in custody in Australia: A quantitative analysis of coroners' reports. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 31 (2), 1-21. doi: 10.1080/10345329.2019.1603831
National study on the criminalisation of poverty and homelessness
Walsh, Tamara , McNamara, Luke , Quilter, Julia and Anthony, Thalia (2019). National study on the criminalisation of poverty and homelessness. Parity, 32 (4), 25-27.
Evolutions Récentes de la Conditionnalité: Des Prestations Sociales en Australie
Walsh, Tamara (2019). Evolutions Récentes de la Conditionnalité: Des Prestations Sociales en Australie. Revue de Droit Comparé du Travail et de la Securité Sociale (1), 194-197.
Adolescent family violence: what is the role for legal responses?
Douglas, Heather and Walsh, Tamara (2018). Adolescent family violence: what is the role for legal responses?. Sydney Law Review, 40 (4), 499-526.
Perceptions of competence and well-being in clinical legal education
Taylor, Monica and Walsh, Tamara (2018). Perceptions of competence and well-being in clinical legal education. Australian Journal of Clinical Education, 3 (1) 1. doi: 10.53300/001c.6327
Public nuisance, race and gender
Walsh, Tamara (2018). Public nuisance, race and gender. Griffith Law Review, 26 (3), 334-354. doi: 10.1080/10383441.2018.1449055
Keeping vulnerable offenders out of the courts: lessons from the United Kingdom
Walsh, Tamara (2018). Keeping vulnerable offenders out of the courts: lessons from the United Kingdom. Criminal Law Journal, 42 (3), 160-177.
Video links in youth justice proceedings: when rights and convenience collide
Walsh, Tamara (2018). Video links in youth justice proceedings: when rights and convenience collide. Journal of Judicial Administration, 27 (4), 161-181.
La mise sous tutelle des prestations sociales: l’exemple des cartes d’allocations prépayées
Walsh, Tamara (2017). La mise sous tutelle des prestations sociales: l’exemple des cartes d’allocations prépayées. The comparative labour and social security law review, 3, 182-187.
Balancing rights in child protection law
Walsh, Tamara (2017). Balancing rights in child protection law. Australian Journal of Family Law, 31, 47-72.
'Public order' policing and the value of independent legal observers
Walsh, Tamara (2016). 'Public order' policing and the value of independent legal observers. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 28 (1), 33-49. doi: 10.1080/10345329.2016.12036055
Sentencing parents: the consideration of dependent children
Walsh, Tamara and Douglas, Heather (2016). Sentencing parents: the consideration of dependent children. Adelaide Law Review, 37 (1), 135-161.
Ten years of public nuisance in Queensland
Walsh, Tamara K.E. (2016). Ten years of public nuisance in Queensland. Criminal Law Journal, 40 (2), 59-73.
New Zealanders in crisis in Australia: the absence of a social safety net
Walsh, Tamara (2015). New Zealanders in crisis in Australia: the absence of a social safety net. New Zealand Universities Law Review, 26 (3), 673-702.
Criminal justice research and how I realised I know nothing
Walsh, Tamara (2015). Criminal justice research and how I realised I know nothing. Pandora's Box (2015), 17-24.
Walsh, Tamara K.E. (2015). Negligence and special needs education: the case for recognising a duty to provide special education services in australian schools. Education Law Journal, 18 (1), 32-50.
Walsh, Tamara (2014). 'Homelessness and the law: constitution, criminal law and human rights', by Gijsbert Johan Vonk and Alerbtjan Tollenaar (eds). European Journal of Homelessness, 8 (2), 293-296.
Homelessness legislation for Australia: a missed opportunity
Walsh, Tamara (2014). Homelessness legislation for Australia: a missed opportunity. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 37 (3), 820-846.
Juvenile economic sanctions: a logical alternative?
Walsh, Tamara (2014). Juvenile economic sanctions: a logical alternative?. Criminology and Public Policy, 13 (1), 69-77. doi: 10.1111/1745-9133.12070
Continuing the Stolen Generations: child protection interventions and indigenous people
Douglas, Heather Anne and Walsh, Tamara K.E. (2013). Continuing the Stolen Generations: child protection interventions and indigenous people. International Journal of Children's Rights, 21 (1), 59-87. doi: 10.1163/157181812X639288
Adjustments, accommodation and inclusion: children with disabilities in Australian primary schools
Walsh, Tamara (2012). Adjustments, accommodation and inclusion: children with disabilities in Australian primary schools. International Journal of Law and Education, 17 (2), 23-38.
Children with special needs and the right to education
Walsh, Tamara (2012). Children with special needs and the right to education. Australian Journal of Human Rights, 18 (1), 27-56. doi: 10.1080/1323-238X.2012.11882097
Walsh, Tamara (2012). Lawyers and social workers working together: ethic of care and feminist legal practice in community law. Griffith Law Review, 21 (3), 752-771. doi: 10.1080/10383441.2012.10854761
Walsh, Tamara and Douglas, Heather (2012). Lawyers' views of decision-making in child protection matters: the tension between adversarialism and collaborative approaches. Monash University Law Review, 38 (2), 181-211.
Defendants' and criminal justice professionals' views on the Brisbane Special Circumstances Court
Walsh, Tamara (2011). Defendants' and criminal justice professionals' views on the Brisbane Special Circumstances Court. Journal of Judicial Administration, 21 (2), 93-108.
Lawyers, advocacy and child protection
Walsh, Tamara and Douglas, Heather (2011). Lawyers, advocacy and child protection. Melbourne University Law Review, 35 (2), 620-650.
Mothers, domestic violence, and child protection
Douglas, Heather A. and Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2010). Mothers, domestic violence, and child protection. Violence Against Women, 16 (5), 489-508. doi: 10.1177/1077801210365887
Mothers, domestic violence, and child protection: Toward collaboration and engagement
Douglas, Heather and Walsh, Tamara (2010). Mothers, domestic violence, and child protection: Toward collaboration and engagement. Violence Against Women, 16 (5), 537-542. doi: 10.1177/1077801210366291
Benefit overpayment, welfare fraud and financial hardship in Australia
Walsh, Tamara K. E. and Marston, Greg (2010). Benefit overpayment, welfare fraud and financial hardship in Australia. Journal of Social Security Law, 17 (2), 100-125.
Legal responses to child protection, poverty and homelessness
Walsh, Tamara K.E. and Douglas, Heather A. (2009). Legal responses to child protection, poverty and homelessness. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 31 (2), 133-146. doi: 10.1080/09649060903043513
Mothers and the child protection system
Douglas, Heather and Walsh, Tamara (2009). Mothers and the child protection system. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 23 (2), 211-229. doi: 10.1093/lawfam/ebp004
Searching for a safe place: Immigrant women and child protection
Douglas, Heather and Walsh, Tamara K.E. (2009). Searching for a safe place: Immigrant women and child protection. Pandora's Box, 2009, 14-19.
A case of misrepresentation: social security fraud and the criminal justice system in Australia
Marston, Gregory J. and Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2008). A case of misrepresentation: social security fraud and the criminal justice system in Australia. Griffith Law Review, 17 (1), 285-300. doi: 10.1080/10383441.2008.10854611
Homelessness and legal needs: A South Australia and Western Australia case study
Walsh, T. and Douglas, H. (2008). Homelessness and legal needs: A South Australia and Western Australia case study. Adelaide Law Review, 29 (2), 359-380.
Policing Disadvantage: Giving Voice to Those Affected by the Politics of Law and Order
T Walsh (2008). Policing Disadvantage: Giving Voice to Those Affected by the Politics of Law and Order. Alternative Law Journal, 33 (3), 160-164.
Poverty, Police and the Offence of Public Nuisance
T Walsh (2008). Poverty, Police and the Offence of Public Nuisance. Bond Law Review, 20 (2), 198-215.
'You're not welcome here': Police move-on powers and discrimination law
Walsh, T. K. E. and Taylor, M. (2007). 'You're not welcome here': Police move-on powers and discrimination law. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 30 (1), 151-173.
Poverty in Australia: Poverty and the Criminal Justice System
Walsh, Tamara K.E. (2007). Poverty in Australia: Poverty and the Criminal Justice System. Alternative Law Journal, 32 (2), 108-109.
Putting justice back into legal education
Walsh, T. K. E. (2007). Putting justice back into legal education. Legal Education Review, 17 (1&2), 119-142.
Suffering in silence: Prohibitions on interviewing prisoners in Australia, the US and the UK
Walsh, Tamara (2007). Suffering in silence: Prohibitions on interviewing prisoners in Australia, the US and the UK. Monash University Law Review, 33 (1), 72-89.
The Queensland special circumstances court
Walsh, T. K. E. (2007). The Queensland special circumstances court. Journal of Judicial Administration, 16 (4), 223-234.
Walsh, Tamara (2006). Is corrections correcting? An examination of prisoner rehabilitation policy and practice in Queensland. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 39 (1), 109-133. doi: 10.1375/acri.39.1.109
A right to inclusion? Homelessness, human rights and social exclusion
Walsh, Tamara (2006). A right to inclusion? Homelessness, human rights and social exclusion. Australian Journal of Human Rights, 12 (1), 185-204. doi: 10.1080/1323238X.2006.11910818
The Corrective Services ACT 2006 (QLD): An erosion of prisoners' human rights
Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2006). The Corrective Services ACT 2006 (QLD): An erosion of prisoners' human rights. Bond Law Review, 18 (2), 143-164.
Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2006). The impact of Coleman v Power on the policing, defence and sentencing of Public Nuisance Cases in Queensland. Melbourne University Law Review, 30 (1), 191-211.
Walsh, Tamara (2005). Won't pay or can't pay? Exploring the use of fines as a sentencing alternative for public nuisance type offences in Queensland. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 17 (2), 217-238. doi: 10.1080/10345329.2005.12036351
Social security or social exclusion?
Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2005). Social security or social exclusion?. Parity, 18 (1), 79-80.
Offensive language, offensive behaviour and public nuisance: Empirical and theoretical analyses
Walsh, Tamara (2005). Offensive language, offensive behaviour and public nuisance: Empirical and theoretical analyses. University of Queensland Law Journal, 24 (1), 123-145.
The overruled underclass : The impact of the law on Queensland's homeless people
Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2005). The overruled underclass : The impact of the law on Queensland's homeless people. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 28 (1), 122-144.
Walsh, Tamara and McDougall, Scott (2004). Nuisance to the public or nuisance to the police: the impact of Coleman on the policing of public space offences. Proctor, 24 (9), 24-26.
Walsh, Tamara (2004). Who is the 'public' in 'public space'?: a Queensland perspective on poverty, homelessness and vagrancy. Alternative Law Journal, 29 (2), 81-86.
'Reforms' to the Vagrants, Gaming and Other Offences Act: what do they achieve?
Walsh, Tamara (2004). 'Reforms' to the Vagrants, Gaming and Other Offences Act: what do they achieve?. Proctor, 24 (1), 23-24.
Legal issues confronting people who are homeless
Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2004). Legal issues confronting people who are homeless. Parity, 17 (1), 38-40.
Client satisfaction and empowerment through social work intervention
Walsh, T. K. E. and Lord, B. (2004). Client satisfaction and empowerment through social work intervention. Social Work In Health Care, 38 (4), 37-56. doi: 10.1300/J010v38n04_03
Walsh, T. K. E. (2004). Defending begging offenders. Queensland University of Technology Law & Justice Journal, 4 (1), 58-76.
Down and Out? Homelessness and citizenship
Walsh, Tamara and Klease, Carla (2004). Down and Out? Homelessness and citizenship. Australian journal of human rights, 10 (2), 77-104.
Diverting mentally ill women away from prison in New South Wales: Building on the existing system
Walsh, Tamara (2003). Diverting mentally ill women away from prison in New South Wales: Building on the existing system. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 10 (1), 227-238. doi: 10.1375/pplt.2003.10.1.227
Breaching the right to social security
Walsh, T. (2003). Breaching the right to social security. Griffith Law Review, 12 (1), 43-63.
Walsh, Tamara (2003). Waltzing Matilda one hundred years later: Interactions between homeless persons and the criminal justice system in Queensland. Sydney Law Review, 25 (1), 75-95.
Accounting for the Environment
Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2002). Accounting for the Environment. Environmental and Planning Law Journal, 19 (5), 387-397.
Accounting for the environment
Walsh, T. K. E. (2002). Accounting for the environment. Environmental and Planning Law Journal, 19 (5), 387-397.
What does access to justice actually mean?
Walsh, Tamara (2023). What does access to justice actually mean?. National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 21-23 June 2023.
Venables, Jemma and Walsh, Tamara (2022). Preparing social work students for interdisciplinary practice with lawyers: Student views on a pilot interdisciplinary teaching initiative. Australian and New Zealand Social Work and Welfare Education and Research Symposium, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 10-11 November 2022.
Criminalisation of Homelessness in Australia: A National Study
Walsh, Tamara (2022). Criminalisation of Homelessness in Australia: A National Study. European Homelessness Conference, Bergamo, Italy, 22-23 September 2022.
The right to family contact following child removal: Will the Human Rights Act make a difference
Healy, Karen, Venables, Jemma, Walsh, Tamara and Thompson, Kate (2021). The right to family contact following child removal: Will the Human Rights Act make a difference. 26th Asia-Pacific Regional Social Work Conference (hosted by IFSW & AASW), Online, 11-13 November 2021.
What are the consequences of intervening to protect children?
Walsh, Tamara (2021). What are the consequences of intervening to protect children?. Vulnerable Persons Conference, University of Southern Queensland, 13-14 May 2021.
Restrictive practices in prisons
Walsh, Tamara (2020). Restrictive practices in prisons. Restrictive practices and human rights, Online, 3 December 2020.
The use of restrictive practices in Australian schools
Walsh, Tamara (2020). The use of restrictive practices in Australian schools. United Nations 13th Session of the Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Side Event: It all begins with education), Online, 3 December 2020.
Walsh, Tamara (2019). Homelessness and the law. National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference, Canberra, ACT, Australia, 13-15 March 2019.
Homelessness, evictions and human rights law
Walsh, Tamara (2019). Homelessness, evictions and human rights law. European Research Conference on Homelessness, Helsingborg, Sweden, 20 September 2019.
Justice reinvestment and community-based strategies to address mental health concerns
Walsh, Tamara (2019). Justice reinvestment and community-based strategies to address mental health concerns. UQ Centre for Business and Economics of Health: Economics and Public Health Forum, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 31 July 2019.
Launching Australia’s first comprehensive deaths in custody website
UQ Deaths in Custody Project and Walsh, Tamara (2019). Launching Australia’s first comprehensive deaths in custody website. Prisons Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 9-10 July 2019.
Tamara Walsh (2019). The right to education. Queensland Human Rights Commission Seminar Series, Brisbane, Australia, 16 July 2019.
Walsh, Tamara and Douglas, Heather (2018). Adolescent Family Violence. Community Legal Centres Queensland Conference 2018, Brisbane, Qld Australia, 8-9 March 2018. Brisbane: University of Queensland.
History of the UQ Deaths in Custody Project
Tamara Walsh (2018). History of the UQ Deaths in Custody Project. UQ Deaths in Custody Project Launch, The University of Queensland, 1 August 2018.
Young women in the criminal justice system
Walsh, Tamara (2018). Young women in the criminal justice system. Queensland Youth Justice Strategy Expert Forum, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 7 September 2018.
Walsh, Tamara (2017). Panel discussion. Homelessness in the 21st Century Australian City, Deakin University Melbourne Campus, Melbourne, 18 December 2017.
Walsh, Tamara (2017). Panel discussion. Troubled or Troublesome? Justice with Compassion for Our Young People, Brisbane, Qld Australia, 20 November 2017.
Freedom to Be a Mother: The Impacts of Women's Criminalisation on Child Protection
Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2016). Freedom to Be a Mother: The Impacts of Women's Criminalisation on Child Protection. Sisters Inside Conference, Brisbane, 21 October 2016.
Legal Research in Child Protection: What Judicial Officers Say About the Child Protection System
Walsh, Tamara K. E. (2016). Legal Research in Child Protection: What Judicial Officers Say About the Child Protection System. Child and Family Welfare Symposium, University of Melbourne, 26 October 2016.
Child Protection, Family Group Meetings and Procedural Fairness
Walsh, Tamara K.E. and Douglas, Heather Anne (2011). Child Protection, Family Group Meetings and Procedural Fairness. Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration: Child Protection in Australia and New Zealand, Brisbane, Australia, 5 May, 2011.
Marginalised Mothers and Child Protection Interventions
Walsh, Tamara K.E. and Douglas, Heather Anne (2011). Marginalised Mothers and Child Protection Interventions. Mothers at the Margins: Sixth International Conference on Motherhood, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 28 April.
Marginalised Mothers and Child Protection Interventions
Walsh, Tamara K. E. and Douglas, Heather Anne (2011). Marginalised Mothers and Child Protection Interventions. Mothers at the Margins: Sixth International Conference on Motherhood, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 28 April 2011.
From Family Centred to Child-centred: Effects of Policy Change in Child Protection on Mothers
Douglas, Heather Anne and Walsh, Tamara K.E. (2009). From Family Centred to Child-centred: Effects of Policy Change in Child Protection on Mothers. FIN 2009 National Gathering, Canberra, 27th November.
Mother, Domestic Violence and Child Protection
Douglas, Heather Anne and Walsh, Tamara K.E. (2009). Mother, Domestic Violence and Child Protection. Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance Seminars, Griffith University, 22 April 2009.
Douglas, Heather Anne and Walsh, Tamara K.E. (2008). Hyper Vigilance and Risk Avoidance in the Child Protection Context: What is the Role of Lawyers in the Child Protection Process. Law and Justice in the Risk Society, Research Committee on the Sociology of Law, University of Milano 'Statale', Milan, 10 July 2008.
Walsh, Tamara, Beilby, Jane, Lim, Phylicia and Cornwell, Lucy (2023). Safety through support: building safer communities by supporting vulnerable children in Queensland's youth justice system. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
Expanding human rights for Queenslanders in the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld)
Kawamata, Oscar, McRuvie, Kirsty, Brown, Rory, Whitewood, Taylor, Behenna, Tian, Killen, Joe, Hyden, Jesse and Walsh, Tamara (2022). Expanding human rights for Queenslanders in the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld). Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
30 years on: Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommendations remain unimplemented
Anthony, Thalia, Jordan, Kirrily, Walsh, Tamara, Markham, Francis and Williams, Megan (2021). 30 years on: Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommendations remain unimplemented. CAEPR Working Paper. 140. Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australian National University. doi: 10.25911/22AJ-0608
Legal perspectives on solitary confinement in Queensland
Walsh, Tamara, Blaber, Helen, Smith, Claudia, Cornwell, Lucy and Blake, Karen (2020). Legal perspectives on solitary confinement in Queensland. Brisbane, QLD Australia: University of Queensland.
Logan Community Justice Centre: Community Consultation and Design Report
Tamara Walsh and Robin Fitzgerald (2020). Logan Community Justice Centre: Community Consultation and Design Report. Brisbane: University of Queensland.
Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld): A Guide to Rights Interpretation
McInnes-Smith, Sienna , Peacock, Linden , Cuss, Alexia , Beckinsale, Emma , Horrocks, Sophia , Foran, Clare , Ryan, Tomea , Aisi, Elizabeth , Baer, Christoph and Walsh, Tamara (2020) Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld): A Guide to Rights Interpretation Brisbane: University of Queensland
Does our child protection system cause young people to commit crimes? The evidence suggests so
Walsh, Tamara (2019, 11 27). Does our child protection system cause young people to commit crimes? The evidence suggests so The Conversation 1-2.
Douglas, Heather, Walsh, Tamara, Lelliott, Joseph and Wallis, Rebecca (2019). Submission to Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council: review of community based sentencing orders, imprisonment and parole options.
Children with special needs and the right to education
Walsh, Tamara and Thomas, Kathryn (2015). Children with special needs and the right to education.
A special court for special cases
Walsh, Tamara (2011). A special court for special cases. St. Lucia, QLD, Australia: Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration.
Walsh, Tamara (2007). No Vagrancy: an examination of the impact of the criminal justice system on people living in poverty in Queensland, 2007.
No Offence: The enforcement of offensive language and offensive behaviour offences in Queensland
Walsh, Tamara (2006). No Offence: The enforcement of offensive language and offensive behaviour offences in Queensland.
Nowhere to go: the impact of police Move-on powers on homeless people in Queensland
Taylor, Monica and Walsh, Tamara (2006). Nowhere to go: the impact of police Move-on powers on homeless people in Queensland.
Incorrections II: Correcting Government
Walsh, Tamara (2005). Incorrections II: Correcting Government.
Walsh, Tamara (2004). Incorrections: investigating prison release practice and policy in Queensland and its impact on public safety.
Walsh, Tamara (2004). From park bench to court bench: developing a response to breaches of public space law by marginalised people. Brisbane, Australia: Faculty of Law, QUT, in association with the QPILCH Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic and the Rights in Public Space Action Group (RIPS).
Australian human rights complaints: Litigation, mediation or conciliation
(2023–2025) ARC Linkage Projects
Delivery of - Review of court and judicial processes research paper
(2022–2023) Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General
'We need to talk' : Genomics and disability
(2020–2023) MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission, Project Grant administered by AusIndustry
Logan Community Justice Centre Phase 1: Consultation and Design
(2018–2020) Logan City Council
Criminalisation of poverty and homelessness in Australia: A national study
(2017–2021) ARC Linkage Projects
Social Workers, Lawyers and the Delivery of Legal Services
(2012–2013) Welfare Rights Centre Inc
Mainstreaming the special circumstances court model
(2010–2012) The Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration Incorporated
Legal Issues Affecting Homeless People in Australia
(2006–2008) UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
Capacity and Treatment Refusal: How Law Should Deal with the Case of Anorexia Nervosa
(2018) Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Plain language and the law: Rethinking legal information for vulnerable people in Australia
(2019) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL?: An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) as a Tool for the Delivery of Equality of Opportunity in Education to People with Impairments
(2007) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
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.
Human rights and social welfare law
The PhD program provides students with an opportunity to examine the legal and social impacts of human rights law, and explore in depth the effects of the law and legal systems on people experiencing social and economic disadvantage. Students could apply human rights law, and related scholarship, to a number of different legal areas and problems, including:
For further information contact Professor Tamara Walsh, e: t.walsh@law.uq.edu.au.