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Professor of Law, Australian Catholic University

Frank Brennan is a Jesuit priest, professor of law at Australian Catholic University and Adjunct Professor at the Australian National University College of Law and National Centre for Indigenous Studies. He was the founding director of Uniya, the Australian Jesuit Social Justice Centre. He is a board member of St Vincents Health Australia.

His books on Aboriginal issues include The Wik Debate, One Land One Nation, Sharing the Country and Land Rights Queensland Style. His books on civil liberties are Too Much Order with Too Little Law and Legislating Liberty. His book Tampering with Asylum compares Australia’s asylum policies with other first world countries. He wrote the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council’s paper The Timor Sea’s Oil and Gas: What’s Fair?. His book Acting on Conscience looks at the place of religion in Australian politics and law. At the launch, Kevin Rudd described Frank as "an ethical burr in the nation’s saddle".

He is an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for services to Aboriginal Australians, particularly as an advocate in the areas of law, social justice and reconciliation. The National Trust classified him as a Living National Treasure at the same time that Paul Keating labelled him "the meddling priest". In 2009, he chaired the Australian National Human Rights Consultation Committee.

Experience

  • –present
    Professor of law, Australian Catholic University