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Associate Professor, TC Beirne School of Law, the University of Queensland; International Distinguished Fellow, the Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University., The University of Queensland

Dr Paul Harpur's research and teaching expertise are in the areas of disability rights, anti-discrimination laws and workplace laws (including work health and safety laws).

Dr Harpur's PhD concerned labour rights and human rights. Building on this research base, Dr Harpur has published widely in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States on employment, anti-discrimination and human rights laws.

Dr Harpur has a mixture of practice and research experience, having formerly practiced as a lawyer and continuing to work as an industrial relations special advisor in a national private practice, IRIQ Law, as a special advisor. In the past Dr Harpur has held a range of research posts, including, research fellowships at The University of Queensland, Griffith Law School and on an Australian Research Council grant with Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, the United Nations University, New York University and the Centre for International Governance (Canada).

Dr Harpur has led a range of projects, including an International Labour Organization project assessing labour rights in the South Pacific, including a particular focus on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Dr Harpur has an extremely strong international reputation and has held visiting fellowship positions with the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, Institute for Lifecourse & Society, National University of Ireland, Galway and with the Burton Blatt Institute, College of Law, Syracuse University, New York. Following his work at Syracuse University, Dr Harpur has been appointed an International Distinguished Fellow with the Burton Blatt Institute.

Dr Harpur's recent monograph, Discrimination, Copyright and Equality: Opening the E-Book for the Print Disabled (2017) Cambridge University Press analyses the interaction between anti-discrimination and copyright laws, in the international human rights and copyright jurisdictions, as well as in the national jurisdictions in Australia, Canada, the UK and USA. This work builds on international and domestic notions of digital equality and rights to access information. The core thesis of this monograph is that technology now creates the possibility that everyone in the world, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, should be able to access the written word.

Dr Harpur is active on boards and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. He sits on UQ's Academic Board as an elected member and he currently Chairs the University of Queensland Staff and Student Disability Consultative Group to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Office of the Provost) and the Senate Committee for Equity, Diversity and the Status of Women.

Outside the law, Dr Harpur has previously been a professional athlete with a disability, competing in the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Paralympics, the 2002 Manchester and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and a range of other World Titles and international competitions.
•Dr Harpur's publications can be found via his Google Scholar or SSRN pages and further information can be found on his Linkedin page.

Experience

  • –present
    Lecturer, workplace lawyer and disability scholar, University of Queensland

Education

  • 2009 
    QUT, PhD