UNSW Law Journal invites contributions on legal issues impacting children

Legal, policy and advocacy professionals with an interest in child rights and protection are invited to contribute to a forthcoming thematic issue of the University of New South Wales Law Journal, focused on children and the law.

The University of New South Wales Law Journal (UNSW Law Journal) is seeking submissions for the thematic component of Issue 49(4), set to be published in December 2026. The theme, Children and the Law, presents a timely opportunity for contributors to explore complex intersections between legal frameworks, policy responses and children’s rights in Australia.

The Journal encourages original contributions that critically engage with contemporary legal issues affecting children. Suggested areas of exploration include family law reforms, youth justice, digital rights, redress for abuse, and overrepresentation of First Nations children in child protection and justice systems.

Contributors may wish to address high-profile developments such as:

• Legislative and regulatory responses to institutional child abuse, including the Early Childhood and Care (Strengthening Regulation of Early Education) Bill 2025
• Implications of the proposed national under-16s social media ban for freedom of expression and access to information
• Reforms to the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), including removal of the presumption of equal shared parental responsibility
• The expansion of punitive youth justice measures, including changes to bail laws and the Queensland ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ provisions
• The practice and implications of doli incapax and the ongoing debate over the minimum age of criminal responsibility
• The participation of children in legal proceedings and the recognition of children as active agents of rights

The Journal also welcomes analysis of law and policy through an intersectional lens, with particular attention to First Nations children’s experiences of institutional harm, systemic discrimination and underrepresentation in legal decision-making.

Deadline for submissions is 31 March 2026. Interested authors are encouraged to provide early indication of their proposed topic.

Further information, visit UNSW website.