Professor Rosalind Dixon

BA/LLB (UNSW). LLM, SJD (Harvard).

Rosalind Dixon is a Professor of Law, at the University of New South Wales, Faculty of Law. She earned her BA and LLB from the University of New South Wales, and was an associate to the Chief Justice of Australia, the Hon. Murray Gleeson AC, before attending Harvard Law School, where she obtained an LLM and SJD. Her work focuses on comparative constitutional law and constitutional design, constitutional democracy, theories of constitutional dialogue and amendment, socio-economic rights and constitutional law and gender, and has been published in leading journals in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, including the Chicago Law Review, Cornell Law Review, GW Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, International Journal of Constitutional Law, American Journal of Comparative Law, Osgoode Hall Law Journal, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, Federal Law Review and Sydney Law Review. She is co-editor, with Tom Ginsburg, of a leading handbook on comparative constitutional law, Comparative Constitutional Law (Edward Elgar, 2011), and related volumes on Comparative Constitutional Law in Asia (Edward Elgar, 2014) and Comparative Constitutional Law in Latin America (Edward Elgar, 2017), co-editor (with Mark Tushnet and Susan Rose-Ackermann) of the Edward Elgar series on Constitutional and Administrative Law, on the editorial board of the International Journal of Constitutional Law, Revista Estudos Institucionais, Public Law Review, and editor of the Constitutions of the World series for Hart Publishing. Dixon is a Manos Research Fellow, Director of the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, Deputy Director of the Herbert Smith Freehills Initiative on Law and Economics, Co-Director of the UNSW New Economic Equality Initiative (NEEI), and academic co-lead of the Grand Challenge on Inequality at UNSW. She previously served as an assistant professor at the University of Chicago Law School, and has been a visiting professor at the University of Chicago, Columbia Law School, Harvard Law School and the National University of Singapore. She was recently elected as co-president of the International Society of Public Law: https://www.icon-society.org/. 

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Books

Delaney EF; Dixon R, 2018, Comparative judicial review, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781788110600

Dixon R; Ginsburg T, 2017, Comparative constitutional law in Latin America, Edward Elgar Publishing, UK, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781785369216

Dixon R; Ginsburg T, 2014, Introduction, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781781002704.00006

Ginsburg T; Dixon R, 2011, Comparative constitutional law, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9780857931214

Dixon R, 2009, Updating constitutional rules, http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/653651

Edited Books

Williams G; Dixon R, (ed.), 2015, The High Court, The Constitution and Australian Politics, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/CBO9781107445253

Dixon R; Ginsburg T, 2014, Comparative Constitutional Law in Asia, Edward Elgar Publishing, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781781002704

Dixon R; Ginsburg T, 2011, Comparative Constitutional Law, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9780857931214

Journal articles

Dixon R, 2020, 'Calibrated Proportionality', Federal Law Review, vol. 48, pp. 92 - 122, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0067205X19890439

Dixon R, 2019, 'Rule of Law Teleology: Against the Misuse and Abuse of Rule of Law Rhetoric', Hague Journal on the Rule of Law, vol. 11, pp. 461 - 464, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40803-019-00095-1

Dixon R, 2019, 'How to Compare Constitutionally', Latin American Law Review, http://dx.doi.org/10.29263/lar03.2019.01

Dixon R, 2019, 'The forms, functions, and varieties of weak(ened) judicial review', ICON-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, vol. 17, pp. 904 - 930, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/moz059

Dixon R; Landau D, 2019, '1989-2019: From democratic to abusive constitutional borrowing', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 17, pp. 489 - 496, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/moz038

Dixon R; Jackson V, 2019, 'Hybrid constitutional courts: Foreign judges on national constitutional courts', Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, vol. 57, pp. 283 - 356, http://blogs2.law.columbia.edu/jtl/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/07/f-Dixon_Hybrid-Constitutional-Courts-Online.pdf

Dixon R; Baldwin G, 2019, 'Globalizing constitutional moments? A reflection on the Japanese article 9 debate', American Journal of Comparative Law, vol. 67, pp. 145 - 176, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcl/avz002

Landau DE; Dixon R; Roznai Y, 2019, 'From an unconstitutional constitutional amendment to an unconstitutional constitution? Lessons from Honduras', Global Constitutionalism, vol. 8, pp. 40 - 70, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S2045381718000151

Dixon R, 2018, 'Editorial', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 16, pp. 1049 - 1070, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/moy111

Appleby G; Dixon R, 2018, 'Extending the critical re-reading project', Notre Dame Law Review, vol. 94, pp. 37 - 43

Dixon R, 2018, 'Proportionality and comparative constitutional law versus studies', Law and Ethics of Human Rights, vol. 12, pp. 203 - 224, http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/lehr-2018-0012

Casini L; Dixon R, 2018, 'Editorial', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 16, pp. 735 - 740, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/moy074

Dixon R, 2018, 'On law and economic inequality: a response to Philip Alston', Australian Journal of Human Rights, vol. 24, pp. 276 - 280, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1323238X.2018.1502014

Dixon R; Uhlmann F, 2018, 'The Swiss Constitution and a weak-form unconstitutional amendment doctrine?', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 16, pp. 54 - 74, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/moy004

Dixon R, 2018, 'Liberal constitutionalism and economic inequality', University of Chicago Law Review, vol. 85, pp. 369 - 401, https://lawreview.uchicago.edu/publication/liberal-constitutionalism-and-economic-inequality

Dixon R; Landau D, 2018, 'Tiered constitutional design', George Washington Law Review, vol. 86, pp. 438 - 512, https://www.gwlr.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/86-Geo.-Wash.-L.-Rev.-438.pdf

Dixon R; Landau D, 2017, 'Transnational constitutionalism and a limited doctrine of unconstitutional constitutional amendment: A rejoinder to Sujit Choudhry', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 15, pp. 833 - 838, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/mox054

Dixon R; Ginsburg T, 2017, 'The forms and limits of constitutions as political insurance', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 15, pp. 988 - 1012, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/mox080

Dixon R, 2016, 'Feminist Judgments: Rewritten Opinions of the United States Supreme Court', PUBLIC LAW REVIEW, vol. 27, pp. 232 - 235, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000382955600006&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

Davis M; Dixon R, 2016, 'CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION THROUGH A (JUSTICIABLE) DUTY TO CONSULT? TOWARDS ENTRENCHED AND JUDICIALLY ENFORCEABLE NORMS OF INDIGENOUS CONSULTATION', PUBLIC LAW REVIEW, vol. 27, pp. 255 - 263, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000388750200002&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

Dixon R, 2016, 'Constitutional Carve-outs', Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, vol. Oxf J Leg Stud (2016) gqw015, 2016, pp. 1 - 15, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ojls/gqw015

Dixon R; Issacharoff S, 2016, 'Living to fight another day: Judicial deferral in defense of democracy', Wisconsin Law Review, vol. 2016, pp. 683 - 731

Dixon R, 2016, 'Book Review: Toward a realistic comparative constitutional studies?', AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE LAW, vol. 64, pp. 193 - 200, http://dx.doi.org/10.5131/AJCL.2016.0007

Dixon R, 2016, 'An Australian (partial) bill of rights', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 14, pp. 80 - 98, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/mow004

Butt S; Crouch M; Dixon R, 2016, 'The First Decade of Indonesia’s Constitutional Court', Australian Journal of Asian Law, vol. 16, pp. 1 - 7, http://ssrn.com/abstract=2745100

Dixon R; Williams G, 2015, 'The high court, the constitution and Australian politics', The High Court, the Constitution and Australian Politics, pp. 1 - 335, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/CBO9781107445253

Dixon R, 2015, 'Constitutional drafting and distrust', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 13, pp. 819 - 846, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/mov068

Dixon R, 2015, 'Constraining Constitutional Change', Wake Forest Law Review, vol. 50, pp. 859 - 859

Dixon RJ; Landau D, 2015, 'Transnational constitutionalism and a limited doctrine of unconstitutional constitutional amendment', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 13, pp. 606 - 638, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/mov039

Dixon RJ, 2015, 'Response to Commentators', Federal Law Review, vol. 43, pp. 517 - 521, http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2108293

Dixon RJ, 2015, 'The Functional Constitution: re-reading the 2014 High Court Constitutional Term', Federal Law Review, vol. 43, pp. 455 - 492

Dixon R, 2015, 'Partial Bills of Rights', AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE LAW, vol. 63, pp. 403 - 437, http://dx.doi.org/10.5131/AJCL.2015.0011

Dixon RJ, 2013, 'The Supreme Court of Canada and Constitutional (Equality) Baselines', Osgoode Hall Law Journal, vol. 50, pp. 637 - 668, http://www.ohlj.ca/

Dixon RJ; Nussbaum M, 2012, 'Children’s Rights & a Capabilities Approach: The Question of Special Priorit', Cornell Law Review, vol. 97, pp. 546 - 594, http://heinonline.org.wwwproxy0.library.unsw.edu.au/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/clqv97&id=565&collection=journals&index=journals/clqv

Calabresi G; Davis D; Dixon R; Grimm D; Gudridge PO; Minow M; Radin MJ, 2012, 'IN TRIBUTE: FRANK I. MICHELMAN', HARVARD LAW REVIEW, vol. 125, pp. 879 - 900, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000311569300001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

Dixon R, 2012, 'A NEW (INTER)NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERIMENT FOR AUSTRALIA', PUBLIC LAW REVIEW, vol. 23, pp. 75 - 80, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000421536300002&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

Dixon RJ; Ginsburg T, 2012, 'The South African Constitutional Court & an Insurance-Based Theory of Socio-economic Rights', Constitutional Court Review, vol. 4, pp. 1 - 30, http://www.pulp.up.ac.za/cat_2012_09.html

Dixon R; Ginsburg T, 2011, 'Deciding not to decide: Deferral in constitutional design', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 9, pp. 636 - 672, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/mor041

Dixon R; Ginsburg T, 2011, 'Introduction', Comparative Constitutional Law, pp. 1 - 15, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9780857931214.00006

Dixon R, 2008, 'A democratic theory of constitutional comparison', American Journal of Comparative Law, vol. 56, pp. 947 - 998, http://dx.doi.org/10.5131/ajcl.2007.0032

Dixon R, 2007, 'Creating dialogue about socioeconomic rights: Strong-form versus weak-form judicial review revisited', International Journal of Constitutional Law, vol. 5, pp. 391 - 418, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icon/mom021

Dixon R, 2005, 'Review article: The Ethics and Politics of Asylum', Australian Journal of Human Rights, vol. 11, pp. 263 - 278, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1323238X.2005.11910800

Dixon RJ, 2002, 'Rape as a Crime in International Humanitarian Law: Where to from Here?', European journal of international law, vol. 13, pp. 697 - 719

Book Chapters

Dixon R; Roux T, 2020, 'Marking Constitutional Transitions: The Law and Politics of Constitutional Implementation in South Africa', in Ginsburg T; Huq A (ed.), From Parchment to Practice: Challenges of Implementing New Constitutions, Cambridge University Press, New York, pp. 53 - 75, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781108767859

Appleby G; Lim B, 2018, 'Democratic Experimentalism', in Dixon R (ed.), Australian Constitutional Values, Hart Publishing, pp. 221 - 242, https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/australian-constitutional-values-9781509918416/

Appleby G; Dixon R, 2018, 'Constitutional Implications in Australia: Explaining the Structure – Rights Dualism', in Dixon R; Stone A (ed.), The Invisible Constitution in Comparative Perspective, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 343 - 375, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781108277914.012

Roux T; Dixon R, 2018, 'Introduction', in Dixon R; Roux T (ed.), , Cambridge University Press, New York, United States, pp. 1 - 24, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781108233231

Dixon R; Ginsburg T, 2018, 'Constitutions as political insurance: Variants and limits', in Comparative Judicial Review, pp. 36 - 59

Dixon R; Bond J, 2017, 'Constitutions and reproductive rights: Convergence and non-convergence', in Constitutions and Gender: Research Handbooks in Comparative Constitutional Law Series, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, Cheltenham, UK, pp. 438 - 462, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781784716967.00026

Dixon R; Ginsburg T, 2017, 'Comparative constitutional law in Latin America: An introduction', in Comparative Constitutional Law in Latin America, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, Cheltenham, UK, pp. 1 - 16, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781785369216.00006

Dixon RJ, 2016, 'Competitive Democracy and the Constitutional Minimum Core', in Assessing Constitutional Performance, Cambridge University Press, pp. 268 - 292, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316651018.010

Dixon RJ; Vogt M, 2016, 'Comparative Constitutional Law and the Kable Doctrine', in Ananian-Welsh R; Crowe J (ed.), Judicial Independence in Australia: Contemporary Challenges, Future Directions, Federation Press, Australia

Dixon RJ, 2016, 'Constitutional Amendment and Political Constitutionalism: A Philosophical and Comparative Reflection', in Dyzenhaus D; Thorburn M (ed.), Philosophical Foundations of Constitutional Law, Oxford University Press, USA, UK

Dixon RJ, 2016, 'A Capabilities Approach', in The Critical Judgments Project Re-Reading Monis V the Queen

Appleby G; dixon R, 2016, 'Critical Thinking in Constitutional Law and Monis v The Queen', in appleby G; dixon R (ed.), The Critical Judgments Project: Rereading Monis v The Queen, pp. 1 - 1

Williams G; Dixon R, 2015, 'Introduction', in Williams G; Dixon R (ed.), The High Court, the Constitution and Australian Politics, Cambridge University Press, pp. 1 - 17, http://assets.cambridge.org/97811070/43664/toc/9781107043664_toc.pdf

Dixon R; Lau S, 2015, 'The Gleeson court and the Howard era: A tale of two conservatives (and isms)', in Dixon R; Williams G (ed.), The High Court, the Constitution and Australian Politics, Cambridge University Press, pp. 284 - 310, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/CBO9781107445253

Dixon RJ; Tushnet M, 2014, 'Weak-Form Review and its Constitutional Relatives: An Asian Perspective', in Dixon R; Ginsburg T (ed.), Comparative Constitutional Law in Asia, Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 102 - 120, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781781002704.00011

Dixon R; Ginsburg T, 2014, 'Introduction', in Dixon R; Ginsburg T (ed.), Comparative Constitutional Law in Asia, EDWARD ELGAR PUBLISHING LTD, pp. 1 - 20, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0725513602071011001

Dixon RJ; Nussbaum M, 2012, 'Abortion, dignity, and a capabilities approach', in Baines E; Barak-Erez D; Kahana T (ed.), Feminist constitutionalism : global perspectives, Cambridge University Press, New York, pp. 64 - 84, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511980442.006

Dixon RJ; Holden R, 2012, 'Constitutional Amendment Rules: The Denominator Problem', in Ginsburg T (ed.), Comparative Constitutional Design, Cambridge University Press, New York, pp. 195 - 218, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139105712.011

Dixon R, 2011, 'Constitutional amendment rules: A comparative perspective', in Comparative Constitutional Law, pp. 96 - 111, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9780857931214.00012

Markowski S; Hall PH; Wylie RC, 2009, 'Introduction', in Markowski S; Hall P; Wylie R (ed.), Defence Procurement and Industry Policy: A Small Country Perspective, edn. 1, Routledge, London & New York, pp. 1 - 7, http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/word.2012.0016

Reports

Dixon R; Holden R, 2018, A Climate Dividend for Australians, UNSW, Sydney

Appleby G; dixon R; brennan S; mckinnon G, 2016, Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, ‘Free speech inquiry’

Other

Conference Presentations

Dixon RJ; Issacharoff S, 2017, 'Constitutional Court Transitions', presented at I.Con-S Conference, Copenhagen, 05 July 2017 - 07 July 2017

Dixon was recently named ‘Academic of the Year’ at the 18th Annual Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards in 2018.

Constitutional law, comparative constitutional law, constitutional design, constitutional amendment, socio-economic rights, law and gender
 

UNSW

News

Research|21 Jan 2020
Fragile democracies and a universal carbon tax
Professor Rosalind Dixon is a Professor of Law at UNSW and has conducted extensive research on fragile democracies.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon
Research|03 Dec 2019
Untaxing childcare could benefit us all
A proposal from the New Economic Policy Initiative would give families up to $60,000 in tax deductions for childcare-related expenses.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon
Research|12 Nov 2019
UNSW professors elected to the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
The Fellowships recognise the work of top scholars who have significantly advanced research and knowledge in the social sciences.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon, Julie Stubbs
Thought leadership|07 Aug 2019
From high school dropout to High Court judge: Justice Michael McHugh reflects on career
The former High Court judge spoke at the third The Gilbert and Tobin Centre of Public Law Mason Conversation at the Banco court.
Mentions
George Williams, Professor Rosalind Dixon
Thought leadership|28 Feb 2019
Professor Rosalind Dixon on fragile democracies and a universal carbon tax
Professor Rosalind Dixon is a Professor of Law at UNSW. One of her current research areas is constitutional law. She has conducted extensive research on fragile democracies, such as Hungary and Nicaragua, as well as democratic backsliding. Professor Dixon is also interested in economic equality and has recently co-developed the Australian Carbon Dividend Plan, a universal carbon tax that compensates citizens rather than gov
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon
Thought leadership|21 Nov 2018
UNSW launches climate change tax plan that pays revenue back to voters
The new Member for Wentworth, Kerryn Phelps, helped present the climate policy, which taxes carbon dioxide emissions and compensates all Australian households.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon
Opinion|21 Nov 2018
OPINION The carbon tax that would leave households better off
It is possible to both tax carbon emissions and enrich households. A report to be released by UNSW Sydney today outlines how.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon
Opinion|11 Sep 2018
If the NBN and Snowy Hydro 2.0 were value for money, would we know?
We are getting closer to being able to apply private sector rigour to the examination of public sector projects with social benefits.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon
Thought leadership|10 Sep 2018
Innovative new method puts a price on public spending
New UNSW Sydney report introduces Social Return Accounting, an innovative method for measuring the value of government expenditures.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon
05 Sep 2018
UNSW professor named Australian Law Academic of the Year
Professor Rosalind Dixon kept the UNSW streak alive at the 18th Annual Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon, Michael Legg, George Williams
Achievement|04 Jun 2018
Sting is in the tail for strict High Court citizenship ruling
The citizenship troubles that rocked the Labor Party this week are not all good news for the government, writes Rosalind Dixon.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon
26 Mar 2018
From huts to the Roundhouse
Memories of lectures in the “huts” at UNSW flowed freely at the reunion of the first graduating classes of the Law School on 7 March.
Mentions
George Williams, Professor Rosalind Dixon
03 Nov 2017
Politicians, not people, the real obstacle to indigenous voice
OPINION: Professor Ros Dixon, The Australian Business Review, 3 November 2017.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon
23 Aug 2017
Why Barnaby Joyce should stay put
OPINION: Professor Rosalind Dixon, the Australian Financial Review, 22 August 2017.
Mentions
Professor Rosalind Dixon
21 Jul 2017
Let’s give indigenous people a voice in parliament
OPINON: Professor Rosalind Dixon, The Australian, 21 July 2017.This week the referendum council recommended a simple question be put to the people: will they support constitutional change to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders an entrenched voice in the legislative process?
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Professor Rosalind Dixon
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