Peta Spyrou

Peta Spyrou

Higher Degree by Research Candidate

Adelaide Law School

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

I am a PhD candidate and sessional tutor at Adelaide Law School, University of Adelaide. I am also a Director of Equality Lawyers – a law firm based in Adelaide, specialising in providing legal advice to people with disabilities and their supporters.

I have an academic interest in research topics affecting structurally vulnerable members of society. I consider these issues from socio-legal perspectives and primarily focus on disability rights. For example, my doctoral research explores how the equality commissions in South Australia, Victoria as well as federally, attempt to resolve the disability discrimination complaints of primary and secondary students with disability-related challenging behaviour. My interest and involvement in the disability community has been developed through my previous industry experience as a support worker.

I have teaching experience in compulsory and elective subjects in law, across both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Before academia, I worked at the Parliament of South Australia, first as a Research Officer to two standing committees of the House of Assembly, and then later as the Legal Research Officer in the Parliament Research Library.

I have a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from the University of South Australia, graduating with First Class Honours. I completed my GDLP with the Law Society of South Australia, and have been admitted to the Supreme Court of South Australia as a legal practitioner.

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2019 Spyrou, E. L. (2019). Considering the Provision of Growth Attenuation Treatment to Profoundly Disabled Children in Light of the Family Court’s Welfare Jurisdiction. Journal of Law and Medicine, 26, 874-895.

  • Conference Papers
    Year Citation
    2021 Spyrou, E. (2021). ADR IN DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS REGARDING SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AND VICTORIAN COMPULSORY-AGED STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY PROBLEM BEHAVIOUR. In NA. Hosted by the University of Newcastle.

  • Internet Publications
    Year Citation
    2021 Spyrou, E. (2021). One year after the death of Ann Marie Smith, people living with disabilities are still waiting for meaningful change. ABC Religion & Ethics.

- Equal Opportunity Commission Scholarship 

- Zelling Gray Supplementary Scholarship (2019, 2020, 2021)

- Ian Wilson Liberal Supplementary Scholarship - Category A (2021)

LAW 3509 Anti Discrimination and Equality Law - Seminar leader and tutor 

LAW 1501 Foundations of Law - Seminar leader and tutor 

  • Board Memberships
    Date Role Board name Institution name Country
    2021 - ongoing Director Equality Lawyers Equality Lawyers Australia

  • Presentation
    Date Topic Presented at Institution Country
    2022 - 2022 Conference presentation 2022 Australasian Law Academics Association (ALAA) Conference Monash University, Faculty of Law
    2021 - 2021 Considering the adequacy of ADR in disability discrimination complaints regarding the education of compulsory aged students with disability-induced problem behaviour 9th ADR Research Network Round Table and Civil Justice Research Conference University of Newcastle Law School Australia
Connect With Me
External Profiles