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Melissa Castan

Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, Law Faculty, Monash University

Melissa teaches, researches and writes on Australian public law, Indigenous legal issues and legal education. She is a Deputy Director of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law in the Law Faculty, Monash University. Melissa is a co-author with Professor Sarah Joseph of Federal Constitutional Law: A Contemporary View (Thomson Reuters, 2014). She is also a co-author (again with Professor Sarah Joseph) of The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Cases, Materials and Commentary (Oxford University Press, 2013). Melissa was a Chief Investigator on an ARC funded project that investigated the legal and other barriers to Indigenous Australians' registration and certification of birth. She is National Editorial Convener for the Alternative Law Journal and a Board Member of the Victoria Law Foundation.

Is liking something on Facebook 'protected political speech'? It depends

Aug 15, 2017 12:51 pm UTC| Technology Politics Law

Australians are often surprised to learn that their Constitution contains no right to free speech. Even the right to political speech, which is constitutionally implied, is increasingly complicated by new online platforms...

Economy

Canada's China EV Pivot starts a fresh US–Canada trade confrontation.

Tensions between the United States and Canada have risen sharply as Canadas new strategic partnership with China has triggered a rapid upsurge. By lowering tariffs on up to 49,000 Chinese electric cars from 100% to 6% in...

Pemex Halts Planned Crude Oil Shipment to Cuba Amid Rising US Pressure

Mexicos state-owned oil company, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), has canceled a planned crude oil shipment to Cuba, according to a Bloomberg report, as geopolitical tensions between the United States and the Caribbean...

White House Urges Congress to Pass Funding Bill Ahead of January 30 Deadline

The White House is urging Congress to swiftly approve government funding legislation before the January 30 deadline, warning that any delay could risk a partial government shutdown and disrupt critical federal operations....

Gold Prices Hit Record High Above $5,100 as Safe-Haven Demand Surges

Gold prices soared to a historic high above $5,100 per ounce on Monday, extending a powerful rally as investors flocked to the precious metal amid escalating geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Spot gold...

Morgan Stanley Raises KOSPI Target to 5,200 on Strong Earnings and Reform Momentum

Morgan Stanley has raised its end-2026 target for South Koreas benchmark stock index, the KOSPI, citing robust earnings momentum and ongoing structural reforms that continue to support further upside despite the markets...

Politics

Japan Urges Fishermen to Avoid Senkaku Islands as China Tensions Rise

A 76-year-old Japanese fisherman, Hitoshi Nakama, has long seen himself as a frontline defender of Japans claims over the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. For years, Nakama and other fishermen regularly...

Trump, Walz Seek De-Escalation After Minneapolis Deportation Crisis and Agent Shake-Up

President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signaled a possible easing of tensions on Monday following a private phone call, as both sides appeared to move toward defusing a growing crisis surrounding Trumps...

Israeli Strike in Southern Lebanon Kills Al-Manar TV Presenter, Raises Fears of Wider Escalation

A Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah, said on Monday that an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon killed Ali Nour al-Din, a television presenter who worked for Al-Manar, the groups affiliated media outlet. The incident has...

Trump Administration Gun Comments Spark Rift With NRA Ahead of Midterms

Comments by senior Trump administration officials following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti at a Minneapolis protest have triggered an unusual and politically risky clash with powerful gun rights groups, raising concerns...

US Pushes Hamas Disarmament Plan Tied to Amnesty Under Gaza Redevelopment Efforts

The United States believes that the disarmament of Hamas militants in Gaza will be accompanied by some form of amnesty, according to a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity. The remarks came as Washington and...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Samsung Set to Begin HBM4 Production for Nvidia and AMD

Samsung Electronics is preparing to begin mass production of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, known as HBM4, as early as next month, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Reuters. The...

U.S. Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny of TikTok-ByteDance Deal Amid National Security Concerns

U.S. lawmakers are calling for closer congressional scrutiny of a new deal involving TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance, raising fresh concerns about national security, data privacy, and potential Chinese...

Ericsson Plans SEK 25 Billion Shareholder Returns as Margins Improve Despite Flat Network Market

Swedens telecom equipment giant Ericsson announced plans to significantly boost shareholder returns after reporting a sharp rise in net cash and continued margin improvements, even as the global mobile network market...

Microsoft Restores Microsoft 365 Services After Widespread Outage

Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it has fully restored access to its Microsoft 365 productivity suite following a widespread service outage that disrupted users across multiple regions, particularly in North America. The...

Tesla Plans FSD Subscription Price Hikes as Autonomous Capabilities Advance

Teslas Full Self-Driving (FSD) software is set to become more expensive over time as its technology improves, according to CEO Elon Musk. The announcement comes as Tesla Inc. continues its transition away from a one-time...