Home / Sydney Law School / About us / Our people / Academic staff

Dr Rita Shackel

Profile

Degrees

BSc, LLB, GradDipEd, MA, PhD Syd

Courses Taught

  • Foundations of Law (graduate & combined) (2007/2008)
  • Law, Lawyers & Justice (2007/2008)

Areas of Interest

  • Laws of evidence
  • Expert evidence
  • Psychological testimony
  • Criminal procedure
  • Prosecution of child sexual assault cases
  • Victim impact statements & sentencing
  • Children and law
  • Mental health law
  • Victimology
  • Criminal processes
  • Legal professional responsibility
  • Legal education

Brief Biographical Detail

Rita is a graduate of the University of Sydney holding qualifications in law, science, psychology and education. Rita’s academic awards include the Jones Memorial University Medal for most outstanding academic and professional record. Rita has worked as a lawyer and academic in a range of settings including the NSW Cabinet Office, The NSW Office of Youth Affairs, The Australian Law Reform Commission and The University of Western Sydney. Rita has worked on a number of government committees and has delivered CLE programs to legal practitioners in NSW. Rita’s doctoral thesis examined the use of expert evidence in child sexual assault cases. In 2005, Rita joined Sydney Law School and was awarded a University of Sydney Early Career Development Award. Prior to joining the faculty Rita spent some time teaching and conducting research in the United States including at Duke University Law School as a Visiting Scholar and Researcher and the Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville as a Visiting Professor. Rita was also awarded an American Association of University Women International Fellowship which allowed her to further her research on the use of expert testimony in child sexual abuse cases in the United States. More recently, Rita has been awarded an Alexander Mackie Research Fellowship which will fund a short return visit to the United States to conduct research on judicial training in domestic violence cases. Additionally, earlier this year Rita was awarded a General Grant by the Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales to undertake research into prosecutorial decision-making in child sexual assault cases. Rita is committed to community work and has worked as a volunteer in community legal centres both in Australia and in the United States.

Publications

Journal Articles

  • Shackel, R, ‘How Child Victims Respond to Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse’ (2009) 61(1) Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 1-9
  • Shackel, R, ‘The beliefs commonly held by adults about children's behavioral responses to sexual victimization’ (2008) 32(4) Child Abuse & Neglect 485-495
  • Shackel, R, ‘Judicial Perceptions of Jurors' Understanding of How Children Respond to Sexual Victimisation’ (2007) 14(1) Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 1-8
  • Shackel,,R, ‘The Child’s Right to Play under Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child’ (2005) March Playrights 11-14
  • Shackel, R, ‘The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: A Review of Accomplishments and Future Directions’ (2003) Australian International Law Journal 21-60
  • Shackel, R, ‘The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children as a Global Issue: A Review of International Legal Responses’ (1999) Australian International Law Journal 91-126
  • Shackel, R, ‘Children Pornography and the Electronic Age’ (1999) Macarthur Law Review 143-181

Conference & Invited Papers

  • Shackel R, ‘Child Victim Responses to Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse.’ Paper presented at the 8th Annual Conference of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Vienna, Austria, 14-16 July 2008
  • Shackel R, ‘Urban Living, Changing Perceptions of Childhood and New Barriers to Children’s Play.’ Paper presented at the IPA/USA Triennial Conference: Children’s Play: Learning from the Past, Planning for the Future, Baltimore MD, April 2004
  • Shackel R, ‘The Use of Expert Evidence in the Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Cases.’ Paper presented at the AAUW Chapel Hill 80th Anniversary Symposium, Chapel Hill NC, April 2003
  • Shackel R, ‘A Comparative Study of the Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Australia and the United States.’ AAUW-NC State Convention, Raleigh NC, April 2003
  • Shackel R, ‘Women, Children and Gender Equity’ Plenary paper presented at the AAUW International Symposium: Global Voices for Gender Equity, Washington DC, November 2002
  • Shackel R, ‘Discrimination in the Legal Profession’ (CLE Program), College of Law – St Leonards, Sydney, 5 December 2001
  • Shackel R, ‘The new anti-discrimination regulation’ (CLE Program), College of Law – St Leonards, Sydney, 31 October 2001
  • Shackel R, ‘The Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome does it have a Forensic Role?’ Paper presented at the 25th International Congress on Law and Mental Health, Siena, 12-15 July 2000
  • Shackel R, Woellner R, Zetler J, ‘Educational Malpractice: Some Recent Australian Developments.’ Paper presented at the ANZELA Conference, Sydney, June 1997