Associate Professor
Ryan Goss
Executive
Head, ANU Law School

I'm a Queenslander at the ANU Law School. In my writing, research, and teaching I'm interested in the legal questions that define our democracy, and the interface between law, politics, and government: constitutional law and human rights law. In particular, current major projects are on Australian constitutional fundamentals and on criminal fair trial rights under the ECHR. My academic work has been published in publications such as Public Law, the Human Rights Law Review, the Modern Law Review, and others, and cited by the European Court of Human Rights on numerous occasions. I regularly write and speak in the media and in the general community on a variety of public law issues, have done consultant and pro bono research work on related issues for a number of NGOs, and previously worked as a solicitor.

I also have a track record of university leadership and service. Since January 2025 I have been Head of School for the ANU Law School, leading an extraordinary team within the ANU College of Law, Governance, and Policy. Before this, I was Head of Scholars House for the ANU's Tuckwell Scholarship Program (2019-2024). In that role, reporting to the DVCA, I led a diverse team of academic and professional staff overseeing Australia's most transformational undergraduate scholarship program. For this work I was awarded the Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Contribution to the University (2023). I currently hold smaller roles with the Rhodes Scholarships and the Lionel Murphy Scholarships. Previously I was ANU Law's Director (2017-2019) of Higher Degree Research (ie Associate Dean HDR).

I work part-time to reflect my parenting responsibilities.

  • BA(Hons I), LLB(Hons I) (UQ), BCL(Dist), DPhil (Oxon)
  • Rhodes Scholar (Qld & Lincoln 2007)
  • Ralph Chiles CBE Award (Oxford, 2008)
  • University Medal (Law)(UQ, 2005)
  • University Medal (Arts-History)(UQ, 2004)
  • Admitted as Solicitor (Qld) in 2007

Appointments

Selected

  • ANU: Associate Professor (2019- ) & Head of Scholars House for the Tuckwell Scholarship Program (2019-2024); Senior Lecturer (2016-18); Lecturer (2013-15)
  • Lincoln College, University of Oxford: Junior Research Fellow in Law (2011-13)
  • Associate to the Hon Justice PA Keane (Queensland Court of Appeal) (2006)

View more publications on the ANU Researchers website

Link to ANU researchers profile

Related websites

LinkedIn

View more publications on the ANU Researchers website

Link to ANU researchers profile

Research biography

I work on human rights law (especially ECHR/UK) and Australian public law.

Research projects & collaborations

Summary of recent research projects:

  • R Goss 'What do Australians Talk About When They Talk About 'Parliamentary Sovereignty'?' (Jan 2022) Public Law 55-75 (SSRN with earlier version here)
  • R Goss "The Undermining of Article 6 ECHR" (2019) European Yearbook of Human Rights 295-312
  • R Goss "Power & Propriety: Coper's Encounter with the Dismissal" in J Stellios (ed), Encounters with Constitutional Interpretation and Legal Education (Federation Press, 2018).
  • R Goss "Out of Many, One? Strasbourg's Ibrahim Decision on Article 6" (2017) 80(6) Modern Law Review 1137–1163
  • R Goss "Voting Rights and Australian Local Democracy" (2017) 40(3) UNSWLJ 1008
  • R Goss “Balancing Away Article 6 in Home Office v Tariq: Fair Trial Rights in Closed Material Proceedings” in G Martin et al (eds), Secrecy, Law and Society (ch 4)(Routledge, 2015)
  • R Goss Criminal Fair Trial Rights: Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. (Hart Publishing, Oxford, 2014).
  • R Goss “To the serious detriment of the public: Secret evidence and closed material procedures” in L Lazarus & JC McCrudden (eds), Reasoning Rights: Comparative Judicial Engagement (Hart Publishing, Oxford, 2014)(pp118-134).
  • Lazarus L & R Goss, “Criminal Justice Under the UK Human Rights Act” (2013) 25 Singapore Academy of Law Journal 755

Case notes & book reviews

  • Goss R. “Book Review: Amnesties in the Age of Human Rights Accountability” (2013) 1 European H Rts Law Review 108
  • Goss R. “Book Review: Criminal Evidence and Human Rights: Reimagining Common Law Procedural Traditions” (2012) 6 European H Rts Law Rev 713
  • Goss R. “Book Review: Fair Trial Rights, 2nd Edn” (2011) 2 European H Rts Law Rev 237
  • Goss R. “Book Review: Australian Constitutional Law & Theory” (2007) 27 Qld Lawyer 311

PhD supervision

I am currently, and am willing to consider in future, supervising research projects at any level (including PhD/HDR/Masters/Honours/etc) in areas including:

  • Australian constitutional law,
  • European human rights law,
  • Comparative human rights law,
  • UK public law.

If you are interested in PhD/HDR study, I strongly encourage you to read the Law How to Apply for HDR site carefully.

Previous supervision

  • Dr Alice Taylor (Primary Supervisor, 2017-2020), A Creative Interpretation: a comparative study of statutory discrimination law. Now Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Bond University.

Current courses

YearCourse codeCourse name
2023

LAWS6105

Class #5533

Australian Public Law
2023

LAWS8234

Class #6523

International and Comparative Human Rights Law

Previous courses

YearCourse codeCourse name
2021

LAWS6105

Class #5707

Australian Public Law
2021

LAWS8234

Class #4639

International and Comparative Human Rights Law

Philosophy & approach

  • Australian Awards for University Teaching 2017: Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (Department of Education and Training, September 2017)
  • Winner, ANU Law Award for Teaching Excellence (Excellence in Education Awards, 2016)
  • ANU Law Excellence in Education Awards nominee: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
  • Oxford University Student Union Teaching Awards 2013, Shortlisted for 'Most Acclaimed Lecturer', Social Sciences Division, University of Oxford (June 2013)

At the Australian National University (2013- ):

  • Australian Public Law (JD and LLB)
  • International & Comparative Human Rights Law (Masters and JD)
  • Comparative Civil & Political Rights (Masters and JD)

At the University of Oxford (2010-2013):

  • Constitutional Law (Lincoln College, Oxford; undergraduates; 2011, 2012)
  • Administrative Law (Lincoln College, Oxford; undergraduates; 2012, 2013)
  • Criminal Justice & Human Rights (Oxford; postgraduates; 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13) (co-taught with Prof Andrew Ashworth and Dr Liora Lazarus)
  • Jessup International Law Moot coach/co-coach at University of Oxford (2009 and 2010)

How my works connects with public policy

My work relates to some of the biggest questions of public policy: how democracy functions, what limits are placed on what our governments can do, and what role is and ought to be played by we, the people.

I regularly write and speak in the media and in the general community on a variety of public law issues, and have done consultant and pro bono research on related issues for a number of NGOs.

Ryan Goss

Research themes

Constitutional Law
International Human Rights Law

Contacts

Ryan.Goss@anu.edu.au
ANU College of Law, Bld 6, Fellows Rd, Acton ACT 2600