Madeleine Perrett

Madeleine Perrett

Higher Degree by Research Candidate

Adelaide Law School

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Madeleine Perrett is a PhD Candidate in Law at the University of Adelaide. Madeleine is exploring federalism as one pathway to realising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' aspirations for structural reform and political power. Madeleine is the recipient of the Zelling-Gray Supplementary Scholarship for her whole 3.5-year candidature.

Madeleine is a sessional teacher at the University of Adelaide, teaching in the following areas of law: Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Principles of Public Law, Statutory Interpretation, Aboriginal Peoples and the Law, and Foundations of Law. Madeleine is the International Student Support Tutor for the Adelaide Law School, a position she has held since 2024. Madeleine is also the Higher Degree by Research Representative for the Adelaide Law School. She received an Outstanding HDR Representative Award from the University, recognising her commitment to this role.

In 2022, Madeleine was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of South Australia.

Madeleine sits on various Committees and Research Units. She is a Committee Member at the John Bray Alumni Network. This Network was established with the key objective of fostering ongoing professional development of law graduates through the provision of activities and services and to encourage and promote the Law School as a source of relevant and challenging graduate and postgraduate legal education. She is also a Committee member for the South Australian Chapter of the Australian Association of Constitutional Law and sits on two internal research units at the University of Adelaide: the Public Law & Policy Research Unit (PLPRU) and the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Research Unit (ENREL)

Madeleine is a graduate of the Honours Degree of Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours from the University of Adelaide. Madeleine was the Valedictorian for the Faculty of Arts and Professions 2021 Graduating Cohort. This is awarded for outstanding academic achievement, active contribution within the University and the wider community, and bestowed upon a graduate who has brought repute to the University. Her honours dissertation (12,000-word thesis) titled, Coordination and Experimentation in Federal and Unitary Systems: A Comparative Analysis of the Legal and Policy Responses of Australia and England During the COVID-19 Pandemic achieved a grade of 90%. Madeleine was awarded with the M.F. and P.J. Manetta Prize, a prestigious prize awarded to the most original thesis.

Prior to commencing her PhD, Madeleine worked as Counsel at the Australian Government Solicitor in Canberra in the Office of General Counsel. Madeleine was also a Judicial Associate at the District Court of South Australia following the completion of her Undergraduate degree. Madeleine worked at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (SA) and Piper Alderman (SA) during her Undergraduate degree.

Madeleine is a public law scholar with a keen focus on the impact of government powers on marginalised and vulnerable groups of society. She has interests in all aspects of public law, constitutional law, and criminal law.

Her PhD research explores federalism as a pathway to realising Indigenous aspirations for structural reform and political empowerment in Australia. It contributes to broader conversations on how states governing Indigenous Peoples' traditional lands can respond to their distinct aspirations. Focusing on sovereignty, self-determination, and nationhood, her research engages directly with Indigenous scholarship to identify and analyse these aspirations, considering both areas of agreement and divergence. Federalism is then used as a theoretical framework to evaluate whether treaty federalism, or a combination of treaties and federal structures, can provide a viable pathway for reform. Through this analysis, the paper assesses federalism’s capacity to accommodate Indigenous governance systems and distinct identities.

Prizes and Awards

  • Madeleine was awarded a University Award (2024) - Outstanding HDR Representative.
  • Madeleine was a Finalist for a University Award (2024) - Research Excellence and Impact: Outstanding Mentorship.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2024 - ongoing Research Assistant University of Adelaide
    2024 - ongoing Higher Degree by Research Representative (Adelaide Law School) University of Adelaide
    2024 - ongoing International Student Support Tutor University of Adelaide
    2024 - ongoing Research Assistant University of South Australia
    2024 - ongoing Sessional Teacher University of Adelaide
    2024 - ongoing Sessional Lecturer University of Adelaide
    2023 - 2024 Counsel Australian Government Solicitor
    2022 - 2023 Judicial Associate District Court of South Australia
    2021 - 2022 Summer Law Clerk Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
    2021 - 2021 Research Assistant University of Adelaide
    2020 - 2021 Law Clerk Piper Alderman

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2018 - 2021 The University of Adelaide Australia LLB (Hons)

  • Certifications
    Date Title Institution name Country
    2022 Admission to Legal Practice Supreme Court of South Australia Australia
    2022 Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice College of Law Australia

  • Research Interests
    Constitutional Law Criminal law Public law Comparative Law Political Science & Public Administration Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the law Administrative Law

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2025 Perrett, M. (2025). Indigenous Peoples and the Future of Federalism. Australian Property Law Journal, 32, 294.
    2024 Olijnyk, A., Koch, C., & Perrett, M. (2024). A "Fresh Bridge": South Australia's First Nations Voices. Public Law Review, 35(2), 112-118.

  • Conference Papers
    Year Citation
    2025 Perrett, M., Bray, F., O'Neill, F., Crichton, J., & McIntyre, J. (2025). Judicial Development Session: Pseudolaw in South Australia's Courts. In N/A. Courtroom 8, Sir Samuel Way Building, Adelaide.
    DOI
    2024 Perrett, M., Olijnyk, A., & Koch, C. (2024). One Legal Future Post-Referendum: South Australia’s First Nations Voices. In N/A. Flinders University, Adelaide.

  • Report for External Bodies
    Year Citation
    2024 McIntyre, J., Bray, F., Crichton, J., Hobbs, H., O'Neill, F., Perrett, M., & Young, S. (2024). The Rise of Pseudolaw in South Australia: An Empirical Analysis of the Emergence and Impact of Pseudolaw on South Australia's Courts. Elsevier BV.
    DOI

In support of her PhD research, Madeleine received the following grants:

  • Zelling Gray Supplementary Scholarship (2024 - 2027) ($24,000)

Current courses

Madeleine currently teaches into the following courses at the University of Adelaide:

LAW 2501 Constitutional Law

LAW 2599 Criminal Law

Previous courses 

Madeleine has previously taught into the following courses at the University of Adelaide:

LAW 2566 Statutory Interpretation

LAW 3505 Aboriginal Peoples and the Law

LAW 1504 Principles of Public Law

LAW 1501 Foundations of Law

  • Mentoring
    Date Topic Location Name
    2023 - 2024 Fourth and Fifth Year Law Courses John Bray Alumni Network Mentorship Program Atiu Madut
Connect With Me
External Profiles