Research by Professor Lorne Neudorf, Dean of La Trobe Law School, and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) graduate Mohamad Dannaoui has informed a major NSW parliamentary report on reform of the statutory framework governing delegated legislation.
Professor Neudorf said the project demonstrated both the impact of legal research on public policy and the opportunities for La Trobe Law students to contribute to law reform.
“Mohamad and I worked together to translate legal research into practical recommendations for a parliamentary committee, and it is exciting to see that work drawn on extensively in the Committee’s final report,” he says.
“Experiences like this allow students to work alongside academics on issues of significant public importance, including the very framework by which we make our laws, and to see how legal expertise can contribute directly to the development and improvement of the law.”
Mohamad, who worked with Professor Neudorf as a Research Assistant, said the experience strengthened his legal research and analytical skills.
“I now possess the ability to comprehend complex legislative frameworks while comparing different approaches to regulation, and then translate that research into clear and practical recommendations,” he says.
“It also taught me to think critically about not only what the law is, but how legal frameworks can be improved to promote transparency, accountability and effective parliamentary scrutiny.”
“Those are skills I hope to carry into my legal career, particularly the ability to translate complex legislation and frameworks into practical solutions in a way that can have a real-world impact.”
The submission was cited extensively throughout the Committee’s final report and contributed to its consideration of issues including which instruments should be subject to parliamentary scrutiny, safeguards around exemptions, publication and accessibility requirements, tabling obligations and mechanisms for parliamentary oversight.
The report, Consolidation of the provisions of the Interpretation Act 1987, Subordinate Legislation Act 1989 and Legislation Review Act 1987, was tabled in the Legislative Council on 6 August 2026 and can be viewed here.
