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The University of Western Australia has appointed Professor Stuart Kaye as the new Dean of the UWA Law School, replacing retiring Dean Professor William Ford.

Professor Kaye, an international, maritime and humanitarian law expert, is a former Chair in Law at The University of Melbourne (2006-2010) and Dean of Law at the University of Wollongong (2002-2006).  He joined UWA as Winthrop Professor of Law this year.

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson said Professor Kaye was eminently qualified to lead the University through a period of change that would include the transition to New Courses 2012.

"Professor Kaye's experience as a practitioner of the law, an academic and as a leader of law faculties in other Australian universities will be invaluable to our Law School, which is held in high esteem by the profession and has produced outstanding law graduates who make substantial contributions to the community," Professor Robson said. "We are pleased to have Professor Kaye guide and lead the Law School during this time."

Professor Kaye was previously Head of the Law School at James Cook University and is admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Courts of New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland.

He has an extensive research interest in the law of the sea and international law.  He was appointed to the International Hydrographic Organization's Panel of Experts on Maritime Boundary Delimitation in 1995 and in 2000 was appointed to the List of Arbitrators under the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty.

He was chair of the Australian International Humanitarian Law Committee from 2003 to 2009, for which he was awarded the Australian Red Cross Society Distinguished Service Medal.  He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 2007.

Professor Kaye also holds the rank of Commander in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve, serving as a legal officer, principally providing advice in operations and international law for the ADF and Border Protection Command.

Professor Kaye is expected to take up the position in March 2011.

Media references

Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716