Ms Rebecca LaForgia

Biography/ Background

I teach and research in Public International Law and Australian Constitutional Law: my main interest is in exploring the question of how these areas of law can meaningfully be made accessible to and open for all people. I have a First Class Honours degree in Law from Adelaide University, and a First Class Masters degree in Law from Cambridge University.  

Qualifications

LL.B (First Class Hons, University of Adelaide)

LL.M ( First Class Hons, University of Cambridge)

Awards & Achievements

United States Studies Centre Research Grant: Exploring compliance with the right public participation under United States Bilateral Free Trade Agreements  (2010) 
 

The Russell Vick Prize for Law, for results in LL.M examination by Jesus College Cambridge University (1995)

Britain–Australian Bicentennial Scholarship 1994, to read for the Master of Law Degree at Cambridge University Jesus College

Teaching Interests

Primarily in the areas of constitutional law, public international law, public law and jurisprudence.

Awarded Federal Government Carrick Teaching Prize for Constitutional Law (jointly with two colleagues – Professor Elizabeth Handsley and Dr Chris Reynolds), 2007

Nominated and received “Golden Key” award through student nomination, Flinders University 2007    

Teaching Roles
 

Internationalisation & International Student Support, Adelaide Law School

Research Interests

I teach and research in Public International Law and Australian Constitutional Law, as stated; my main interest being exploring the question of how these areas can be accessed by and open to all.
This means that I am interested in how the public participates within a treaty that may well have ongoing effects on their lives: e.g., do we have ongoing sites at which we can see how the treaty affects us (and others) – and how do we participate meaningfully within this context?

My motivation is that without public input into and around international law there is, of course, the well-documented democratic deficit; but – more importantly – without public participation, we as a global society are missing out on different ways of seeing and developing international legal obligations and international legal relationships.  

The project I am currently working on reflects this. I am researching into and advocating for the inclusion of public participation obligation within a forthcoming trade treaty. I have presented to negotiators and prepared Government submissions on why it is important that this treaty contains a legal obligation for ongoing public participation, coupled with a flow of information explaining the ongoing meaning of the treaty. The submissions I have made are available below and at http://www.dfat.gov.au/fta/tpp/  ( click on submissions).

This project is ongoing as the treaty is still under negotiation.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding the arguments and/or submission process that I have undertaken around the inclusion of a public participation obligation within this Trans-Pacific Partnership. 
 

Publications

Robert McCorquodale & Rebecca La Forgia, “Taking off the Blindfolds: Torture by Non-State Actors”; reprinted in ‘International Law beyond the State: Essays on Sovereignty, Non-State Actors and Human Rights’ by Robert McCorquodale, 2011.

Rebecca LaForgia, ‘The Politics of International Law–Twenty Years Later’: A Reply to Martti Koskenniemi;  European Journal of International; (2009) 20 (4): 979.

Rebecca LaForgia, (with Marinella Marmo), ‘Inclusive National Governance and Trafficked Women in Australia: Otherness and Local Demand’ (2008) Asian Journal of Criminology 173.

Rebecca LaForgia, ‘The Administration of Transparency Under the Labour Chapter of United States Bilateral Free Trade Agreements: Is the United States Creating a Glass House?’ 1 Global Studies Journal 47, (2008). 

Rebecca LaForgia, “Sowing seeds for transparency (You reap what you sow: Lessons from the Australian Wheat Board on the need for business to advocate for transparent Free Trade Agreements)” (2006) 2 Monash Business Review 25.

Bryan Mercurio and Rebecca LaForgia, “Expanding Democracy: Why Australia should Negotiate for Open and Transparent Dispute Settlement in its Free Trade Agreements” (2005) 6 Melbourne Journal of International Law 485 

Rebecca LaForgia and Martin Flynn, ‘Australia’s Pacific Solution to Asylum Seekers’  (2002) LAWASIA  Journal 31. 

Rebecca LaForgia, “Subverting the Rule of Law” (2006) 10  Southern Cross University Law Review 201.

Rebecca LaForgia, “Attorney General, Chief Law Officer of the Crown: but where is the Law?”; (2003) 28 Alt Law Journal 163.

Robert McCorquodale & Rebecca La Forgia, 'Taking off theBlindfolds: Torture by Non-State Actors', 1 Human Rights Law Review (2001),

LaForgia, Rebecca (with Cummings, Barbara and Blokland, Jenny) “Lessons for the Stolen Generations Litigation”, 19 Adelaide Law Review, 25-44 (1997).

Submissions and Government Engagement

2012 Rebecca LaForgia; “Submission regarding the inclusion of a Public Participation obligation within the TPP”, 12 September 2012, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade;  available at http://www.dfat.gov.au/fta/tpp/

2012 Rebecca LaForgia; Record of oral submission to TPP Negotiators, March 4, at the Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations in Melbourne, Australia; “The merits of including public participation within the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement”

2010 Rebecca LaForgia;  Question to the United States Trade Representative  regarding the inclusion of Public Participation within the TPP available at http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/blog/2010/may/ustrs-tpp-online-chat

2005 Rebecca LaForgia; “Australia’s policy in relation to dispute mechanisms in bilateral trade treaties”, Department of Foreign Affairs Inquiry into Australia and ASEAN Trade Negotiations  

Entry last updated: Friday, 17 May 2013