Overview
Background
Katharine Gelber is Deputy Executive Dean and Associate Dean (Academic) in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at UQ. She is a former Head of the School of Political Science and International Studies (2019-2023), and a Professor of Politics and Public Policy. Her research is in the field of freedom of speech, and the regulation of public discourse. She has been awarded several ARC, and other, competitive research grants. In Oct-Dec 2024 she was a Leverhulme Visiting Professor at Cambridge University. In November-December 2017, she was a Visiting Scholar at the Global Freedom of Expression Project, Columbia University, New York. In Dec 2017, she jointly hosted, with Prof Susan Brison, a workshop at the Princeton University Center for Human Values on, 'Free Speech and its Discontents'. In 2014, with Prof Luke McNamara, she was awarded the Mayer journal article prize for the best article in the Australian Journal of Political Science in 2013. In 2011 she was invited by the United Nations to be the Australian Expert Witness at a regional meeting examining States' compliance with the free speech and racial hatred provisions of international law. She is the author of three monographs (Free Speech After 9/11, OUP 2016; Speech Matters, UQP, 2011, Speaking Back, John Benjamins, 2002), and three edited books (incl. Free Speech in the Digital Age, OUP 2019), as well as numerous journal articles.
Kath is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences Australia, and a Fellow of the Queensland Academic of Arts and Sciences.
Selected publications:
Books
Brison, S and Gelber, K (eds) 2019 Free Speech in the Digital Age, Oxford University Press, New York.
Gelber, K 2016 Free Speech After 9/11, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Gelber, K 2011. Speech Matters: Getting Free Speech Right, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia.
Panzironi, F & Gelber, K (eds) 2012. The Capability Approach: Development Practice and Public Policy in the Asia-Pacific Region, Routledge, London.
Refereed journal articles
Gelber, Katharine 2024 ‘Free speech, religious freedom and vilification in Australia’, Australian Journal of Political Science 59(1): 78-92, https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2023.2283008.
Gelber, Katharine and Murphy, M 2023 ‘The Weaponisation of Free Speech under the Morrison Government’, Australian Journal of Political Science, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2023.2242304.
Brennan, K; D Duriesmith, E Fenton and K Gelber 2022 “Gendered Mundanities: Gender Bias in Student Evaluations of Teaching in Political Science”, Australian Journal of Political Science (published online 27 Feb 2022), https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2022.2043241.
Bowman, K and Gelber, K 2021 ‘Responding to Hate Speech: Counter Speech and the University’, Virginia Journal of Social Policy and the Law, 28(3): 248-275.
Gelber, K 2021 ‘Differentiating Hate Speech: A Systemic Discrimination Approach’, Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 24(4): 393-414, DOI: 10.1080/13698230.2019.1576006 (published online 2019).
Gelber, K and O’Sullivan, S 2020 “Cat Got Your Tongue? Free Speech, Democracy and Australia’s ‘Ag-Gag’ Laws”, Australian Journal of Political Science, 56(1): 19-34, https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2020.1799938.
Gelber, K 2019 ‘Norms, Institutions and Freedom of Speech in the US, the UK and Australia’, Journal of Public Policy, online 25 June, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0143814X19000187.
Gelber, K 2019 ‘Terrorist-extremist speech and hate speech: understanding the similarities and differences’ Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 22(3), 607-622, doi: 10.1007/s10677-019-10013-x.
Gelber, K 2018 ‘Incitement to hatred and countering terrorism – policy confusion in the UK and Australia’, Parliamentary Affairs 71(1): 28-49, https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/gsx008.
Gelber, K 2017 ‘Diagonal Accountability: Freedom of Speech in Australia’, Australian Journal of Human Rights 23(2): 203-219.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1323238X.2017.1363371 (Published in Special Issue: ‘Democracy and Human Rights’)
Gelber, K 2017 ‘Hate Speech – Definitions and Empirical Evidence’, Constitutional Commentary 32: 101-111.
Gelber, K & McNamara, L 2016 'Anti-vilification laws and public racism in Australia: mapping the gaps between the harms occasioned and the remedies provided', University of New South Wales Law Journal 39(2): 488-511.
Gelber, K & McNamara, L 2016 ‘Evidencing the harms of hate speech’, Social Identities, 22 (1-3): 324-341. DOI: 10.1080/13504630.2015.1128810.
Book chapters (selected)
De Silva, Anjalee; Katharine Gelber & Adrienne Stone 2024 (in-press). ‘Academic Freedom in Australia’, in Scott-Baumann, A., Holmwood, J., & Pandor, H. (eds) How to Develop Free Speech on Campus: Talking to Others. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Gelber, K 2022 ‘Free Speech in Australia’ in Paula Gerber & Melissa Castan eds., Critical Perspectives on Human Rights Law in Australia Thomson Reuters, Pyrmont: 517-534.
Gelber, K 2021 ‘Speaking Back’, in Adrienne Stone and Frederick Schauer eds., The Oxford Handbook of Freedom of Speech, Oxford University Press, Oxford: 249-265.
Gelber, K 2020. ‘Post-memory and Artefacts: The Gelber/Altschul Collection’, in N Marczak and K Shields eds. Genocide Perspectives VI: The Process and the Personal Costs of Genocide. Sydney: UTS ePress: 53-68. https://doi.org/10.5130/aaf.
Gelber, K 2020 ‘Capabilities and the Law’, in E Chiapperro-Martinetti, S Osmani & M Qizilbash eds The Cambridge Handbook of the Capability Approach Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 643-659.
Gelber, K 2020 ‘Free Speech Debates in Australia: Contemporary Controversies’, in Helen J. Knowles and Brandon T. Metroka eds., Free Speech Theory: Understanding the Controversies, Peter Lang: 187-208.
Gelber, K and Brison, S 2019 ‘Digital Dualism and the “Speech as Thought” Paradox’, in Brison, S and Gelber, K (eds) Free Speech in the Digital Age, Oxford University Press, New York.
Gelber, K & Stone, A 2017 ‘Constitutions, Gender and Freedom of Expression: the Legal Regulation of Pornography', in Helen Irving ed. Constitutions and Gender, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham: 463-481, DOI: 10.4337/9781784716967.
Gelber, K 2016 ‘Critical Race Theory and the constitutionality of hate speech regulation’, in R Dixon & G Appleby (eds) The Critical Judgments Project: Re-reading Monis v The Queen, Federation Press, Sydney: 88-102.
Availability
- Professor Kath Gelber is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts, University of Tasmania
- Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, University of Sydney
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney
Research interests
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The harms of online speech
Prof Gelber is investigating whether, and how, the harms of hate speech can be applied to online speech. This project will clarify how online speech can harm in new ways, and can harm new targets. This will produce new findings that can be used to assess the regulation of online speech in order to protect target communities from harm.
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Free speech online
With Prof Susan Brison (Dartmouth), Prof Gelber has undertaken a research project looking at how people exercise their freedom of speech online, and whether (and how) the online environment changes how we think about fundamental aspects of free speech theory.
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Free Speech After 9/11
This ARC-funded project (2012-2015) compares free speech-limiting provisions enacted or amended in the context of counter-terrorism laws in the US, the UK and Australia.
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Hate speech laws in public discourse in Australia
With Prof Luke McNamara (Wollongong), this is a large ARC-funded research project examining the impact of hate speech laws on public discourse in Australia since they were introduced twenty five years ago.
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International hate speech laws
Prof Gelber has an interest in international hate speech laws, their operation and their effectiveness. She has published widely in these areas, and is currently participating in a number of research projects on this topic.
Research impacts
Professor Gelber has extensive international and national engagement and collaboration with universities, industry, government and non-government organisations. She has worked closely with external agencies including human rights commissions and industry to provide advice on the regulation of harmful and allegedly harmful speech including online. She has regularly been invited to make submissions to government and parliamentary inquiries into policy areas including counter terrorism, censorship regulations and anti-vilification laws. She gives regular media interviews on radio, television and in newspapers.
Works
Search Professor Kath Gelber’s works on UQ eSpace
2014
Conference Publication
Free Speech after 9/11
Gelber, Katharine (2014). Free Speech after 9/11. American Political Studies Association Conference, Washington D. C., USA, 28 - 31 August 2014.
2014
Conference Publication
Free Speech After 9/11
Gelber, Katharine (2014). Free Speech After 9/11. Conference of the Australian Political Studies Association, University of Sydney, Australia, 28 September - 1 October 2014.
2014
Conference Publication
Private litigation to address a public wrong: a study of Australia's regulatory response to 'hate speech'
Gelber, Katharine and McNamara, Luke (2014). Private litigation to address a public wrong: a study of Australia's regulatory response to 'hate speech'. 2014 Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand Conference, Public and/or Private Lives, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia, 3-5 December, 2014. St Lucia, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
2014
Journal Article
Private litigation to address a public wrong: a study of Australia's regulatory response to "Hate Speech"
Gelber, Katharine and McNamara, Luke (2014). Private litigation to address a public wrong: a study of Australia's regulatory response to "Hate Speech". Civil Justice Quarterly, 33 (3), 307-334.
2014
Conference Publication
The role of social scientists in understanding Australia's changing landscape
Gelber, Katharine (2014). The role of social scientists in understanding Australia's changing landscape. The Future Workforce of Australian Social Science, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 24-25 July 2014.
2014
Book Chapter
McLeod v Power [2003] FMCA 2: commentary
Gelber, Katharine (2014). McLeod v Power [2003] FMCA 2: commentary. Australian Feminist Judgments: Righting and Rewriting Law. (pp. 405-408) edited by Francesca Bartlett, Trish Luker, Heather Douglas and Rosemary Hunter. Oxford, United Kingdom: Hart Publishing.
2014
Conference Publication
Free speech after 9/11
Gelber, Katharine (2014). Free speech after 9/11. Law Day Panel: Preserving Liberty and Security in Fighting Terrorism, Hanover, NH, USA, 2 May, 2014.
2014
Conference Publication
Monis v The Queen: A-G South Australia v City of Adelaide - Consequences for Freedom of Expression
Gelber, Katharine (2014). Monis v The Queen: A-G South Australia v City of Adelaide - Consequences for Freedom of Expression. Constitutional Law Conference, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 14 February 2014.
2013
Journal Article
Freedom of speech and racial vilification in Australia: 'The Bolt case' in public discourse
Gelber, Katharine and McNamara, Luke (2013). Freedom of speech and racial vilification in Australia: 'The Bolt case' in public discourse. Australian Journal of Political Science, 48 (4), 470-484. doi: 10.1080/10361146.2013.842540
2013
Journal Article
Secrecy provisions in Australian counter-terrorism policy: violating international human rights standards?
Gelber, Katharine (2013). Secrecy provisions in Australian counter-terrorism policy: violating international human rights standards?. Australian Journal of Human Rights, 19 (2), 25-46. doi: 10.1080/1323-238X.2013.11882125
2013
Journal Article
Brettschneider, Corey: "When the State Speaks, What Should It Say? How Democracies Can Protect Expression and Promote Equality"
Gelber, Katharine (2013). Brettschneider, Corey: "When the State Speaks, What Should It Say? How Democracies Can Protect Expression and Promote Equality". Ethics, 124 (1), 177-181. doi: 10.1086/671405
2013
Conference Publication
Regulating hate speech and racial vilification
Gelber, Katharine and McNamara, Luke (2013). Regulating hate speech and racial vilification. Forum on Human Rights Research Conference 2013: Genocide and Human Rights in the Era of the United Nations, Wollongong, NSW, Australia, 9-10 December, 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Hate speech laws: lessons from a jurisdiction that has them
Gelber, Katharine and McNamara, Luke (2013). Hate speech laws: lessons from a jurisdiction that has them. Philosophy Department Seminar, Wellesley, MA, USA, 28 March, 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
New developments in political speech case law
Gelber, Katharine (2013). New developments in political speech case law. 3rd Biennial Electoral Regulation Research Network Workshop, St Lucia, QLD, Australia, 31 October-1 November, 2013. Carlton, VIC, Australia: Melbourne Law School.
2013
Conference Publication
The "Bolt case" and its aftermath: freedom of speech and racial vilification in public discourse in Australia
Gelber, Katharine and McNamara, Luke (2013). The "Bolt case" and its aftermath: freedom of speech and racial vilification in public discourse in Australia. APSA 2013: Australian Political Studies Association Annual Conference 2013, Perth, WA, Australia, 30 September-1 October, 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Nondisclosure and preventative detention: international human rights standards in Australian counter terrorism policy
Gelber, Katharine (2013). Nondisclosure and preventative detention: international human rights standards in Australian counter terrorism policy. APSA 2013: Australian Political Studies Association Annual Conference 2013, Perth, WA, Australia, 30 September-1 October, 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Arguing matters: the responsibility to protect and Libya
Dunne, Tim and Gelber, Katharine (2013). Arguing matters: the responsibility to protect and Libya. ISA 2013: International Studies Association Pre-Conference Workshop, San Francisco, CA, United States, 2 April, 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Universalism, freedom of speech, and the capabilities approach
Gelber, Katharine (2013). Universalism, freedom of speech, and the capabilities approach. Philosophy Department Sapientia Lecture Series, Hanover, NH, USA, 29 March, 2013.
2012
Journal Article
Generational challenges in Australian political studies
Gelber, Katharine (2012). Generational challenges in Australian political studies. Australian Journal of Political Science, 47 (4), 703-719. doi: 10.1080/10361146.2012.731483
2012
Journal Article
Book Review of 'The Harm in Hate Speech' by Jeremy Waldron
Gelber, Katharine (2012). Book Review of 'The Harm in Hate Speech' by Jeremy Waldron. Times Higher Education, 49-49.
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Kath Gelber is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Completed supervision
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Free Speech, Counterspeech, and Constitutional Values on University Campuses
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sarah Percy
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Harmful Speech and the Limits of Counterspeech
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sarah Percy
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Kiwi across the Ditch: An Interpretive Account of the 2001 Changes to Policies in Relation to Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangements
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Alastair Stark
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
The Capability Approach and Cape York: Noel Pearson's Reconceptualisation and Alteration of Amartya Sen's Development Framework
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Heloise Weber
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Public Deliberation and the Intellectual Dark Web: An Immanent Socio-Epistemic Critique
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Fred D'Agostino
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
State-Citizen Relations Explored through Australian School Education Policy
Associate Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Anarchism, Critical Theory and Emancipation: Towards the Realisation of an Ideal Speech Situation
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Martin Weber
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Kath Gelber directly for media enquiries about:
- Academic freedom
- Australian politics
- Freedom of speech
- Hate speech
- Hate speech online
- The rights of donor conceived people
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