Dr Karen Wheelwright - Researcher Profile

Biography

Karen's academic career commenced at Monash University in 1993 as a joint researcher on an Australian Research Council-funded project on legal aspects of health regulation. Her research arising from this project was published in refereed journals including the Federal Law Review, the Monash University Law Review and the Griffith Law Review.

Karen has taught in the undergraduate law programs at both Deakin and Monash Universities, and in the Masters program at Deakin and in both the LLM and Juris Doctor programs at Monash Faculty of Law, specifically in corporations law and labour law. Her published research has focused on the liability of company directors, particularly for the health and safety of workers, and on privacy, safety and security at work. Her doctoral thesis considered the common law and statutory liability of corporate officers for health and safety breaches leading to deaths at work.
She was a director of Dental Health Services Victoria between 2001 - 2005 and is a member of the Australian Labour Law Association and the Corporate Law Teachers Association.

She is currently the Deputy Director of the JD Program in the Faculty.

Areas of Expertise

Corporate law, in particular directors' duties and liabilities

Employment and workplace relations law, in particular unfair dismissal

Occupational health and safety

 

Qualifications

PHD - LAW

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 2011

BACHELOR OF LAWS (HONOURS)

Institution: University of Melbourne

Year awarded: 1991

DIPLOMA OF EDUCATION (SECONDARY)

Institution: La Trobe University

Year awarded: 1977

ARTS

Institution: La Trobe University

Year awarded: 1976

Publications

Journal Articles

Wheelwright, K.L., 2012, Baiada Poultry: employers, independent contractors and reasonable practicability in workplace safety, Employment Law Bulletin [P], vol June, LexisNexis Butterworth, Sydney NSW Australia, pp. 35-40.

Wheelwright, K.L., 2012, Understanding the liability of corporate officers for occupational health and safety breaches in the era of harmonisation, Australian Business Law Review [P], vol 40, issue 6, Lawbook Co, Pyrmont NSW Australia, pp. 410-423.

Wheelwright, K., 2011, Company directors' liability for workplace deaths, Criminal Law Journal [P], vol 35, issue 4, Thomson Reuters, Sydney NSW Australia, pp. 223-236.

Wheelwright, K., 2011, Corporate operations causing death: the legal response now and in the future, Precedent [P], vol 2011, issue 102, Australian Lawyers Alliance, Sydney NSW Australia, pp. 28-31.

Wheelwright, K., 2011, Labour Law (5th edn), Law Institute Journal [P], vol 85, issue 4, Law Institute of Victoria Ltd, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 72-73.

Wheelwright, K., 2011, Navigating the Fair Work Laws, Law Institute Journal [P], vol 85, issue 7, Law Institute of Victoria Ltd, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 78-79.

Wheelwright, K., 2011, Offences and penalties for breach of officer OHS duties - is the criminal model always necessary?, Employment Law Bulletin [P], vol 16, issue 10, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood NSW Australia, pp. 139-141.

Wheelwright, K., 2011, The new officer duty under the model Work Health and Safety Act - its content and scope, Employment Law Bulletin [P], vol 16, issue 9, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood NSW Australia, pp. 118-120.

Other

Wheelwright, K.L., 2009, Macken's Law of Employment, Law Institute Journal, vol 83, issue 8, Law Institute of Victoria, Melbourne Vic, pp. 68-69.

Wheelwright, K.L., 2009, Mcallum's top workplace relations cases, Monash University Law Review, vol 35, issue 1, Monash University, Vic Australia, pp. 183-186.

Teaching Commitment

Principles of Corporations Law (in Juris Doctor Program)

Corporations Law (in LLB)

Law of Employment, Contemporary Workplace Relations Law, Collective Labour Rights (in LLB) 

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Fair Work for Filipino Domestic Workers. Rethinking policies to promote the welfare and protect the rights of the Kasambahay.

Supervisors:

Pittard, M (Joint-co), Wheelwright, K (Joint).

Completed Supervision

Student:

Chabloz Waidacher, I.

Program of Study:

Shareholders' Remedies in Switzerland: A Comparison with Australian Law. 2008.

Supervisors:

Wheelwright, K (Main).

Student:

Shi, E.

Program of Study:

Redundancy Pay in Australia - Before and After Work Choices. 2007.

Supervisors:

Wheelwright, K (Main).