The ANU Law School is proud to announce that Associate Professor Heather Roberts has been appointed a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.

Fellowship of the Academy is reserved for individuals of exceptional distinction in the discipline of law, elected by their peers in recognition of their outstanding contributions to legal scholarship, practice, and the advancement of justice according to law in Australia.

Head of the Law School, Associate Professor Ryan Goss, welcomed the news, saying: 

“Heather’s appointment is a testament to her scholarship, her commitment to legal education, and her leadership in connecting the judiciary and the academy. We are incredibly proud to see her recognised in this way." 

In response to her appointment, Associate Professor Roberts said: 

“This appointment is a great honour, and I'm grateful to my peers for this recognition. As an ANU Law graduate myself, I was fortunate to have been mentored by the late Professors Phillipa Weeks and Michael Coper, who had such a formative influence on me and generations of ANU Law students. Their memory continues to inspire me to explore questions that matter to our legal system, and to pursue this work alongside exceptional colleagues, talented students, and in partnership with the judiciary."

Associate Professor Roberts is an internationally recognised scholar whose research spans judicial studies, property law, and constitutional law. Her pioneering work on judicial swearing-in ceremonies and judicial biography earned her an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship, and her research has been featured in interviews with Anita Barraud and Damien Carrick on ABC Radio National’s Law Report. Her research, grounded in extensive archival work, has shed new light on the traditions and contemporary practices of Australia’s courts.

She joins a distinguished group of ANU Law School scholars who have been elected Fellows of the Academy, including Professor James Stellios, Professor Pauline Ridge, Emeritus Professor Robin Creyke AO, Emeritus Professor David Hambly, Emeritus Professor Dennis Pearce, Professor Donald Rothwell, Emeritus Professor John McMillan AO, Emeritus Professor Margaret Thornton, Emeritus Professor Peta Spender, Emeritus Professor Stephen Bottomley, Professor Will Bateman, amongst many others.

Among her many contributions, Associate Professor Roberts designed and leads the Visiting Judges Program, a collaboration between ANU Law School and the National Judicial College of Australia, bringing members of the judiciary into the classroom to enrich students’ understanding of law in practice. As co-director of the Australian Network for Japanese Law, she also hosts visiting Japanese judicial officers at ANU Law, as part of an exchange program run by the Supreme Court of Japan to foster international judicial collaboration and training. She has also built enduring partnerships with Japanese institutions, including the University of Tokyo, and runs an annual ‘Introduction to Australian Law’ program with Aoyama Gakuin University and Ritsumeikan University. 

Committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, Associate Professor Roberts was one of the founding members of the Phillipa Weeks Scholarship Committee – a scholarship established in memory of Phillipa Weeks which supports rural and regional students to come to ANU Law. Her innovative teaching and exceptional mentoring of students has also been recognised through multiple ANU teaching awards. 

In addition, Associate Professor Roberts serves on the National Judicial College of Australia Program Advisory Committee, and has served as a Council Member and Secretary of the Australian Association of Constitutional Law and as Treasurer of the ACT Tenants' Union.

Find out more about Associate Professor Heather Roberts' research →