Professor Peter Billings
Professor

Peter Billings

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 57176

Background

Dr Peter Billings is a Professor at the School of Law, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His research interests are in particular areas of public law: administrative law, immigration and refugee law, social welfare law and human rights law. In 2016 he received an Australian Award for University Teaching - Award for Programs that Enhance Learning (Pro Bono Centre). Since 2010 he has received five teaching excellence awards within the School of Law for outstanding course/teacher evaluations, and in 2011 was awarded the Vice Chancellor's Equity and Diversity Award (UQ) for the Asylum and Refugee Law Project.

Recently, he has published several papers on 'crImmigration' law, policy and practice in Australia, including a chapter, "International crimes, refugee 'prisoner' swaps and duplicity in Australia's refugee admissions", in J Simeon (ed) Serious International Crimes, Human Rights and Forced Migration (Routledge, 2022). And he authored chapter one in his own edited collection, Regulating Refugee Protection through Social Welfare: Law, Policy and Praxis (Routledge, 2023). Most recently, he has authored a chapter on the corrosive effect of immigration detention laws on officialdom, in M Peterie, Immigration Detention and Social Harm: The Collateral Impacts of Migrant Incarceration (Routledge) forthcoming.

Availability

Professor Peter Billings is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the law Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, society and community Administrative law Domestic human rights law Indigenous Studies International and comparative law International humanitarian and human rights law Law and Legal Studies Migration, asylum and refugee law Public law

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Law, University of Southampton
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Southampton

Research interests

  • Refugee Law

  • Crimmigration

  • Administrative Law

  • Administrative Justice

  • Social Welfare Law

Research impacts

Peter's submission, on migration law reform, to the Australian Law Reform Commission for its project, Where next for law reform?, was cited in the final report: The Future of Law Reform: A Suggesdted Program of Work 2020-25, published on 2 December 2019. His submission to the Inquiry into a Possible Human Rights Act for Queensland: written submission no 468, Report No. 30, 55th Parliament, Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee (June 2016). was cited on several occasions in the final parliamentary committee report. His written submission (with A/Prof Cassimatis) to the Administrative Review Council: Judicial Review in Australia, Administrative Review Council (Consultation Paper - Administrative Review Council, Canberra, ARC 2011) was cited throughout the ARC Report (No.50), Federal Judicial Review in Australia Sept. 2012. His research into crimmigration law and policy informed an expert panel discussion held at the Queensland Supreme Court (Banco Court) - "Unlawful Non-citizens: the Rise in Character Visa Cancellations" (Oct 5, 2017) chaired by Paul Barclay for ABC Radio National. The discussion was aired on on 8 December 2017. He regularly provides expert legal commentary on radio and features in print and online media; most recently in The Guardian (Australia) in May and September 2019.

Search Professor Peter Billings’s works on UQ eSpace

72 works between 1996 and 2024
All (72) Journal Article (33) Book Chapter (13) Conference Publication (13) Book (4) Other Outputs (9)

61 - 72 of 72 works

2006

Conference Publication

The Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill 2006: Asylum Protection Beyond Australia?

Billings, Peter (2006). The Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill 2006: Asylum Protection Beyond Australia?. TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland, Research Seminar Series, Brisbane, Australia, 1 September 2006.

The Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill 2006: Asylum Protection Beyond Australia?

2006

Journal Article

R.(Adam, Limbuela and Tesema) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department - A Case of 'Mountainish Inhumanity'

Billings, P. and Edwards, R. (2006). R.(Adam, Limbuela and Tesema) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department - A Case of 'Mountainish Inhumanity'. Journal of Social Security Law, 13 (3), 167-178.

R.(Adam, Limbuela and Tesema) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department - A Case of 'Mountainish Inhumanity'

2006

Journal Article

Balancing acts : Six acts in search of equilibrium

Billings, Peter (2006). Balancing acts : Six acts in search of equilibrium. Journal of Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Law, 20 (3), 197-209.

Balancing acts : Six acts in search of equilibrium

2004

Journal Article

Safeguarding asylum seekers' dignity: Clarifying the interface between Convention rights and asylum law

Billings, Peter and Edwards, R. (2004). Safeguarding asylum seekers' dignity: Clarifying the interface between Convention rights and asylum law. Journal of Social Security Law, 11 (2), 83-111.

Safeguarding asylum seekers' dignity: Clarifying the interface between Convention rights and asylum law

2003

Journal Article

Refugees, the Rule of Law and Executive Power: A(nother) Case of the Conjuror's Rabbit?

Billings, Peter (2003). Refugees, the Rule of Law and Executive Power: A(nother) Case of the Conjuror's Rabbit?. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, 54 (4), 412-429.

Refugees, the Rule of Law and Executive Power: A(nother) Case of the Conjuror's Rabbit?

2002

Journal Article

Alienating asylum seekers: Welfare support in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Billings, Peter (2002). Alienating asylum seekers: Welfare support in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Journal of Social Security Law, 9 (3), 115-144.

Alienating asylum seekers: Welfare support in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

2001

Journal Article

Prerogative Powers and the Human Rights Act: Elevating the Status of Orders in Council

Billings, Peter and Pontin, Ben (2001). Prerogative Powers and the Human Rights Act: Elevating the Status of Orders in Council. Public Law, 2001, 21-27.

Prerogative Powers and the Human Rights Act: Elevating the Status of Orders in Council

2000

Journal Article

A Comparative Analysis of Administrative and Adjudicative Systems for Determining Asylum Claims

Billings, Peter (2000). A Comparative Analysis of Administrative and Adjudicative Systems for Determining Asylum Claims. Administrative Law Review, 52 (1), 254-303.

A Comparative Analysis of Administrative and Adjudicative Systems for Determining Asylum Claims

1999

Journal Article

R v Chief Adjudication Officer, Ex Parte B

Peter Billings (1999). R v Chief Adjudication Officer, Ex Parte B. Journal of Social Security Law, 6 (3), 137-144.

R v Chief Adjudication Officer, Ex Parte B

1998

Book Chapter

The Designation of "Safe" Countries and the Individual Assessment of Asylum Claims

Peter Billings and Rachel Trost (1998). The Designation of "Safe" Countries and the Individual Assessment of Asylum Claims. Current Issues in UK Asylum Law and Policy. (pp. 73-99) United Kingdom: Ashgate Publishing.

The Designation of "Safe" Countries and the Individual Assessment of Asylum Claims

1998

Journal Article

The Influence of Human Rights Law on the Procedural Formalities of the Asylum Determination Process

Peter Billings (1998). The Influence of Human Rights Law on the Procedural Formalities of the Asylum Determination Process. International Journal of Human Rights, 2 (1), 32-61.

The Influence of Human Rights Law on the Procedural Formalities of the Asylum Determination Process

1996

Journal Article

Why the English Legal System Fails to Adequately Protect Victims of Obsessions

Billings, Peter W. (1996). Why the English Legal System Fails to Adequately Protect Victims of Obsessions. Journal of Civil Liberties, 1 (3), 183-215.

Why the English Legal System Fails to Adequately Protect Victims of Obsessions

Past funding

  • 2011 - 2013
    Building research capacity for quantitative analysis of Indigenous poverty and policy interventions
    UQ Collaboration and Industry Engagement Fund
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    A Critical Evaluation of Procedural and Substantive Rules
    The Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration Incorporated
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    1.Aboriginal protection/assimilation laws and NT intervention; 2.A critical examination of the emergency response in NT with particular reference to income management/welfare quarantining in NT & QLD
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Peter Billings is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Available projects

  • Crimmigration

    • Topics that explore socio-legal issues related to the intersection or intermingling of immigration/refugee law/policy with criminal law/policy
    • Topics that explore the socio-legal issues relating to the criminalisation of asylum seekers
    • Topics that related to the detention or containment of asylum seekers and refugees
    • Topics that relate to refugee protection and regulation of risks to national/border security

    For further information contact Professor Peter Billings, e: p.billings@law.uq.edu.au

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    A labour market regulatory approach to employment integration for refugees and asylum seekers in Australia

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Children as Facilitators of Migrant Smuggling: International Law and Domestic Contexts

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Joseph Lelliott

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Immigration Detention & The Separation of Powers: A First Principles Approach to Improved Governance

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Rebecca Ananian-Welsh

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Sustainable protection of fish biodiversity in the Mekong River: the role of international environmental law and lessons from Australia

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Justine Bell-James

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Peter Billings directly for media enquiries about:

  • Administrative Justice
  • Administrative law
  • Crimmigration
  • Government legal decision making
  • Human rights law
  • Immigration law
  • Judicial Review
  • Operation sovereign borders
  • Refugee law
  • Social welfare law

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au