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Professor Justine Nolan
MPP University of California, Berkeley
LLB(Hons) ANU
BSc ANU
Justine Nolan is theÌýDirector of the and a Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice at ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍø Sydney. She is an internationally recognised expert in modern slavery and human rights issues relating to business practices. For more than 25 years, Professor Nolan has provided advice and training to business, civil society, government and the UN on business and human rights and her career is notable for its collaborative approach and its strong and sustained engagement with diverse stakeholders. She has been a key driver ofÌýthe Australian and global business and human rights movement.
Justine's research focuses on the intersection of business and human rights, in particular, supply chain responsibility for human rights and modern slavery. Her research is noted for both its conceptual clarity and collaborative practical focus that has set out a strategic path to addressing significant business and human rights challenges. She is currently the lead investigator on a research project on ‘transformative business practices’ funded by the Laudes Foundation, that is identifying and testing replicable business practices and empowering stakeholders to advocate for and implement just transitions in global supply chains. Her 2019 co-authored book Ìýexamines how consumers, business and government are both part of the problem and the solution in curbing modern slavery in global supply chains. Other books includeÌýThe International Law of Human Rights (OUP,Ìý2017) andÌýBusiness and Human Rights: From Principles to PracticeÌý(Routledge, 2016). She teaches international human rights law and related courses onÌýglobal law, development, globalisation and business and human rights. In 2019 she was named 'Academic of the Year' at the Australian Law Awards.
Prior to joining ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍø in 2004, she worked as the Director of the Business and Human Rights program at the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (now Human Rights First) in the USA. This work examined ways in which to prevent and redress corporate violations of human rights. During this time Justine advised both companies and civil society organisations on effective strategies to protect human rights in the corporate sphere and was closely involved in the establishment of the Fair Labor Association. She has also worked in both public interest and private legal practices and started her career at Allens, a global law firm and included time at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.
Justine continues to hold various expert advisory roles. In 2022 she was elected to serve on ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍø Council as the staff representative. In 2020 Justine was appointed to the Modern Slavery Expert Advisory Group and was reappointed to this role in 2024.Ìý Other appointmentsÌýinclude the Australian Government's Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group on Business and Human Rights (2017) and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade & Ausaid's Human Rights Grants Scheme Expert PanelÌý(2009-2013) which provided practical financial support for small community-based projects to promote and protect human rights in developing countries. She was an advisory member of NSW Legal Aid's Human Rights Panel (2012-2017). Both globally and nationally, she has presented at over 200 events to promote greater respect for human rights and have been invited by the UN, OECD, UNDP and UNOHCHR to advise on business and human rights issues in multiple global forums.Ìý
From 2006-2017 she was the Deputy Director of the Australian Human Rights Centre and from 2016-2019 she served as Associate Dean Academic at ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍø Law. She is aÌýVisiting Professorial Scholar at NYU's Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. She is a member of the Editorial Board of the Business and Human Rights Journal and the Executive Editor of the Australian Human Rights Journal.Ìý
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
- 2024 Laudes Foundation 'Unveiling the potential of transformative business practices: leveraging human rights and environmental due diligence' EUR238,033
- 2023 Freedom Fund 'The Impact of Strategic Human Rights Litigation on Corporate Behaviour' US$72,727
- 2023Ìý Funded by select Australian Universities'Understanding HDR-Supervisor Relationship Challenges'Ìý
- 2022Ìý UNDP 'Business and Human Rights Training for National Human Rights Institutions' US$19,499
- 2021Ìý Westpac Research Grant Program: 'Measuring the prevalence of OCSE' $150,000
- 2021Ìý Australian GovernmentÌýNational Security and Criminal Justice Program: National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020-25 Grant Program: 'Improving the Regulation of Modern Slavery and Access to Remedy. Learning from Experience' $177,742
- 2018Ìý CPA Australia, Global Research Perspectives Program:ÌýÌý'Regulating Transparency and Disclosures on Modern Slavery in Global Supply Chains' $61,000
- 2014Ìý ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍøÌýÌýLabour Migration Recruitment Industry: A Human Rights Based Approach $6,000Ìý
- 2009Ìý ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍø Corporate Accountability for Human Rights and Codes of Conduct: evaluating the mechanisms of protection $7,000
- 2007Ìý ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍø Early Career Researcher grant ‘Corporate Complicity in Human Rights Violations’ $11,000
- 2006Ìý ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍø Early Career Researcher grant ‘The legal liabilities of multinational corporations regarding human rights’ $8,500
ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍø Arc Postgraduate Outstanding Research Supervisor Award (2020)
Academic of the Year, Australian Law Awards (2019)
ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍø Vice Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence (2018)
ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍø Plus Alliance Fellow (2019-2020)
For more recent media, seeÌýhttps://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/news
Interview withÌýÌýprogram on modern slavery 5 July 2018
with Radio Adelaide on modern slavery, 4 July 2018
''ÌýThe ConversationÌý29 June 2018
'ÌýABC News, 24 April 2018
'Corporate Dependence on Outsourcing is Resulting in Modern Day Slavery'Ìý, May 17, 2016
'Business as usual is not an option'ÌýÌýApril 23, 2014 .Ìý Also inÌýThe Sydney Morning Herald,ÌýApril 24 2014Ìý
'ÌýThe Sydney Morning HeraldÌýSeptember 24, 2012
‘’ÌýThe Canberra Times,ÌýSeptember 24, 2012
‘’ÌýThe Sydney Morning HeraldÌýJune 10, 2010. (Also featured in The AgeÌýandÌýThe Canberra Times)
‘On CSR, Human Rights and the State of Play inÌý Australia’ÌýLaw Society JournalÌýJuly 2009 Vol 47 No. 6 pp22-25
'' May 19 2008,ÌýOn Line Opinion
'ÌýThe AgeÌýAugust 4, 2008
'Chasing an ideal through Olympic rings of hope'ÌýThe Canberra TimesÌýAug 5 2008Ìý
On 25 April 2007, AHRC Deputy Director Justine Nolan was interviewed for Radio Australia regarding a landmark lawsuit that has been filed against Yahoo in the district court of California, USA alleging the internet giant's practices in China have led to human rights violations. Wang Xiaoning and his wife Yu Ling filed the suit and accuse Yahoo of being directly responsible for Wang's arrest, 10 year prison sentence and alleged torture. Justine Nolan discusses the human rights responsiblities of companies like Yahoo and the legal loopholes that currently exist in the field of corporate responsibility.Ìý
'Corporations Behaving Badly: firm rules needed' Nov 29 2006ÌýThe Canberra Times.Ìý
'Ingrained Culture' Nov 28 2006ÌýThe Courier Mail.Ìý
'Style over substance clouds corporate value judgements' April 9 2005ÌýThe Age.Ìý
'Brought to account: the business of honour in the boardroom',ÌýSydney Morning Herald, July 23, 2004.Ìý
'What is a good company?' Opinion,ÌýThe Age, July 26, 2004.Ìý
Nolan. J, 'Foreword'ÌýUniversity of New South Wales Law JournalÌýVol. 40 2017 No. 3 1171-1174.
‘Is the World Cup Worth Dying For?’ÌýHuman Rights DefenderÌýVol. 23 Issue 1 April 2014 26. Also published in ÁñÁ«¹ÙÍøÌýUnikenÌýIssue 73, Spring 2014 (co-authored with Bassina Farbenblum).
'If I were AG.... Companies must uphold human rights' Human Rights Law CentreÌý
'A new frontier in human rights protection: human rights, NGOs and business' (co-authored with Michael Posner)ÌýHuman Rights DefenderÌýVol 17 Issue August 2008 2-4
Materiality and the Australian Policy Landscape' AccountAbility Forum, Winter 2006 Vol 11
Contribution to (peer review of survey) "Commerce, crime and conflict: Legal Remedies for Private Sector Liability for Grave Breaches of International Law' by Anita Ramasastry and Robert C Thompson, Sept. 2006
'New Mechanism to hold corporations accountable for human rights' Issue 13/1 2004 19ÌýHuman Rights Defender
'Human Rights, the Environment and Business'ÌýLaw Society JournalÌýJuly 2004 Vol 42 No 6 66
My Research Supervision
I am currently supervising severalÌýdoctoral students on subjects including: Human rights protection in manufacturing supply chains and multi-stakeholder initiatives,Ìý Extraterritorial Processing of Refugees; the Lithium extractive sector and corporate human rights compliance and remedying corporate human rights violations.Ìý
My Teaching
Course taught include:
- International Human Rights Law and Advocacy (LAWS3182)
- International Human Rights (LAWS8181)
- Business and Human Rights (LAWS8189)
- Human Rights Law in Practice (New York) (LAWS3146)
- Law in the Global Context (LAWS2270)
- Law, Rights and Development (LAWS8192)
In 2018 I received the Vice Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence.