Editor-in-Chief’s Address

We are pleased to present the Law Review’s Winter 2023 edition - the fifth since its inception two years ago.

Most notably, this edition is the first to require abstracts, not only to encourage students to orient their work from the reader’s perspective, but for practice in publishing in quality academic journals. We’ve tried not to over-edit articles by whittling down the student voice until effectively replacing it with our own. The balancing act of editing for style and substance while not losing an author’s voice is difficult, however it has taught us the valuable skill of learning how others think and write. In turn, the editing process has prompted consciousness of our own writing style and consideration of how others read and understand our work. While the Law Review might appear to be a purely academic exercise, a way for the law school to display its strong history and reputation, for us editors it means a lot more. The editorial team comprising Yoon, Farhan and Takwa would attest that it is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of our time at law school.

We’ve aimed to achieve our scholarly goals of showcasing a broad spectrum of student articles from both the Australian and International legal contexts. To this end, we present articles from Hayley Cohen, Gemma Keogh and Yoon Kim which encompass the theme of the historical and legal impacts of colonial settlement on our First Nations peoples pre- and post-Mabo, including the case for constitutionally enshrining a Voice to parliament. This edition also features Chelsea Keirsnowski’s contemporary analysis of the environmental impact of global trade, and Yoon and my responses to hypothetical scenarios involving the impact of a recent amendment to the Corporations Act on the use of digital signatures, and the legal requirements of a notifiable data breach. In the criminal law reform context, we present Esther Sophia’s case for raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility and my argument against mandatory sentencing. I also analyse comparative Australian sentencing practices including arguments for broadening the scope of judicial discretion in most jurisdictions. Finally, we are proud to publish Andrew Backhouse’s article addressing the issue of corporate governance principles and their application to Australian partnerships in light of the PwC tax avoidance scandal.

I commend to you our latest thought-provoking additions to the growing body of scholarly student law articles from the USQ Law Society.

Kind regards, Robyn

Edmanson Editor-in-Chief USQ Law Society Law Review

Robyn Edmanson Editor-in-Chief USQ Law Society Law Review