Melbourne Law School Centre for Employment
and Labour Relations Law

*John is currently on study leave until June 2010

Associate Professor John Howe has recently taken over as Director of the Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law. He received a PhD in law from the University of Melbourne in 2004 for his thesis 'Government Promotion of Job Creation in Australia: Regulatory Objectives, Instruments and Law'.  He also holds undergraduate degrees in Law and Arts from Monash University and an LLM (Summa Cum Laude) from Temple University in Philadelphia, USA.  His research interests include regulatory theory, labour law and corporate accountability.  John is also a member of the Centre for Corporate Law and Securities Regulation.  Prior to commencing an academic career, John worked in private legal practice, and also as a researcher for public policy and advocacy organisations in Washington, DC.  He is Secretary of the Australian Labour Law Association, and Reports Editor for the Australian Journal of Labour Law.

Anna is a graduate of the University of Melbourne in both Commerce and Law. She completed her LLM in 1995. The topic of her thesis was Australian anti-discrimination law on the grounds of sexual preference. Anna's research focuses on law, gender, race and sexual preference in the paid labour market. Anna's current projects include an examination of the constitution of the worker and family responsibilities in Australian labour law. Anna has published in a range of Australian and international law journals and has recently become an editor of the Australian Journal of Labour Law.

*Sean is the Acting Director of the Centre until June 2010

Sean graduated in Arts and Law from the University of Melbourne and has also studied law at Columbia University in New York and the National Taiwan University. Sean completed his doctoral studies (J.S.D.) at Columbia University, New York, in October 2005.  The title of his thesis was 'Improving Regulatory Strategies for Dealing with Endemic Labour Abuses'. His research interests are in international and comparative labour law, with a particular focus on East Asia. He has published in a range of international journals in English and in Chinese, and is at present examining alternatives to the current system of international labour standards.

Beth Gaze studied law at Monash University and the University of California at Berkeley. She also has a B Sc. from the University of Melbourne. Beth's major interests are in anti-discrimination and equality law, feminist legal thought, and administrative law including tribunals. She has undertaken research into Australian anti-discrimination law including current research projects on the enforcement process under Australian federal anti-discrimination law, and the need for substantive updating of Australian anti-discrimination laws. Her particular area of interest in discrimination law is equality for women at work, with a focus on work/family conflict, and she has published articles on the legal status of part time work. She is also a member of Faculty and University Equity and EEO committees, and a legal member of the Victorian Mental Health Review Board.

Glenn has an LLB (Hons) and a BA from Monash University, and an LLM from Queens University, Canada. His principal fields of interest are democratic theory and practice, workplace democracy and labour relations, constitutional and administrative law, and human rights law. Glenn has published in a range of Australian and international journals

Joo-Cheong obtained an LLB(Hons) and an LLM from the University of Melbourne.  Prior to being appointed as a Lecturer in Law at the University of Melbourne, he taught at the law schools of Victoria University and LaTrobe University. He has published in a range of Australian and international journals, and writes regularly for newspapers and online media.  His labour law research centres on the legal regulation of casual employment, which is the subject of his doctoral thesis.  He also specialises in campaign finance laws and will be publishing a major report on the funding of Australian political parties in 2006.  His other area of expertise is Australian anti-terrorism law. 

*Colin is currently on leave of absence having taken up the position of Labour Law Specialist at the ILO International Labour Office in Geneva, Switzerland.

Colin is a graduate of both Melbourne University and the University of Virginia, with fifteen years' experience in the field of labour relations law. He was the Director of the Centre from August 2004 until October 2008. He is currently working with the International Labour Organisation in Geneva. Colin has worked in both legal practice and in academia in Australia, the United States and Switzerland. He has also worked as a consultant for clients including the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, the International Labor Rights Fund and the United States Department of Labor. Colin’s research interests are in international and comparative labour law, with a particular focus on Southern Africa. Over the past few years Colin has served as both an Associate Editor and Editor of the Australian Journal of Labour Law. 

Tel:     (03) 8344 1001

Sonja Zivak is a student in the Juris Doctor degree at the University of Melbourne. She joined the Centre in May 2009 as the first Student Fellow. Sonja holds a BA in Communication and Cultural Studies from Curtin University (2005) and an Honours degree in English Literature from the University of Melbourne (2007). Her research interests include Public International Law, Employment and Labour Relations Law and Dispute Resolution.

Tessa is the Coordinator for the Centre of Employment and Labour Relations Law.  She joined the Centre in January 2009.

Tessa completed her Bachelor of Education majoring in Management and Diploma of Teaching at the University of Otago, New Zealand in 1999.  She spent two years living and working in Japan followed by two years in the United Kingdom.  Along with her teaching background Tessa has 5+ years experience working in various administration roles in the Finance, IT, Tourism and Mining sectors.

Tessa is also the Coordinator for the Tax Group.