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Dr Sarah Kendall
Dr

Sarah Kendall

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Overview

Background

Dr Sarah Kendall is an interdisciplinary scholar with expertise in criminal law and procedure and evidence law. She is particularly interested in the intersections between law and science. Sarah's work focuses on justice responses to domestic, family and sexual violence, and emerging and re-emerging national security threats. Currently, she is researching victim-centric, trauma-informed criminal justice approaches in domestic, family and sexual violence matters. Alongside this research, she is examining the nature, effectiveness and appropriateness of the criminal law response to espionage, foreign interference and sabotage. Sarah uses a range of methods to conduct her research, including empirical (qualitative and quantitative) methods.

Prior to joining Griffith University, Sarah worked at the Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC), leading the review of Queensland's non-fatal strangulation offence. She has also previously worked at the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) on a number of inquiries, including the Religious Educational Institutions and Anti-Discrimination Laws inquiry and Justice Responses to Sexual Violence inquiry, and at the Department of Justice Queensland where she progressed the Criminal Justice Legislation (Sexual Violence and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2024 (Qld).

In addition to her research, Sarah has taught Foundations of Law and Evidence Law at UQ and guest lectures on various topics.

Availability

Dr Sarah Kendall is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Qualifications

  • Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Queensland University of Technology
  • Bachelor of Science, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Law, The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy of Law, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Victim-centric, trauma-informed justice approaches

    How the justice system can become more victim-centric and trauma-informed.

  • Domestic, family and sexual violence

    Justice and health responses to domestic, family and sexual violence.

  • Preventive criminal laws

    The nature and evolution of criminal laws that have a largely preventive focus, such as standalone preparatory crimes.

  • National security crimes

    The nature, effectiveness and appropriateness of the criminal law response to national security threats, including emerging and re-emerging national security threats (such as espionage, foreign interference and sabotage).

Research impacts

Sarah's expertise on victim-centric, trauma-informed approaches was integral to informing the QLRC non-fatal strangulation review's approach to engaging with strangulation victims, and the broader work and practices of the QLRC and ALRC. Sarah is also recognised as a leading expert on Australian espionage and foreign interference offences. In recognition of her expertise, she has been invited to engage with the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor on multiple reviews, to contribute to edited collections and special issues, and to be interviewed for local, national and international media (including The New York Times, The Australian and the BBC). Sarah's research on espionage law has been recognised by UQ BEL Law School and Faculty awards for research excellence.

Sarah's research has been featured in leading national and international peer reviewed journals, such as the Cambridge Law Journal, Sydney Law Review and Melbourne University Law Review. She also regularly writes for The Conversation and makes submissions to government inquiries in Australia and overseas.

Works

Search Professor Sarah Kendall’s works on UQ eSpace

43 works between 2018 and 2025

41 - 43 of 43 works

2020

Other Outputs

Espionage and press freedom in Australia

Kendall, Sarah (2020). Espionage and press freedom in Australia. UQ Press Freedom Policy Papers St Lucia, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.

Espionage and press freedom in Australia

2019

Journal Article

Australia's new espionage laws: another case of hyper-legislation and over-criminalisation

Kendall, Sarah (2019). Australia's new espionage laws: another case of hyper-legislation and over-criminalisation. University of Queensland Law Journal, 38 (1), 125-161.

Australia's new espionage laws: another case of hyper-legislation and over-criminalisation

2018

Conference Publication

Australia's new espionage laws: a necessary evil

Kendall, Sarah (2018). Australia's new espionage laws: a necessary evil. Australian and New Zealand Law Honours Student Conference, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 24 November 2018.

Australia's new espionage laws: a necessary evil

Funding

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2023
    Evaluation of the VREC Pilot
    Queensland Police Service
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Dr Sarah Kendall is:
Available for supervision

Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.

Media

Enquiries

Contact Dr Sarah Kendall directly for media enquiries about:

  • domestic and family violence
  • espionage
  • foreign interference
  • national security crimes
  • non-fatal strangulation
  • sabotage
  • sexual violence
  • trauma-informed

Need help?

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

communications@uq.edu.au