Law expert celebrated with fellowship

Professor Stewart is The John Bray Professor of Law in the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics. He is a leading expert on labour regulation where his work over many decades has helped to shape policy debates over the legal rules governing employment and workplace relations.

Professor Stewart said he is proud to be elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.

“I see this honour as a very welcome recognition of the impact my work has had on practitioners, researchers and policymakers in my main field of expertise, employment law and workplace relations,” he said.

“I’m especially proud of the way my research has broadened beyond the realm of technical legal analysis, to the point where I contribute to the work of interdisciplinary teams.

“I am truly delighted not just to be in the company of so many distinguished social scientists, but to count myself as one of them.”

Professor Stewart is especially well known for his analysis of complex statutory reforms. In recent years, he has worked with colleagues in employment relations, human resource management, labour economics and human geography to generate new data and insights on issues such as workplace cooperation, internships, digital platform work, and wage stagnation.

He has served as the President of the Australian Labour Law Association, Chair of the Committee of Australian Law Deans, the Association of Industrial Relations Academics of Australia and New Zealand, and the Industrial Relations Society of South Australia.

In 2018 he received recognition of his service to employment relations with an award from the Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association.

Professor Stewart’s work reaches an international scale, where he often supports comparative labour law projects. He has acted as a consultant for the International Labour Organization on a number of projects, and most recently, Professor Stewart has helped in drafting the Quality Apprenticeships Recommendation adopted at the 2023 International Labour Conference.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Adelaide Professor Anton Middelberg congratulated Professor Stewart on the achievement.

“The Academy of Social Sciences in Australia champions excellence. Professor Stewart is highly deserving of this election where his commitment and contributions to law and labour regulation has delivered significant impact,” Professor Middelberg said.

“Along with colleagues, Professor Stewart’s work has helped shape policies and improve lives throughout Australia and internationally.”

The Academy of Social Sciences in Australia includes leading researchers and practitioners across the breadth of social science disciplines. Fellows have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to one or more fields of social science research or practice in Australia.

Fellows are elected once a year. A full list of 2024 fellows can be found on the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia website.