My current research focuses on the role of ethical values in grounding legal reasoning. Through my work, I have contributed to the study of legal reasoning both at a theoretical level and in relation to specific fields of legal doctrine. It is important for legal transparency and consistency that we accurately understand how judges interpret and apply the law. My work in this area seeks to understand how judges and other legal officials draw on values and other contextual factors to reach their decisions. This research is crucial for understanding the nature of legal processes. It also helps advance understanding of how particular areas of law change and develop over time.

I have supervised PhD and MPhil candidates in jurisprudence, constitutional law and theory, international humanitarian law (or the law of armed conflict) and international human rights law.

My current students are conducting research on topics such as:

• Executive power in Australian constitutional law
• Constitutional issues in natural resources law
• Legal personhood protections for non-human animals
• The natural law theory of Augustine
• The commodification of citizenship