!

!!"#$%!&'(#)*#+,&'(#)*#$%!&!!"#*+
Melbourne Doctoral Forum on Legal Theory
Melbourne Law School
Room 920
16 - 17 December 2010
This workshop is generously supported by:
Melbourne Forum on Doctoral Legal Research
Knowing! Acting! Creating
i
m
a
g
e

c
o
u
r
t
e
s
y

o
f

t
h
e

a
r
t
i
s
t

B
r
i
a
n

D
e
t
t
m
e
r

a
n
d

t
h
e

P
a
c
k
e
r

S
c
h
o
p
f

G
a
l
l
e
r
y
Ofce for Research
Melbourne Law School
Call for Papers
Following the success of last year"s Postgraduate and Early Career Researchers" Workshop on Methodological
Approaches to Legal Scholarship! we are pleased to announce the inaugural Melbourne Forum on Doctoral Legal
Research# This annual Forum will provide a space for participants to explore the particular challenges they encounter in
the context of their own research# The theme of this year"s workshop $ %Knowing! Acting! Creating& $ aims to bring
together doctoral students and early career researchers from a variety of regions! cultures and disciplines to re'ect
upon our roles as researchers and be aided! guided and challenged by other participants and by our academic
discussants# The workshop will culminate in several small roundtable discussions! providing participants with a unique
opportunity to engage academics with similar interests on the future of research in their area#
As legal researchers we are required to negotiate an ongoing and dynamic relationship between our impulses and
abilities to know! act and create# In this workshop we ask participants! what epistemological traditions or discourses are
you drawing upon in your research? How do these transform! in'ect and assist your work? What assumptions about
the nature of (legal) knowledge do they import? In your daily work! in what ways are you able to be creative and in
what ways are you constrained? How! for instance! are you bound by disciplines (legal or otherwise) and their
expectations! de*nitions and procedures! and are you actively challenging these in your writing? How do you see your
work as acting upon legal discourse! practice or beyond?
In short! as legal researchers! what is our place as thinkers of! actors in relation to! and creators or creatures of law?
We invite participants to present on some aspect of their own research but with a self+re'exivity appropriate to the
theme of the forum# Abstracts (,-- words) should be submitted along with a short biography (.-- words) and
registration form BY ,PM ON FRIDAY ..TH DECEMBER # These can be sent to j#parker,@pgrad#unimelb#edu#au
BURSARIES
Modest bursaries will be made available to some participants# If you would like to apply for a bursary! please indicate
this in your registration form and *ll out the relevant section#
CONFERENCE WEBSITE
http://plsa#law#unimelb#edu#au/knowingactingcreating
.0th and .1th February 2-.-
!
!
"#$%&'()*+,)%-!&.!/010%*2)13!45%*!
Wheie you aie meeting is pait of the tiauitional lanu of my fatheis. . I am a
veiy piouu custouian of this lanu. I am veiy piouu to be an Aboiiginal
woman. I am veiy piouu to be the uaughtei of my fathei.
}oy Wanuin Nuiphy, 2uu2
We aie the fiist people of this lanu. We have suffeieu eveiy inuignity evei
meteu out to a people. Yet oui stiength is in oui ueteimination. We uiu not
consent to the taking of oui lanu, noi of the establishment of the nation of
Austialia on oui countiy. 0ui consent to be subsumeu within the Austialian
nation was neithei sought noi given. 0ui soveieign iights as a people iemain
intact. By viitue of those soveieign iights we aie the sole uecision-makeis
about what we neeu anu will accept.
Nichael Nansell, 1998
We acknowleuge that this woikshop takes place on the lanus of the Wuiunujeii
people of the Kulin nation.

Soveieignty has nevei been ceueu ovei this lanu, anu its owneiship continues to be
contesteu to this uay. We acknowleuge the histoiic anu ongoing acts of violence
against Inuigenous peoples, anu the exploitation of Inuigenous lanu, iesouices anu
laboui that has taken place heie anu acioss the countiy. We iecognise, in paiticulai,
the iole of law in enabling anu legitimising the settlei-colonial uispossession of
Inuigenous peoples anu soveieignties, anu the haims of these legal inteiventions.

The woikshop's uual themes of 6&1*)17 anu .3+01)7 ask us to ieflect on the ways
colonial ielations continue to stiuctuie contempoiaiy legal foims. Boiueis aie nevei
passive, but always actively instigateu anu policeu, yet always capable of
contestation anu ieuefinition. Law's iole in this uemaication calls on us to
contemplate the figuies who belong anu the ones who aie excluueu; the naming anu
the powei of naming. In this way, the woikshop themes call on us to inteiiogate
piocesses of boiueiing anu boiuei-making, figuiing anu figuiing out.

We hope that the woikshop uiscussions of the next two uays aie infoimeu by law's
ielation to violence; that we ieflect upon the paiticulai subjectivities oi available
speaking-positions foi figuies that engage anuoi aie subjecteu to law; anu that, in
tuin, we engage with the figuies that cieate uiffeient legal foims anu occupy law's
vaiious offices. But also embiace those figuies who contest law's uemanus oi speak
a uiffeient language ofto law.

We hope that this acknowleugment - by no means sufficient on its own - leaus us to
pioblematise oui own ieliance on law as a souice offoi justice anu the comfoits
ueiiveu fiom the legal foim, whilst at the same time seeing the possibilities anu
enabling moments in law foi moving towaius moie just ielations.


"6&0-!-8)!/&1$78&9!

It is oui pleasuie to welcome you to the Nelbouine Law School foi the thiiu annual
Nelbouine Boctoial Foium on Legal Theoiy.

The woikshop is aimeu at uoctoial anu eaily caieei ieseaicheis, who aie engageu in
questions of legal theoiy anu methouology in theii own ieseaich piojects.

We hope that the next two uays will pioviue a space foi inteiesting ieflections, lively
uiscussions, new engagements anu thoughtful connections.

This woikshop woulu not have been possible without the help of the pievious
woikshop convenois: Luis, 0livia anu Yoiiko, whose wonueiful inauguial woikshop
'In seaich of Authoiity, Rebellion anu Action' fiist set all the ciitical momentum in
motion; anu Bec anu }ames foi continuing the iauical eneigy with 'Knowing, Acting
anu Cieating'. Theii mentoiship anu feeuback has been fantastic, anu this woikshop
woulu not have occuiieu without theii inspiiation anu uiive.

Thanks also to all the Nelbouine Law School acauemics who have offeieu theii
suppoit anu suggestions in the leau to this woikshop, anu who aie acting as
uiscussants anu paiticipants ovei the next two uays.

We'u also like to thank the following foi enabling the woikshop thiough theii
financial suppoit: the Nelbouine Law School, the Institute foi Inteinational Law anu
the Bumanities, the Centie foi Employment anu Laboui Relations Law, the
Postgiauuate Law Stuuents Association, anu the Law 0ffice of Reseaich.

In paiticulai, we thank the fabulous vesna Stefanovski of the Institute foi
Inteinational Law anu the Bumanities, foi whom no question was too small anu who
offeieu hei auvice anu suppoit so fieely; as well as Lucy 0'Biien of the Law 0ffice of
Reseaich, anu Naiui Richaiuson anu uenevieve Allen of the Nelbouine Law School
Acauemic Suppoit 0ffice foi theii wonueiful assistance in the piepaiation anu
logistics of oiganising the woikshop, which has maue the leau-up to the woikshop
so much easiei!

Thanks also to Wally uilbeit foi the use of his image, 'Foui Faces Inveise':
http:wallygilbeit.aitspan.com

:5-)13%+!
We aie veiy giateful to the Asylum Seekei Resouice Centie (ASRC) Cateiing seivice
foi piepaiing the uelicious woikshop lunches. ASRC Cateiing is a social enteipiise
that employs asylum seekeis who have the iight anu capacity to woik. All suiplus
funus geneiateu fiom the cateiing business go towaius suppoiting asylum seekeis
who uo not have the iight to woik anu aie unable to access Feueial uoveinment
seivices. All the foou is vegetaiian anu 8S% of it is souiceu fiom local piouuce. Foi
moie infoimation about the ASRC, please visit theii website:
http:www.asic.oig.au anu http:www.cateiing.asic.oig.au
!
Enjoy!

Saia Behm anu Naiia Elanuei
Woikshop Co-convenois
;<=><"?

@"A!=BCD!E8017*5F!GH!@)#),6)1!
8:4S - 9:1S Registiation anu Coffee
9:1S - 9:Su Welcome: Saia Behm anu Naiia Elanuei
9:Su - 1u:Su I)F%&-)!"**1)77D!CJ)!@5135%KL,3-8!MN:!L5%-5!O516515P!
'White Nan's Anxiety: Rauical Legal Pluialism anu Reconceptualising
Soveieignty'!
Chaii: Anne 0ifoiu (Nelbouine Law School)
1u:Su - 1u:4S Noining Tea
1u:4S - 11:Su ;5%)(!GD!!"##"$%&'()"*+(,&-.$$/%&'()"*
Facilitatoi: }ames Paikei (Nelbouine Law School)
Nauelaine Chiam (Nelbouine Law School)!
'Bistoiy in anu of Law: A PhB's Canuiuate's Bialogue'!
Buon Cuitis (Syuney Law School)
'Spaces of Economic Biscouise: Fixity anu uoveinance'
Yugank uoyal (}inual ulobal Law School)
'A Theoietical Tieatment of Law's Expeiiments with Economics:
Expanuing Fiontieis anu }ouiney's acioss Biviues'
11:Su - 11:4u Bieak
11:4u - 12:2S ;5%)(!G!@37#0773&%
Biscussant: Petei Rush (Nelbouine Law School)
12:2S - 1:Su Lunch
1:Su - 2:1S ;5%)(!QD!0./1.-("&2(3$4.#-
Facilitatoi: Bec uooubouin (Nelbouine Law School)
Beboiah Whitehall (Nelbouine Law School)
'Bannah Aienut anu an Expeiiment in FiguiingRe-Figuiing the
Selves of Inteinational Law'!
Baiien Paikei (Nelbouine Law School)
'The Constiuction of Tiauitional 0wneiship'
}othie Rajah (0C Beikeley)
'Figuies of Speech: 'Asian values', 'Teiioiists', anu 'Rule of Law'
Boiueis'
2:1S - 2:2S Bieak
2:2S - S:1u ;5%)(!Q!@37#0773&%
Biscussion Chaii: Sunuhya Pahuja (Nelbouine Law School)
S:1u - S:2S Afteinoon Tea
S:2S - 4:1u ;5%)(!RD!56#2.#(76&1.#-"$%6&-
Facilitatoi: 0livia Baii (Nelbouine Law School)
Amanua Poitei (Syuney Law School)
'Policing the Neo-Colonial Fiontiei: Aboiiginal Night Patiols anu the
Politics of Inuigenous Self-Beteimination'
Ben Silveistein (La Tiobe 0niveisity)
'0n the Noithein Fiontiei: Cultuies of Law in Bouies anu Spaces of
the 19Sus'
Katie Bepwoith (0niveisity of Technology, Syuney)
'Abject Citizens: Excessive Nobility anu the Bepoitability of
Romanian Roma in Italy'
4:1u - 4:2u Bieak
4:2u - S:uS ;5%)(!R!@37#0773&%
Biscussant: Kiisty uovei (Nelbouine Law School)
S:uS - S:4S Biinks
S:4S - 7:uu S%7-3-0-)!.&1!S%-)1%5-3&%5(!45'!5%*!-8)!T0,5%3-3)7!L),3%51!
UB&,&7V!;8F737!5%*!L)W05(!@3..)1)%#)!3%!GX
-8
!:)%-01F!:3J3(!
;83(&7&983)7D!L&,)!<).()#-3&%7!09&%!45'!5%*!Y),3%37-!;&(3-3#7U!
Bi Naiia Biakopoulou (Kent Law School)
"#$%!&''(!)*+,*-!./!-#/01//.'$
86#9-46:(;%&&.#(<(XDRZ9,!
N%3J)175(!<)7-5015%-!
GR[\G]G!4F+&%!L-1))-V!:51(-&%!!


@"A!E/=D!Y13*5F!GX!@)#),6)1!
8:4S - 9:uu Coffee
9:uu - 9:4S
!
;5%)(!]D!=2>?2%@"$%&'($4.(A%'?#.
Facilitatoi: Lu Weis (Nelbouine Law School)
Natthew Nicholson (0niveisity College Lonuon) - via Skype
'Becon-+#21*#'2!Boiueis Re-3,*-(*#'2 Figuies
Linua Steele (Syuney Law School)
'Limits, Spaces, Boiueis: Biveision of Befenuants with Cognitive
Impaiiment fiom the Local Couit'
Bec uooubouin (Nelbouine Law School)
'Figuiing Laneways'
9:4S - 9:SS Bieak
9:SS - 1u:4u ;5%)(!]!@37#0773&%
Biscussant: Naiia Biakopoulou (Kent Law School)
1u:4u - 1u:SS Noining Tea
1u:SS - 11:4u ;5%)(!^D!B4.()%C.(6C()"*
Facilitatoi: Connal Paisley (Nelbouine Law School)
Naic Tiabsky (0niveisity of Syuney)
'"Like Watei in Watei": Animality, Law anu Beath'
}ulia Behm (Nelbouine Law School)
'Life, uiowth, Limits anu Capital in Ciisis'
Naiia uiannacopoulos (0niveisity of New South Wales)
'"Keeping Them Alive": Law, Betention anu Beath'
11:4u - 11:Su Bieak
11:Su - 12:SS ;5%)(!^!@37#0773&%
Biscussant: Shaun Ncveigh (Nelbouine Law School)
12:SS - 1:Su Lunch
1:Su - 2:1S ;5%)(!HD!0.@?#%&'()"*D-(56#2.#-
Facilitatoi: Luis Eslava (Nelbouine Law School)
Paola Pasquali (Biikbeck, 0niveisity of Lonuon)
'Space, Law, Noimativity: 0bseivations aiounu 4#*/#!.'-!)$%(*/!5/6!
7$.89'
Waltei Rech (Nelbouine Law School)
'At the Boiueis of Bumanity: Inteinational Law anu the Invention of
the 0niveisal Enemy'
Petei Chambeis (Nelbouine Law School)
'Besiiing Walls Besiiing Analysis.'
2:1S - 2:2S Bieak
2:2S - S:1u ;5%)(!H!@37#0773&%
Biscussant: Kevin }on Bellei (Nelbouine Law School)
S:1u - S:2u Afteinoon Tea
S:2u - 4:2u S%!:&%J)175-3&%D!I)%*5((!E8&,57!M:&(0,635!45'!L#8&&(P
"#$% Bi 0tto (Nelbouine Law School)
4:2u - 4:Su Closing Remaiks: Naiia Elanuei anu Saia Behm
4:Su - S:Su Biinks
!
L5-01*5F!G_!@)#),6)1!
Theie will be an optional picnic lunch planneu foi L5-01*5F!5-!G9, in
Cailton uaiuens by the Royal Exhibition Builuing, which all paiticipants anu theii
fiienus anu family aie welcome to attenu. We will have oui picnic iugs neai the
main fountain. BY0 foou anu wine to shaie.
In case of iain, we will move to a caf on ueitiuue Stieet, Fitzioy (S minutes walking
uistance fiom uaiuens).
If you can't finu us, give us a call!
Naiia: u4Su 479 229
Saia: u4S1 27S 244







;"BC4!GD!B5115-3%+!45'V!N%7)--(3%+!45'!
?5*)(53%)!:853,!M?)(6&01%)!45'!L#8&&(P!
T37-&1F!3%!5%*!&.!45'D!"!;8@!:5%*3*5-)`7!@35(&+0)!
!
The PhB Canuiuate (PC): Bow uoes a lawyei 'uo' histoiy. What uoes that even mean.
The Wise Supeivisois (WS): Peihaps you aie asking too big a question.
PC: What about this: Bow uoes this PhB canuiuate, who has tiauitional legal acauemic
tiaining anu who completeu one unueigiauuate histoiy subject (in 1992!), even begin to
appioach a thesis that is an histoiical ieview of the way people talk about wai anu law.
WS: A bettei question. Bow woulu you answei it.
PC: I was hoping you woulu tell me.
WS: Tiy looking both within anu without the uiscipline of inteinational law. Bow aie
inteinational legal scholais wiiting histoiy. Bow uo histoiians think anu wiite about the
piactice of histoiy. What elements of histoiiogiaphy might be useful in a law thesis.

|uays pass.j

WS: What have you founu.
PC: Naitti Koskenniemi, most especially in :%(!;('$8(!<#5#8#/(*!,+!=.$#,'/, has openeu a
space foi social histoiy in inteinational law, anu Beneuetto Cioce, EB Caii anu Nichel
Foucault (in paiticulai) shine biight lights uown some inteiesting genealogical
pathways, but.
WS: Yes.
PC: I still haven't a clue what my histoiy will look like.
WS: Peihaps you shoulu ietuin to the beginning.
PC: The beginning.
WS: The uieeks.
PC: The uieeks.. What uo they have to uo with thinking anu wiiting about law.
WS: You can tell us in uue couise.
PC: Sigh.

|moie uays pass.j

WS: Anu so.
PC: I love the uieeks! Beiouotus anu Thucyuiues aie piactically the peisonification of
my methouological uilemma. Beiouotus, with his self-ieflexive, non-lineai, multiple
peispective appioach piefiguies (by about 2Suu yeais!) Keith }enkins' uesciiption of
postmouein histoiians in >(?$%#'@#'2! 4#/$,*9 as those who 'uelibeiately call oveit
attention to theii own piocesses of piouuction anu explicitly inuicate the constiucteu
iathei than the founu natuie of theii iefeients'.
WS: Anu Thucyuiues.
PC: Anu Thucyuiues! With his uispassion, his focus on facts anu analysis anu his ability
to uisiegaiu any uetail that uoes not suit his puipose, Thucyuiues woulu have been an
exemplaiy black-lettei lawyei. Anu yet his histoiy is as compelling as Beiouotus' anu
the tiageuy of the Peloponnesian Wais as he piesents them patently cleai.
WS: They talk about law anu wai in contiasting ways too.
PC: They aie a fascinating entiy point into the limits on legitimate ways to talk about
wai. Inueeu, these two 'fatheis of histoiy' will figuie in both the methouology anu
substance of my thesis. I just neeu to wiite a papei on how.

!
T0&%!:01-37!MLF*%)F!45'!L#8&&(P!
L95#)7!&.!C#&%&,3#!@37#&017)D!Y3W3-F!5%*!>&J)1%5%#)!

Economic knowleuge is constituteu thiough iefeience to a paiticulai geo-political entity
- the national economy. The uominance of paiticulai knowleuges about this entity -
the economy - uisplaces the position anu function of law within society. Nost
paiticulaily, the foimulation of 'objective' measuiement tools anu 'neutial' economic
theoiy uisplaces law as the technical language of auministiation. It is economics iathei
than law that pioviues the language, conceptual stiuctuie anu categoiies of mouein
sociality anu (ie)constitutes the physiognomy of society on both the inuiviuual anu
macio levels thiough the constiuction anu institutionalisation of economic aggiegates.
0f note is the epistemic uepenuency of law on the economic uisciplines (notably
statistics anu accounting) foi access to the sites that it iegulates anu, ultimately, the
suboiuination of the law to these othei uisciplines.

While the law might be impoitant foi the foimal couification of legal iules anu
categoiies in the mouein eia, it is uifficult foi the social scientist to see what the law
offeis to mouein social science. The law points to anu iuentifies instiuments anu
measuies anu plays a coeicive iole in what counts as knowleuge, anu foimalises
hieiaichy between uisciplines. Bow the law ueals with its suboiuination to scientific
economics is piesenteu as the bioauei fiamewoik of this papei, howevei, I ueal with the
othei siue of the question - the pioblematic foimulation of scientific economic
knowleuge about this geopolitical entity - the economy - as a means of opening up
questions about the intei-ielations between law anu economics.

In paitly flattening out the piominence of law in mouein sociality, I uo not wish to
ignoie the coeicive iole that the law plays - this seems unueniable - howevei in
pointing out its uisplacement by economics as the technical language of auministiation, I
point to the ways in which this might foice a ieappiaisal of the way in which law ielies
on the 'expeit' knowleuge anu 'objective' measuies of scientific economics, anu the
limitations of viewing 'the economic' as coinciuing with the juiisuictional bounuaiies of
the nation-state. At the same time I'm conscious of not just ie-instituting the uualism of
nationalglobal in some unuei-theoiiseu way. The focus on law is uesigneu to
uemonstiate the impoitance of consiueiing uiffeient assemblages of (global anu local)
powei - anu the law's complicity in instituting these uiffeient moualities of powei. By
placing 'knowleuge' of the national economy at the centie of uiscussion I am placing a
question ovei the saciosanctity anu fixity of this knowleuge anu the way it has
insinuateu itself (unconsciously peihaps in some instances because of its ieach towaius
scientism, anu moie consciously in otheis as the iesult of political conflicts) into moues
of iegulation.
!
!
!
A0+5%$!>&F5(!Ma3%*5(!>(&65(!45'!L#8&&(P!
"! E8)&1)-3#5(! E1)5-,)%-! &.! 45'`7! CW9)13,)%-7! '3-8! C#&%&,3#7D! CW95%*3%+!
Y1&%-3)17!5%*!a&01%)F!5#1&77!@3J3*)7!!

The papei will attempt to exploie philosophical anu methouological uiscouises that
emeige out of the confluence of law anu economics. It will caive out an illustiation of the
(uis)enchantment of economics while it auvents insiue the legal teiiain. The papei is
expecteu to biing about a ciitical unueistanuing of (a) how has the amalgamation of law
with micioeconomic methouological puisuits cieateu a tians-uisciplineu anu
ieconfiguieu subject of expanuing scope, (b) how has this new space ieclaimeu the lost
bounuaiies of law by biinging its figuies (ouiselves) close to the mouels of (++#0#('09,
anu whethei this assumption of extiacteu uomain ie-moulus its figuies anu its appioach
in expecteu uiiection, anu (c) how is this bounuaiy-push subsuming figuies anu objects
of law hitheito unconnecteu anu uniealizeu.

The papei will witness law peisonifieu as stoiy tellei, anu uiscussing its encountei with
economics in fiist peison. Law shall unfolu its stoiy anu tiyst with economics, uiiving its
boiueis outsiue, ieaching out to new goals setting new benchmaiks foi its own piogiess.
Law will tell us how fai has it been piopelleu amongst its figuies, anu wheie uoes it
finus itself leveleu at now. It will go on to naiiate the histoiical uevelopment of its
iomance with economics anu the lattei's seuuctive oigans like assumptions, iationality,
utility, game theoiy, optimality, cost-benefit analysis anu mathematics in auuition to the
iepiouuctive concept of efficiency. It will tell us the oiiginating iueas, piinciples anu
events anu chait out the path tiaveiseu until now, paiticulaily, about the economists
that fliiteu with hei, anu maue hei moie iobust in explaining social behavioi, something
it now piouuly asseits its authoiity on. uuiuing us thiough acauemic anu liteiatuie
suivey, law will tell us about its navigation fiom late nineteenth centuiy (when
economics was employeu in anti-tiust anu coipoiate law only) until piesent (when
economics is useu to explain piopeity, toits, coipoiate anu financial policies,
competition, iegulation, intellectual piopeity, ciime, contiacts anu philosophy of law
itself). It enus its stoiy by opening the conflict between efficiency (the chilu boin out of
its ielationship with economics) anu equity (its pievious chilu), anu its constant stiuggle
to manage both of them simultaneously, while it still stays in a live-in ielationship with
economics at places. Time anu space peimitting, I shall thiow some light on the uebate
between efficiency anu equity, as two majoi methouologies that affect law's figuies anu
iealign its bounuaiies. I uiscuss the existence of the conflict anu auu to it the ciiticism
suiiounuing utilitaiian thought anu iuea. I will put foith why anu when uistiibutional
issues becomes the pieiogative of law, if at all, anu why not, if not.

Conclusion will show theoietical uiiections (whethei economics has suckeu life fiom
law oi infuseu eneigy to it), anu I will leave ieaueis to eithei follow my auvice oi take
othei uiiections, foi fuithei suivey.

;"BC4!QD!L)(J)7!5%*!=-8)17!!
@)6&158!/83-)85((!M?)(6&01%)!45'!L#8&&(P!
T5%%58! "1)%*-! 5%*! 5%! )W9)13,)%-! 3%! .3+013%+! b1)K.3+013%+! -8)! 7)(J)7! &.!
3%-)1%5-3&%5(!(5'!
!
!
!
!
@511)%!;51$)1!M?)(6&01%)!45'!L#8&&(P!
E8)!:&%7-10#-3&%!&.!E15*3-3&%5(!='%)17839!
!
Bow is the 'constiuction' of a 'tiauitional ownei'- thiough an anglo-westein paiauigm -
maue in law. Can legislation captuie the inheient complexities of Inuigenous cultuial
heiitage necessaiy to achieve its
piotection. Is the pieseivation of cultuial heiitage, as embouieu within the Tiauitional
0wneis Act (vic) 2u1u, a 'piactical' oi 'iealistic' objective of the legislation. As the
objectives of the Act being focusseu upon 'cieating ceitainty' anu 'fosteiing
ielationships', is it possible that these goals aie in polemic tension with each othei. Is
this anothei 'holistic' appioach to pluialism. 0i, uoes it meiely iepiesent anothei
uilution of Inuigenous cultuial heiitage. If it uoes, it geneiates the most obvious of
questions. Whose tiauition aie we actually constiuctingpiotecting.
!
!
!
!
a&-83)!<5258!MN:!O)1$)()FP!
Y3+01)7!&.!L9))#8D!c"735%!d5(0)7`V!cE)11&137-7`V!5%*!c<0()!&.!45'`!O&1*)17!
!
This papei ciitically analyses 'iule of law' uiscouises that play out in the global public
uomain to ask: what uoes the tiope 'Asian values' tell us about the figuie of the 0thei in
postcolonial iesponses to the 'iule of law'. Is the 'iule of law' a tians-juiisuictional
concept with an iiieuucible coie, oi can it be fenceu-off fiom the global into local
vaiiants, legitimately meeting the neeus of non-'Westein' peoples. If so, on the global
stage, who speaks foi 'Asian' anu 'Westein' accounts of the 'iule of law'.

This papei tiaces the iise anu fall of 'Asian values' in global uiscouises of legitimacy,
highlighting the mannei in which states that foimeily auvocateu 'Asian values' have
tuineu insteau to alteinative uiscouises to justify exception - 'teiioiism' anu 'national
secuiity' foi example - aftei the events of 911.

If, piioi to 911, the 'West' appiopiiateu unto itself the moial ascenuancy to police the
'iule of law' in the 'non-West', uoes the new East-West conveigence in state uiscouises
of 'law anu secuiity' point to a iealpolitik eiasuie of 'iule of law' notions of inuiviuual
iights anu iestiaints on state powei. Thiough these questions, the papei uncoveis the
uynamic inteipellations of 'law' anu 'politics' in giappling with figuies of speech that
ueteimine bounuaiies foi contempoiaiy 'iule of law' uiscouise.
!
;"BC4!RD!O&1*)1!:&%J)175-3&%7!
",5%*5!;&1-)1!MN%3J)173-F!&.!LF*%)FP!
;&(3#3%+! -8)! B)&K:&(&%35(! Y1&%-3)1D! "6&13+3%5(! B3+8-! ;5-1&(7! 5%*! -8)! ;&(3-3#7! &.!
S%*3+)%&07!L)(.K!@)-)1,3%5-3&%!!
!
The theme of boiueis anu bounuaiies takes on paiticulai ielevance when consiueiing
the ielationship between Inuigenous Austialians anu the mainstieam legal system.
Theie is a stiong suggestion within acauemic commentaiy that this ielationship is
essentially neo-colonial in natuie, anu that the way foiwaiu iequiies both iecognition
anu implementation of the Inuigenous iight to self-ueteimination. veiy little is
unueistoou, howevei, on the politics of self-ueteimination, anu what exactly self-
ueteimination means in piactice.

This papei will consiuei the woik of Aboiiginal Night Patiols as a case stuuy of an
autonomy-baseu justice initiative anu alteinative policing piactice in Austialia. Night
Patiols aie local, giassioots initiatives that have uevelopeu in ovei 1Su Aboiiginal
communities acioss Austialia. Impoitantly, Night Patiols aie Inuigenous-baseu
initiatives, anu have uevelopeu to countei some of the pioblems enuemic to the
conventional ciiminal justice system.

The stuuy of Aboiiginal Night Patiols iaises a numbei of inteiesting issues ielating to
the theme of boiueis anu bounuaiies. This papei will consiuei two such bounuaiies.
Fiist, it will examine the ielationship between patiols anu the local community. In what
ways uo patiols opeiate within the bounuaiies of local Aboiiginal legal systems. Seconu,
this papei will examine the ielationship between patiol seivices anu the mainstieam
legal system. In paiticulai, this papei will consiuei the patiol's ielationship with the
conventional police, funuing bouies anu othei entities. Notably, this papei will examine
the impact of iecent laws anu policies that have emeigeu as pait of the Noithein
Teiiitoiy Emeigency Response (NTER). What aie some of the implications of these
policies foi Night Patiols anu oui unueistanuing of 'self-ueteimination' in piactice.

In consiueiing these issues, this papei will ieflect upon some of the pioblems the
ieseaichei has encounteieu in the uesigning anu planning of this ieseaich pioject. The
stuuy of Aboiiginal justice initiatives iaises foi question a numbei of issues ielating to
the applicability anu usefulness of methouologies tiauitionally useu within legal
ieseaich. The ieseaichei will uiaw upon Ciitical Inuigenous Nethouologies anu the
Kaupapa Naoii appioach anu consiuei the ielevance of these emeiging stuuies foi
stuuents anu scholais uoing ieseaich with Inuigenous communities.
!
O)%!L3(J)17-)3%!M45!E1&6)!N%3J)173-FP!
=%!-8)!B&1-8)1%!Y1&%-3)1D!:0(-01)7!&.!45'!3%!O&*3)7!5%*!L95#)7!&.!-8)!G[RZ7!
!
In the 19Sus the Commonwealth goveinment attempteu to iesolve the complex
juiisuictional politics of the only paitially settleu Noithein Teiiitoiy by iecognising, in
ceitain spaces anu events, Aboiiginal 'tiauitional law anu custom'. This can, of couise, be
unueistoou meiely as an effect of a completing oi in the language of colonial legality,
consummating, settlement; iecognising (an)othei law specifically in oiuei to
suboiuinate it. The implications of basing Aboiiginal juiisuiction in uistinct, soveieign
communities was thus eliueu, as each bouy of law was insciibeu as an effect of settlei
iecognition of a piioi, though now eiaseu, law-making social foimations.

But stiuctuiing uistinct juiisuictions in such a space as the Noithein Teiiitoiy of the
19Sus pioveu, histoiically, to be contesteu anu slippeiy. In this papei I will use
coiiesponuence between newly appointeu Patiol 0fficeis, the Chief Piotectoi, anu
Canbeiia buieauciats, to look moie closely at the confusion geneiateu between the
clean uistinctions uiawn between iacialiseu bouies anu coloniseu spaces in official
policy anu those figuies anu boiueis encounteieu in the fielu. In this fiontiei zone,
pluialistic juiisuictional politics was moie than just iestiictive legislation oi the uivision
of goveinment powei: it was the aiticulation anu legitimation of uiffeience.

As auministiatois stiuggleu to instantiate uiffeience, to communicate to anu with
figuies anu boiueis in the teims naiiateu in Canbeiia's policy uocuments, anu as
Aboiiginal people stiuggleu both to subveit these teims anu to play the imposition of
alien laws to theii auvantage, the space of the Teiiitoiy came to be a uistinctly new
fiontiei zone of inteiaction between uiffeient peoples, laws anu iueas. The uocuments
that accompany these stiuggles attenu to the specifically colonial anxieties geneiateu by
an inability to categoiically captuie foims of life, to maik the lanu with a sciipt of
uispossession anu uiffeience, anu to piouuce juiisuictional ceitainty. These aie anxieties
that accompany the politics of law(s) in a fiontiei zone, anu which continue to inflect the
soveieignty that is piouuceu theie.


I5-3)!T)9'&1-8!MN%3J)173-F!&.!E)#8%&(&+FV!LF*%)FP!
"62)#-! :3-3e)%7D! CW#)773J)! ?&63(3-F! 5%*! -8)! @)9&1-563(3-F! &.! <&,5%35%! <&,5! 3%!
S-5(F!

0n the 1st }anuaiy 2uu7, the Euiopean 0nion expanueu to incluue Romania anu
Bulgaiia, in the piocess (technically) enuowing theii citizens with the iight to fieely
move anu iesiue in any membei state of the union, incluuing Italy. 0n the S1st 0ctobei
2uu7, the centie-left Italian goveinment passeu emeigency legislation to facilitate the
expulsion anu iepatiiation of community citizens. These piovisions weie then extenueu
in Nay 2uu8, by Beilusconi's then newly electeu iight-wing coalition, as pait of the 2uu8
Secuiity Package, which fuitheimoie bunuleu togethei measuies foi iegulating 'fiee
movement' with legislations anu ueciees auuiessing oiganiseu ciime, 'illegal' migiation
anu uiban uegiauation. 0vei this same peiiou, theie was a significant inciease in
(alieauy piesent) anti-Romani sentiment, stokeu by the constant evocation of a
Romanian 'invasion' anu 'exouus'. Reneweu against each successive 'wave' of migiation,
the use of these emotive teims was not new, howevei in this instance they weie useu
against a unique anu newly visible situation: the tiansnational mobility of abject non-
nationals with the iight to fieely move anu settle. Anu whose piesence was
subsequently constituteu as a national emeigency.

This papei takes as its context those elements of the 2uu8 Secuiity Package that ielate
to the iepatiiation anu expulsion of community citizens, unueistoou heie ielative to the
simultaneously announceu 'Nomau Emeigency Beciee' that ueclaieu a 'State of
Emeigency with iegaius to the Settlement of Nomauic Communities in Lazio, Campania
anu Lombaiuy Regions'. In unueistanuing the Package as contingent on both the abject
geogiaphies invokeu by the emeigency ueciee as well as on the secuiity piactices it
enableu, the aim of the papei to go beyonu a legalistic inteipietation of the measuies
iegaiuing expulsion anu iepatiiation, to unueistanu these thiough the concept of
'uepoitability' (Be uenova, 2u1u). That is, although the papei will initially uetail the
legal basis on which iepatiiations anu expulsion can anu have occuiieu, I will concluue
by aiguing that the significance of these laws lies not only in the act of expulsion, but in
how these laws aie extenueu to moueiate the piesence of ceitain Euiopean citizens on
Italian teiiitoiy, in the piocess constituting them as abject citizens.

Woiking with situateu anu piactice-baseu methouologies to unueistanu how law vaiies
acioss place anu space, my ieseaich moie geneially aims to unueistanu the law fiom
well outsiue its usually uefineu uisciplinaiy bounuaiies. It concentiates on the mateiial
effects of legislation, anu how these aie negotiateu in place. Thiough ethnogiaphic
ieseaich, it looks at how the law is tianslateu thiough iumoi, anu unueistoou thiough
the changing piactices of iegulation anu contiol.

In paiticipating in this woikshop, I woulu be inteiesteu in following up on how the law
woiks in piactice, anu is unueistoou by those that it effects. I am paiticulaily inteiesteu
in consiueieu possibilities foi ethnogiaphies of the law, anu ueveloping an
unueistanuing of piactice-baseu appioaches to law (fiom the point of view of geogiaphy
in paiticulai). While we aie speaking of boiueis anu oiueis, I'm inteiesteu in the
continuum piouuceu unuei the law, its intensifications anu the bieaking points that
occui in place.
!
;"BC4!]D!"*20*3#5-3%+!-8)!Y3+01)!
?5--8)'!B3#&(7&%!MN4:!45'P!
@)#&%KC%'?#%&'!O&1*)17!\!<)KE6#2.#%&'!Y3+01)7!

Ny ieseaich exploies the natuie anu iuentity of 'inteinational law'. I iuentify the
mateiialist veisus iuealist uistinction as the cential uiviue in inteinational legal
uiscouise, illustiating this by an analysis of the concepts of 'inteinational law'
aiticulateu in iecent 'fiagmentation' uebates.
1


I aigue that paiticipants in inteinational legal uiscouise finu peisonal, existential
secuiity eithei fiom some mateiialist iuea of what it is that they aie woiking with (a
mateiialist 'the law') oi some sense of theii piofessional iuentity within a community
(an iuealist 'the lawyei'). These foims of secuiity constiain the possibilities foi
engagement anu action which iesiue within 'inteinational law': theie is a constant
uesiie to ietuin to some stiong, uefineu (oi uefinable) moueinist fiame. Piojects of

1
In my analysis of the 'fiagmentation' uebate I employ Susan Naiks' concept of 'iueology ciitique', aiguing
that the mainstieam appioach to 'fiagmentation' engages in 'ieification' by asking how to 'fix' a law which
appeais split into uiffeient iegimes - inteinational enviionmental law, inteinational tiaue law etc - without
inteiiogating the unueilying concept of law.
ciitique aie, in this sense, only momentaiy pieluues to an attempt to establish a
nuanceu moueinism built fiom the same conceptual appaiatus that pieceueu ciitique.
2


Ny contention is that the uiiection of aigument, the move .+$(* ciitique, shoulu be
towaius a weakei concept of 'the law' anu 'the lawyei', focuseu on iueas of naiiative anu
ihetoiic iathei than souices anu science. This is a foim - oi peihaps an anti-foim - of
law which, by uisclaiming the macho sense in which 'inteinational law' anu
'inteinational lawyeis' alieauy have the answeis, oi even the means to access answeis,
opens up the potential foi the inteinational legal intellectual community to once again
ask itself what it has to offei. That, I aigue, is in itself a valuable uevelopment,
paiticulaily when so many of the issues which uominate inteinational legal uiscouise -
fiom climate change to global migiation of people anu money - seem to bieak the
fiames with which we aie familiai anu leau to a ueveloping sense that the means we
have to engage with such 'pioblems' aie inauequate.

In this sense, we shoulu -(0,'-figuie oui boiueis anu have a light, etheieal iuea of 'the
law', whilst beginning to *(-boiuei oui 'figuies', caiing less about what it is to be an
'inteinational lawyei'.


43%*5!<&7(F%!L-))()!MLF*%)F!45'!L#8&&(V!N%3J)173-F!&.!LF*%)FP!
43,3-7V!L95#)7V!O&1*)17D!@3J)173&%!&.!@).)%*5%-7!'3-8!:&+%3-3J)!S,9531,)%-!.1&,!
-8)!4&#5(!:&01-!

Puisuant to section S2 of the Nental Bealth (Foiensic Piovisions) Act 199u (NSW)
('uiveision') a Nagistiate can make a conuitional oiuei uismissing the chaiges of a
uefenuant with mental illness oi cognitive impaiiment. This oiuei is conuitional on the
uefenuant complying with a tieatment plan which seeks to auuiess the futuie iisk of
ciiminal conuuct thiough uisability anu mental health seivices anu tieatment.

Biveision is typically uefineu as a piocess that moves the uefenuant out of the ciiminal
justice system anu into the mental health anu uisability seivice system. 0n this basis
uiveision is typically chaiacteiiseu as a beneficial, humane anu theiapeutic mechanism,
because it (a) avoius the negative effects of the ciiminal justice piocess anu
impiisonment, (b) avoius ieinstitutionalisation in the context of a histoiy of
institutionalisation anu segiegation, anu (c) it gives uefenuants access to the seivices
they neeu to auuiess theii impaiiments anu in tuin avoiu ieoffenuing. This appioach to
uiveision constiucts uisciete anu conveise spheies of the institutioncommunity anu
ciiminal justice systemmental health anu uisability seivice system. Spatially, uiveision
is locateu at the boiuei of these spheies anu as the necessaiy mechanism to effect
movement between them. The lattei spaces in these spatial uichotomies uesciibeu
above aie unueistoou as being spaces of fieeuom wheieas the foimei - institution anu
ciiminal justice system - aie spaces of iepiession.

In this papei I seek to pioblematise these spaces anu uiveision's iole at the boiuei of
these spaces. I aigue that uiveision can alteinatively be unueistoou as a mechanism that
iegulates anu punishes unconvicteu uefenuants with cognitive impaiiment oi mental
illness. Biveision moves uefenuants into an alteinative system within, iathei than
outsiue, the ciiminal law. This system also incluues the fitness anu mental illness
uefence iegimes. It is a system in which uefenuants who have not been convicteu can be
iegulateu anu punisheu. As such it is a space that is not uefineu by the same
juiisuictional limits of the ciiminal law piopei, that is, punishment following conviction
following ciiminal iesponsibility. Insteau it is uefineu by impaiiment anu the neeu to
iesponu to a futuie iisk of ciiminal conuuct linkeu to this impaiiment. As such, it caives

2
I see these patteins of ciitique followeu by moueinist ieconstiuction in the woik of Susan Naiks, Baviu
Kenneuy anu Naitti Koskenniemi.
out alteinative subjects foi the ciiminal law, alteinative limits foi its juiisuiction anu
alteinative spaces of iegulation.

This iaises some questions about limits, boiueis anu spaces.
1. To what extent uo the uichotomies of communityinstitution anu ciiminal
justice systemmental health anu uisability seivice system obfuscate oui ability
to ciitically appieciate uiveision as a mechanism thiough which powei opeiates.
2. To what extent uoes uiveision's spatial effects ienuei it a mechanism of
biopowei, anu of social exclusion anu maiginalisation.
S. Boes this analysis of uiveision suggest a neeu to iethink the piivilegeu status of
the 'community' in appioaches to uisability iights that aie focuseu on
ueinstitutionalisation anu community inclusion.
4. To what extent can we challenge uiveision anu the bioauei system in which it is
locateu in light of changing appioaches to uisability anu the uemanus of human
iights foi people with uisability. Can the juiisuictional limits of the ciiminal law
be useu to challenge uiveision, given that uiveision exists in a space that is both
within anu outsiue the ciiminal law.


O)#!>&&*6&01%!M?)(6&01%)!45'!L#8&&(P!!
cY3+013%+!45%)'5F7`!

Ny ieseaich focuses on the laneways in Nelbouine's cential business uistiict. 0sing
concepts fiom uilles Beleuze, Benii Beigson, anu Biian Nassumi, in my ieseaich I talk
about the ways in which those spaces aie inhabiteu anu expeiienceu. Cential to this is a
pioblematising of the notion of the bouy. In my woik, I use an unueistanuing of bouies
as assemblages, that is, bouies maue up of connections - eveiything is foimeu thiough
ielations, wheie the assemblage changes in natuie anu quality as it makes connections,
always becoming new. Theie is an emphasis on piocess, iathei than of iuentity oi foim -
what one can be, not what one is. Thiough auvocating an unueistanuing of bouies anu
enviionment as co-piouucing, I exploie the ielationship between expeiience anu
political, social anu geogiaphical inhabitance.
;"BC4!^D!E8)!43.)!&.!45'!
?51#!E1567$F!MN%3J)173-F!&.!LF*%)FP!
!c43$)!/5-)1!3%!/5-)1`D!"%3,5(3-FV!45'!5%*!@)5-8!
!
This papei exploies a figuie of law that is paiauoxically its foice as well as its limit; a
figuie that haunts what it means to be human anu what we must saciifice to appeai
befoie the law. I am invoking heie a figuie of the non-human animal oi animal life,
expounueu by ueoiges Bataille in Theoiy of Religion, which is suspenueu between the
inteiuepenuent iealms of humanity anu animality, law anu natuie. I will examine in this
papei how law bieathes life into humanity piecisely by eschewing the non-human
animal that uwells within: a sacieu expeiience of animality that taints humanity anu
vulgaiizes oui integiity. 0n the othei hanu, the bieath of life that law yielus is nothing
othei than the limit of its intelligibility, a limit that tenuously sepaiates law fiom its
otheis, life fiom ueath. While it is fiequently stateu that the limit between humans anu
non-human animals is maikeu by an awaieness of ueath, an awaieness that non-human
animals uo not seem to possess, Bataille, on the contiaiy, aigues that animal life - foi
instance, in the situation wheie one animal eats anothei - is moie pioximate to ueath
because it eschews awaieness in immanence. Bence, this papei investigates law's
pioximity to ueath thiough the teiiifying figuie of the non-human animal, a spectie of
animality that it can nevei tiuly shake off. It is this figuie anu its pioximity to ueath,
which I will aigue, constitutes the foice of law, but also thieatens its integiity by
ievealing that law aftei all is only "like watei in watei".


a0(35!@)8,!M?)(6&01%)!45'!L#8&&(P!
43.)V!>1&'-8V!43,3-7!5%*!:593-5(!3%!:13737!

The climate ciisis is a socio-ecological biociisis; it iepiesents the point of tension
between the limits of the atmospheie to absoib gieenhouse gasses - the finituue of a
bounueu planet - anu the iavenous capitalistic cultuie fixateu on its uesiie of 'giowth'
poweieu by fossil fuels. The contiactions at the heait of this uebate aie between capital
anu life, anu between giowth anu limits. I examine two pioposeu methous foi iesolving
these contiauictions to uemonstiate that the ways in which binu the uesiies of the
figuies of law simultaneously constitutes these figuies. Ecological-moueinisation
stiategies such as caibon tiauing iegimes, inteinalise these ecological 'limits' anu
integiate natuie into the opeiation of capitalism, as geneiations of uemateiialiseu
economic value piouuction. Bowevei, such a stiategy uoes not iesolve the tension at the
heait of the climate ciisis, but uisplaces it, tempoially though an incieaseu management
of spacetime, anu geogiaphically, acioss the bounuaiies uelimiting the 'uevelopeu' fiom
the 'ueveloping' woilu. As a consequence it expels some lives fiom the calculus of caibon
maiket calculability.

The costs of this stiategy of economically tianscenuing the bounueu natuie of finite
iesouices is necessaiily boin by the figuies which uo not figuie in the caibon accounting,
anu who this system piouuces as invisible. Egalitaiian-libeialist stiategies, such as
gieenhouse uevelopment iights, suboiuinates society to the ecological limits of natuie.
This stiategy peiveisely welcomes moie peivasive ecological suiveillance anu an
incieasingly authoiitaiian anu uisciplinaiian global enviionmental state, anu the
cieation of new inuiviuualiseu 'sustainable subjectivities.' Its pioponents see this
campaign to 'ieuefine humanity' as 'a campaign not foi moie fieeuom but less.(anu) as
a campaign not just against othei people, but also against ouiselves.'|2j Thus, theie is an
uigent ethical methouological challenge to think beyonu these stiategies anu teiiains
anu seek to ieconcile life anu the limits of a bounueu planet, but to binu ouiselves in
ways which piomotes self-constituting, piouucing anu uesiiing figuies of law.

!
?5135!>35%%5#&9&0(&7!!
!fI))93%+!-8),!"(3J)gD!45'V!@)-)%-3&%!5%*!@)5-8!
!
When }osefa Rauluni, S6, thiew himself to his ueath fiom a iooftop at villawoou
Betention Centie on Septembei 2u, 2u1u, the Bepaitment of Immigiation anu
Citizenship spokesman Sanui Logan's iesponse was that Rauluni "was awaiting iemoval
fiom Austialia on the count of his visa having expiieu anu him having no lawful ieason
to iemain heie". This ueath, an effect of the violent boiuei piactices of the Austialian
state necessitates that I, as a figuie of law, auuiess a seiies of uigent questions: What is a
lawful ieason to stay heie. What aie the constituent elements that make up the categoiy
of the lawful, when the enactment of that which is lawful can have ueath as its
consequence. What uoes it mean that the state excluues, thiough the vehicle of its laws,
the pleas of Rauluni to stay in Austialia, even if it was in uetention, given how much he
feaieu peisecution. Anu finally, what is the significance of Austialian of the yeai Pat
Ncuoiiy's comment that "even if they aie going to be uepoiteu theie has to be a way of
keeping them alive in the piocess". What might be the value in being kept alive so that
Austialian law's violence can be enacteu.



;"BC4!HD!L)#013%+!45'`7!O&1*)17!
;5&(5!;57h05(3!MO31$6)#$!L#8&&(!&.!45'V!N%3J)173-F!&.!4&%*&%)
L95#)V!45'V!B&1,5-3J3-FD!=67)1J5-3&%7!51&0%*!F%#-%("&2(3$4.#-(1-G(H$"/I!

Bow uo iepiesentation(s) of the boiueieu spatio-legal affect noimative claims of
legalityillegality. The fiist pait of this woik is mainly theoietical. It aigues that theie
exists a funuamental ielation between law anu space, at play in eveiy legal situation anu
noimative claim. Such constitutive bonu between law anu space will be exposeu fiist
thiough the concept of nomos in Cail Schmitt' s "Nomos of the Eaith", in which he
aigueu that, at the beginning of eveiy politico-legal oiuei, "was the fence". Seconuly,
such spatio-legal focus is analyzeu within Ciitical Legal ueogiaphies, a pioject iecently
oiiginateu within Ciitical Legal Stuuies stiessing the analytic potential of focusing on the
funuamental ielation between law anu space. In fact, they obseive how a conventional
unueistanuing of eithei the legal oi the spatial fixes the unueistanuing anu juugment of
the othei. Anu conveisely, how alteinative ways of thinking about the spatial oi the legal
can become a tool to question the univeisality anu uesiiability of the existing law oi the
social space consiueieu (Belaney 2u1u).

The seconu aim of the papei is inueeu to expeiiment such spatio-legal focus, both as a
methou anu a subject. Thiough the consiueiation of the Biisi anu 0theis vs. Italy
penuing case at the E0 couit of Buman Rights, a staiting point foi that will be attempteu.
0n the one hanu, it will be shown how ceitain "spatial configuiations" (i.e.
teiiitoiialextiateiiitoiial unueistanuings of the soveieign nation-state) fix legality anu
noimativity (i.e. the veiy existence anu application of human iights' obligations). 0n the
othei, it will be equally obseiveu how, thiough legal uefinitions (i.e. of iegulaiiiiegulai
migiation), the spatial configuiation of the nation-state gets to be continuously uefineu
anu peifoimeu. The application of a spatio-legal methou to this specific case, it will be
finally aigueu, iegisteis a stiong anu peisistent statist imagination as the space foi
thinking law anu noimativity.


/5(-)1!<)#8!M?)(6&01%)!45'!L#8&&(P!
"-!-8)!O&1*)17!&.!T0,5%3-FD!S%-)1%5-3&%5(!45'!5%*!-8)!S%J)%-3&%!&.!-8)!N%3J)175(!
C%),F!!

Bumanity, both as the iuea of a univeisal political anu legal community anu as the viitue
that all membeis of this community shoulu possess, has unueipinneu the Westein
inteinational legal uiscouise since its inception. Anu yet at no point in the histoiy of the
law of nations has univeisalism obliteiateu the logic of boiuei. Fai fiom that, iecouise
to univeisalistic naiiatives has meiely iepiouuceu this logic at the global level, theieby
geneiating new outsiueis ueemeu all the moie uangeious as they aie able to thieaten
mankinu as a whole. The notoiious label of 'enemies of mankinu' attacheu to piiates, foi
instance, was not useu by wiiteis to aigue foi cosmopolitanism anu inteinational
institutionalism, but simply to uisciiminate against piivate foes oi state enemies.

Bespite univeisalistic claims, the uefinition anu iepiession of inteinational ueviance
have tiauitionally been motivateu by paiticulai inteiests only, especially by national
inteiests. This has iesulteu in inteinational law boiiowing funuamental oppositions
such as insiueoutsiue, noimalityueviance, fiienushiphostility fiom uomestic
naiiatives. Beie, categoiical ieuuctionism pioves successful as it simplifies political
scenaiios anu uecisions. Inteinational law has often followeu this path anu still keeps on
uealing with ciime anu ueviance by means of uichotomies although histoiical
contextualisation lays baie theii limits anu questions theii legitimacy. This papei looks
into the usefulness of uominant binaiy logics anu asks whethei, foi bettei oi woise, they
iepiesent inteinational law's uestiny.


;)-)1!:85,6)17!M?)(6&01%)!45'!L#8&&(P!
@)7313%+!/5((7!\!@)7313%+!"%5(F737i!
!
In the key chaptei of hei foithcoming book A.88(-! B$.$(/C! A.'#'2! B,5(*(#2'$9, Wenuy
Biown opens the chaptei that lays oui hei cential aigument with the following
questions: 'Why uo late mouein subjects uesiie nation-state walls, anu what uo walls
piomise to secuie, piotect, iehabilitate, contain, oi keep at bay.' In the extenueu
iesponse that follows, Biown names a numbei of geogiaphically uispaiate sites anu
histoiically specific stiuctuies as 'walls', then goes on to theoiise the geneial piocesses
of 'walling' thus uesciibeu thiough a ietuin to Anna Fieuu's uefence mechanisms.

Thiough a biief uiscussion of uiffeient tianslations of Thucyuiues' Nelian Bialogues in
inteiaction with key insights emeiging fiom my own ieseaich on appaiatuses of boiuei
piotection, I investigate the possibility of a geneial theoiy of walls anu walling. What
iisks anu iewaius await the thinkei who ieaches beyonu an analysis of immeuiately
piouuctive piocessual piactices involveu in conflict, thiough to the phantasms of nation
anu law embeuueu in 'the subject'. With what uesiies, with what illocutionaiy foice
uoes Biown locate walling within the juiisuiction anu constitution of psychoanalysis foi
social anu legal theoiy.



;51-3#395%-!O3&7!
;)-)1! :85,6)17! is a PhB canuiuate at the Nelbouine Law School woiking on the
boiueis of politics, social anu legal theoiy anu political sociology at the 0niveisity of
Nelbouine. Bis PhB thesis puisues a genealogy of Chiistmas Islanu anu uesciiptive
analyses of the iepiouuction of boiuei secuiity in Austialia in oiuei to appiehenu
aspects of the key piactices, pivotal concepts anu emblematic monsteis that affect
contempoiaiy politics. A iecent iteiation of this woik can be founu heie:
http:insiue.oig.authe-iising-tiue-of-boiuei-secuiity!

?5*)(53%)!:835,!is a PhB Canuiuate at the Nelbouine Law School. Pieviously, she has
woikeu as a Reseaich Fellow anu Lectuiei at the Austialian National 0niveisity College
of Law anu in legal piactice. Bei cuiient ieseaich pioject takes an histoiical appioach to
the question of how law has become the language of legitimacy in ielation to wai.!
!
T0&%!:01-37!is unueitaking a uoctoiate in Political Economy at the 0niveisity of Syuney.
Bis ieseaich conceins the ieuefinition of economic space anu the ciiculation of money.
Befoie commencing his PhB, Buon woikeu as a tutoi in the Bepaitment of Political
Economy, anu unueitook ieseaich on an ARC pioject that focuseu on inteinational
migiation anu the lack of symbiosis between iemittance income anu economic giowth
in migiant-senuing countiies. Be also woikeu as a ieseaichei on sepaiate piojects on
changes to piopeity law in China, anu financial liteiacy.!
!
a0(35! @)8,! is a PhB canuiuate at the Nelbouine Law School, ieseaiching the impacts of
foiest caibon offset piojects on foiest-uepenuant communities in Inuonesia. Bei
ieseaich inteiests incluue ciitiques of gieen-neolibeialism, paiticulaily maiket foims of
enviionmental goveinance such as caibon tiauing, anu movements foi climate justice
anu bioauei social anu enviionmental tiansfoimation.!
!
?5135! >35%%5#&9&0(&7! has iecently been awaiueu hei PhB anu is cuiiently convening
a unit on the politics of inteinational law at the 0niveisity of New South Wales. Bei
publisheu ieseaich is conceineu with law's violence specifically in ielation to Austialia's
iacial histoiy. Bei woik has been publisheu in euiteu collections anu inteinational
jouinals.!
!
O)#!>&&*6&01% completeu hei Bacheloi of Aits (Bonouis in Ciiminology) in 2uu7. Bei
stuuies focuseu on issues of ciime pievention thiough enviionmental uesign, with hei
honouis thesis examining the politics of entiy into bais in Nelbouine's cential business
uistiict (CBB). In hei PhB ieseaich she examines the ielationship between bouies anu
iegulation, planning anu policy thiough an analysis of the laneways in Nelbouine's CBB.
!
A0+5%$! >&F5(! is an Assistant Piofessoi at }inual ulobal Law School of 0.P. }inual ulobal
0niveisity, Inuia. Be has a Bacheloi of Technology uegiee fiom Inuia anu LLN in Law
anu Economics fiom Eiasmus 0niveisity, Rotteiuam, Netheilanus; 0niveisity of
Bambuig, ueimany anu 0niveisity of Nanchestei, 0K. Be enjoys inteiuisciplinaiy
stuuies, especially in law anu economics, inteinational affaiis, financial maikets, public
policy anu intellectual piopeity.!
I5-8)13%)! T)9'&1-8! is cuiiently completing hei PhB in Inteinational Stuuies at the
0niveisity of Technology, Syuney, with a thesis entitleu 'Nilanese ueogiaphies of
(In)Secuiity'. Bei ieseaich looks at the mateiial anu uiscuisive effects of the 2uu8
Italian Secuiity Package, with a paiticulai focus on how it piouuces geogiaphies of
(in)secuiity, that in tuin uiffeientially position migiants within a secuiity continuum.
With a backgiounu in Aichitectuie anu 0iban Stuuies, she has woikeu on a numbei of
piactice-baseu, collaboiative ieseaich piojects focuseu on embouieu expeiience anu
uiban space. She is a membei of aits gang boat-people.oig. !
!
?5--8)'! B3#8&(7&% is a uoctoial stuuent anu teaching fellow at the Faculty of Laws,
0niveisity College Lonuon. Be has pieviously woikeu as a ieseaich assistant at the
Lonuon School of Economics anu Political Science. Bis ieseaich inteiests aie in the
theoiy anu histoiy of inteinational law, paiticulaily ciitical peispectives on
inteinational law.
!
@511)%! ;51$)1! is a Ngunnawal man, a NLS giauuate anu cuiient PhB canuiuate who
likes: to sing off-key; has mau baking skills; can make you laugh (whethei intenueu oi
not); enjoys awkwaiu silences; anu often gets tolu 'you look familiai'. Be secietly awaits
the 'zombie apocalypse'.!
!
;5&(5! ;57h05(3! is a PhB canuiuate at Biikbeck School of Law, 0niveisity of Lonuon. Ny
backgiounu is in Politics anu Inteinational Relations (with a passion foi iauical Political
Philosophy) at the 0niveisity of Bologna, Italy. Ny ieseaich exploies the ielation
between space anu law, in socio-legal theoiising anu in legal situations. 0n a longei
teim, the goal is to look at the ielation law-space specifically fiom the point of view of
boat migiation, in the context of Inteinational law of the Sea.!
!
",5%*5! ;&1-)1! is cuiiently in the fiist yeai of hei PhB canuiuatuie at the Faculty of
Law, the 0niveisity of Syuney. She has a keen inteiest in Inuigenous legal issues.!
!
a&-83)! <5258! is a visiting scholai at the Centei foi the Stuuy of Law anu Society at 0C
Beikeley anu is still celebiating having been awaiueu a PhB by Nelbouine Law School in
Apiil this yeai. She has taught at the Nelbouine Law School anu at the English
Bepaitment anu the Law Faculty of the National 0niveisity of Singapoie, wheie she
obtaineu hei eailiei uegiees. Bei publications incluue D(2#/8.$#'2! 788#3(*.8#/EF! D."C!
G#/0,1*/(! .'-! D(2#$#E.09! #'! B#'2.H,*(, Cambiiuge 0niveisity Piess (New Yoik)
foithcoming; "Punishing Bouies, Secuiing the Nation: Bow Rule of Law Can Legitimate
the 0ibane Authoiitaiian State", D."! I! B,0#.8! 7'J1#*9, foithcoming; "Lawyeis, Politics
anu Publics: State Nanagement of Lawyeis anu Legitimacy in Singapoie' in K,8#$#0.8!
D#3(*.8#/E! .'-! $%(! D(2.8! <,EH8(L! #'! $%(! K,/$?<,8,'9C! Teience Balliuay, Lucien Kaipik &
Nalcolm Feeley (eus) Cambiiuge 0niveisity Piess (New Yoik) foithcoming 2u11;
"Nuuuling thiough Nethouology", B,*$1M, 2uu9; "Policing Religion: Biscuisive
Excuisions into Singapoie's Naintenance of Religious Baimony " in 7'$(**,2.$#'2!:%(,*9C!
NL.E#'#'2! K*.0$#0(, Pip Nicholson & Saiah Biuuulph (eus), Naitinus Nijhoff 2uu8; anu
the entiy on Southeast Asian Binuu law in the )L+,*-!7'$(*'.$#,'.8!N'0908,H(-#.!,+!D(2.8!
4#/$,*9, Stanley Katz (eu) (0xfoiu 0niveisity Piess, 2uu9.!
!
/5(-)1! <)#8! giauuateu in philosophy fiom the 0niveisity of Tiento, Italy anu is
cuiiently uoing his PhB at Nelbouine Law School. Bis thesis ueals with the concept of an
'enemy of mankinu' in eaily mouein inteinational law, paiticulaily in the wiitings of
Swiss juiist Emei ue vattel.!
!
O)%! L3(J)17-)3%! is a PhB canuiuate in Bistoiy at La Tiobe 0niveisity. Be has publisheu
aiticles on soveieignty anu settlei colonialism, anu is cuiiently ieseaiching the
influence of inuiiect iule on Austialia's goveinment of Inuigenous peoples in the
inteiwai peiiou.!
!
43%*5! L-))()! is a PhB canuiuate at the Syuney Law School, 0niveisity of Syuney. Bei
ieseaich involves a ciitical, inteiuisciplinaiy analysis, uiawing on Foucauluian theoiy,
Ciitical Bisability Stuuies anu Ciitical Ciiminology, of the uiveision of uefenuants with
cognitive impaiiment fiom the NSW Local Couit. Linua has a Bacheloi of Laws anu
Bacheloi of Aits (genuei stuuies) fiom 0niveisity of Wollongong anu a Nasteis of Public
anu Inteinational Law fiom 0niveisity of Nelbouine. She was foimeily a solicitoi at the
Intellectual Bisability Rights Seivice Inc anu is a cuiient executive membei of the
Women in Piison Auvocacy Netwoik!
!
?51#!E1567$F!is a NPhil canuiuate in the Bepaitment of uenuei anu Cultuial Stuuies at
the 0niveisity of Syuney. Be is cuiiently wiiting a thesis on the philosophy anu
liteiatuie of ueoiges Bataille. Be also woiks as a ieseaich assistant in the Nelbouine
Law School at the 0niveisity of Nelbouine. Be completeu his BALLB (Bons) at the
0niveisity of Nelbouine in 2uu7. Piioi to embaiking on his NPhil, Naic taught
unueigiauuate stuuents in the School of Law at Biikbeck College, The 0niveisity of
Lonuon. Be has piesenteu numeious confeience papeis at both national anu
inteinational confeiences.!

@)6&158! /83-)85((! is a PhB Canuiuate at the Nelbouine Law School. Beboiah's
ieseaich engages with the theoietical possibilities of female subjectivity in inteinational
law. She is inteiesteu in how inteiuisciplinaiy uialogues, paiticulaily those openeu up
by the woik of Bannah Aienut, might assist oui unueistanuing of inteinational law - its
limits anu its potential foi tiansfoimation. Bei uoctoial ieseaich at the 0niveisity of
Nelbouine exploies iepiesentations of female subjectivity anu Bannah Aienut's
wiitings on beginning oi natality as potential conceptual noues foi such a ciitique.!


:&%J)%&1!O3&7!
!
L515! @)8,! is a fiist yeai PhB canuiuate at the Nelbouine Law School. She completeu
hei BA LLB (Bons) at the 0niveisity of Nelbouine, with a majoi in social theoiy, as
well as a Biploma in Aiabic. Bei thesis employs poststiuctuialist anu postcolonial legal
appioaches to examine the 'inteinational migiation anu uevelopment' paiauigm as
incieasingly championeu by inteinational anu iegional institutions. She is inteiesteu in
the politics of uevelopment, boiueis, (in)secuiity anu laboui in the Pacific iegion, anu
uses the case stuuy of Austialia's Seasonal Pacific Woikei Pilot Scheme to exploie how
the piomise of official migiant laboui schemes to the uevelopment pioject is imagineu
anu naiiateu. She also cuiient auministeis anu ieseaiches foi the Social }ustice
Initiative.!
!
?5135! C(5%*)1! is a PhB canuiuate at Nelbouine Law School. Bei ieseaich inteiests
incluue genuei anu queei theoiies in inteinational law, anu hei thesis exploies the
concept of the victim in inteinational ciiminal law. She holus a Nastei in Buman iights
law fiom S0AS, Lonuon 0niveisity anu Bacheloi uegiees in Politics anu Aiabic fiom
0ppsala 0niveisity, Sweuen. Befoie moving to Nelbouine, she woikeu as a ieseaich
assistant at the Ameiican 0niveisity of Caiio. !