Peter Burdon

Associate Professor Peter Burdon

Deputy Dean of Law

Adelaide Law School

Faculty of the Professions

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Peter Burdon is Deputy Dean of the Adelaide Law School and a delegate for the National Tertiary Education Union.

Within the university, Peter is a member of the University Student Matters Sub-Committee. He has sat on the Central Curriculum Design Operational Group Committee, the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy Working Group and the Faculty of Professions Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Peter is a member of the ALLY Network which promotes an inclusive and respectful university environment for all who identify as LGBTIQ.

Peter's research uses interdisciplinary materials from sociology, political science, economics, philosophy, history and environmental studies. Peter is an expert in environmental theory and has written and edited books on Earth Jurisprudence and Earth Democracy. In 2017 he published a book on Hannah Arendt and the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. He is currently working on a handbook and monograph on the Anthropocene.

In 2014 Peter was a visiting scholar at the University of California Berkeley, Center for Law and Society. In 2017 Peter was a visiting scholar at McGill University, Faculty of Law and a visiting professor at the McGill School of the Environment, Departments of Geography, and Natural Resource Sciences. In 2017 Peter was also a visiting professor at the Université de Montréal, Faculty of Law where he taught a course in legal theory for the inaugural LLD Innovation and Technology Program. Peter has also been invited to lecture at the University of Auckland, Faculty of Law; the University of Arizona, Faculty of Law and the School of Geography and Development; and San Francisco State University, Department of Political Science

Research Interests

  • Environmental Law and Theory
    • Earth Jurisprudence
    • Protest Law and Civil Disobedience
    • Climate Change Law and Policy
  • Political Theory
    • Hannah Arendt
    • Conservative Legal Thinking 
    • Marxist State Theory and Anarchist Political Philosophy
    • Classics - Greek and Roman Myth and History.
  • Legal Education
    • Critical Thinking and Democracy
    • Neoliberalism and the University

Orcid: 0000-0003-0967-4987
Scopus: 36503541200
Web of Science ResearcherID: N-6654-2017

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  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2016 Associate Professor and Reader in Law Adelaide Law School
    2013 - 2016 Senior Lecturer in Law Adelaide Law School
    2011 - 2013 Lecturer in Law Adelaide Law School

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2020 Award University Award for Outstanding Achievement University of Adelaide Australia —
    2020 Award Covid 19 Emergency Teaching Response University of Adelaide Australia —
    2020 Award Executive Dean Award University of Adelaide Australia —
    2019 Teaching Award Executive Dean Award: Embedding Indigenous Knowledges University of Adelaide Australia —
    2016 Award Executive Dean of the Faculty of the Professions Prize for Excellence in Teaching — — —
    2016 Award IUCN Academy of Environmental Law: Emerging Scholarship Award — — —
    2013 Award Citation, Early Career Award, Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia — — —
    2012 Award University Doctoral Research Medal — — —
    2012 Award Bonython Prize for the Best Orginal Postgraduate Thesis — — —
    2011 Award Executive Dean of the Faculty of the Professions Prize for Excellence in Teaching — — —
    2008 Scholarship FA & MF Joyner Scholarship in Law — — —

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2012 - 2014 University of Adelaide Australia GCert.Ed (Higher Education)
    2008 - 2011 University of Adelaide Australia PhD
    2002 - 2007 University of Adelaide Australia LLB (hons)
    2001 - 2003 University of Adelaide Australia BA (history)

  • Research Interests
    Ecological Impacts of Climate Change Education Policy Environment Policy Environmental and Natural Resources Law Environmental Philosophy History and Philosophy of Education History and Philosophy of Law and Justice Philosophy Political Science Political Theory Property Law
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  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2021 Burdon, P. D., & Babie, P. T. (2021). COVID-19 and the Adelaide Law School, Australia. Journal of Security, Intelligence, and Resilience Education, 10(2).
    2021 Burdon, P. D. (2021). Extinction Rebellion, Knitting Nannas and the silencing of dissent.
    2021 Baumann, A., Alexander, S., & Burdon, P. (2021). Land Commodification as a Barrier to Political and Economic Agency: A Degrowth Perspective. Journal of Australian Political Economy, 86(1), 379-405.
    2021 Burdon, P. (2021). Living with the Anthropocene: Love, loss and hope in the face of environmental crisis. Alternative Law Journal�, 46(1).
    2021 Burdon, P. D. (2021). On the limits of political emancipation and legal rights. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law, 34(2), 319-339.
    DOI
    2020 Baumann, A., Alexander, S., & Burdon, P. (2020). Land commodification as a barrier to political and economic agency: A degrowth perspective. Journal of Australian Political Economy, 2020(86 Special Issue), 379-405.
    2020 Burdon, P. D. (2020). Obligations in the Anthropocene. Law and Critique, 31(3), 309-328.
    DOI Scopus3
    2020 Taylor, P., Don, B., & Burdon, P. D. (2020). Moral Leadership and Climate Change Policy: The
    Role of the World Conservation Union. Ethics, Policy and Environment, 23(1), 1-21.
    DOI
    2020 Burdon, P. D. (2020). Ecological law in the Anthropocene. Transnational Legal Theory, 11(1-2), 33-46.
    DOI Scopus3
    2019 Babie, P., Burdon, P., da Rimini, F., Metcalf, C., & Stenseth, G. (2019). The Idea of Property: A Comparative Review of Recent Empirical Research Methods. Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, 26(2), 401-436.
    DOI Scopus1
    2018 Burdon, P., & Heath, M. (2018). Protest and Political Communication after Brown v Tasmania. Law Society of SA Bulletin, 40(1), 10-11.
    2018 Brown, D., Breakey, H., Burdon, P., Mackey, B., & Taylor, P. (2018). A four-step process for formulating and evaluating legal commitments under the Paris Agreement. Carbon & Climate Law Review, 12(2), 98-109.
    DOI
    2018 Babie, P. T., Burdon, P. D., & da Rimini, F. (2018). The Idea of Property: An Introductory Empirical Assessment. Houston Journal of International Law, 40, 797-843.
    2018 Burdon, P. (2018). Hannah Arendt and Edward Said: Exile and Binationalism. Philosophy Today, 62(2), 377-395.
    DOI Scopus1
    2017 Heath, M., & Burdon, P. (2017). Silencing of activism in Australian law. Alternative Law Journal, 42(3), 190-194.
    DOI Scopus3
    2017 Alexander, S., & Burdon, P. (2017). Wild democracy: A biodiversity of resistance and renewal. The Ecological Citizen, 1(1), 45-54.
    2016 Burdon, P. (2016). Book Review: Foucault and the Politics of Rights. Adelaide Law Review, 37(2), 523-535.
    2016 Wawryk, A., Burdon, P., & Podgorlec, J. (2016). Siting a Nuclear Waste Storage Facility & Matters of Consent. Law Society of South Australia Bulletin, 38(3), 20-22.
    2015 Burdon, P. (2015). Hannah Arendt: on judgment and responsibility. Griffith Law Review, 24(2), 221-243.
    DOI Scopus6
    2015 Burdon, P. (2015). Wild Law: a proposal for radical social change. New Zealand Journal of Public and International Law, 13(1), 157-177.
    2015 Burdon, P., Drew, G., Stubbs, M., Webster, A., & Barber, M. (2015). Decolonising Indigenous water ‘rights’ in Australia: flow, difference, and the limits of law. Settler Colonial Studies, 5(4), 334-349.
    DOI Scopus8
    2014 Burdon, P. (2014). Idealism and struggle: co-opting legal rights for environmental protection. Alternative Law Journal, 39(3), 176-178.
    DOI Scopus1
    2014 Burdon, P., Appleby, G., LaForgia, R., McIntyre, J., & Naffine, N. (2014). Reflecting on Hannah Arendt and Eichman in Jerusalem: a report on the banality of evil. Adelaide Law Review, 35(2), 427-447.
    2013 Burdon, P. (2013). The Earth community and ecological jurisprudence. Onari Socio - Legal Series, 3(5), 815-837.
    2013 Appleby, G., Burdon, P., & Reilly, A. (2013). Critical thinking in legal education: Our journey. Legal Education Review, 23(2), 345-377.
    2013 Heath, M., & Burdon, P. (2013). Academic resistance to the neoliberal university. Legal Education Review, 23(2), 379-401.
    2012 Burdon, P. (2012). A theory of earth jurisprudence. Australian Journal of Legal Philosophy, 37, 28-60.
    2012 Burdon, P. (2012). Earth jurisprudence and the Murray-Darling: the future of a river. Alternative Law Journal, 37(2), 82-85.
    DOI Scopus6
    2012 Burdon, P. D. (2012). Review Essay: Property Rights and Sustainability: The Evolution of Property Rights to Meet Ecological Challenges'. Adelaide Law Review, 33(2), 581-586.
    2011 Burdon, P. (2011). Earth jurisprudence: private property and earth community. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 144(3), 109-110.
    2011 Burdon, P. (2011). The jurisprudence of Thomas Berry. Worldviews: global religions, culture, and ecology, 15(2), 151-167.
    DOI Scopus3
    2011 Burdon, P. (2011). Earth rights: the theory. IUCN Academy of Environmental Law e-Journal, 2011(1), 1-12.
    2010 Burdon, P. (2010). The rights of nature: Reconsidered. Australian Humanities Review, 49, 69-89.
    2010 Burdon, P. (2010). Wild law: The philosophy of Earth Jurisprudence. Alternative Law Journal, 35(2), 62-65.
    DOI Scopus20
    2010 Burdon, P. D., & Burdon, P. D. (2010). What is Good Land Use? From Rights to Responsibilities. Melbourne University Law Review, 34(3), 708-735.
    2010 Burdon, P. (2010). What is good land use? From rights to relationship. Melbourne University Law Review, 34(3), 708-735.
    Scopus6 WoS9
    2008 Burdon, P. (2008). Native title and the clash of civilisations. Chain Reaction, 104, 21-22.

  • Books
    Year Citation
    2021 Anker, K., Burdon, P. D., Garver, G., Maloney, M., & Sbert, C. (Eds.) (2021). From Environmental to Ecological Law. Abingdon, Oxon; United Kingdom: Routledge.
    2019 Burdon, P., Bosselmann, K., & Engel, K. (Eds.) (2019). The Crisis in Global Ethics and the Future of Global Governance Fulfilling the Promise of the Earth Charter. Cheltenham, Glos; United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2018 Burdon, P. (2018). Hannah Arendt: Legal Theory and the Eichmann Trial. London: Routledge.
    DOI Scopus1
    2015 Burdon, P. (2015). Earth Jurisprudence: Private Property and the Environment (1 ed.). United Kingdom: Routledge.
    2014 Maloney, M., & Burdon, P. (Eds.) (2014). Wild Law - In Practice. Abingdon & New York.
    2014 Burdon, P. D. (2014). Earth jurisprudence: Private property and the environment. Routledge.
    DOI Scopus14
    2011 Burdon, P. (Ed.) (2011). Exploring wild law: the philosophy of earth jurisprudence. Kent Town, SA: Wakefield Press.

  • Book Chapters
    Year Citation
    2021 Burdon, P. (2021). The targeting of environmentalists with state-corporate intelligence networks. In K. Anker, P. D. Burdon, G. Garver, M. Maloney, & S. Sbert (Eds.), From Environmental to Ecological Law (pp. 25-39). Abingdon, Oxon; United Kingdom: Routledge.
    DOI
    2020 Burdon, P. (2020). Neoliberalism in legal education research. In B. Golder, M. Nehme, A. Steel, & P. Vines (Eds.), Imperatives for Legal Education Research Then, Now and Tomorrow (pp. 31-48). London, United Kingdom: Routledge.
    DOI
    2019 Burdon, P., & Stewart, J. (2019). Can Social Property Survive Under Neoliberalism?: A View from Australia. In P. Babie, & J. Viven-Wilksch (Eds.), Léon Duguit and the Social Obligation Norm of Property: A Translation and Global Exploration (pp. 355-370). Singapore: Springer Nature.
    2019 Burdon, P. (2019). Rethinking Global Ethics in the Anthropocene. In P. Burdon, K. Bosselmann, & K. Engel (Eds.), The Crisis in Global Ethics and the Future of Global Governance: Fulfilling the Promise of the Earth Charter (pp. 92-108). London: Edward Elgar.
    2019 Burdon, P., Bosselmann, K., & Engel, K. (2019). Fulfilling the Promise of the Earth Charter. In P. D. Burdon, K. Bosselmann, & K. Engel (Eds.), The Crisis in Global Ethics and the Future of Global Governance: Fulfilling the Promise of the Earth Charter (pp. xiii-xxi). London: Edward Elgar.
    2019 Burdon, P. D., & Stewart, J. G. (2019). Can social property survive under neoliberalism?: A view from Australia Peter D. Burdon and James G. Stewart. In P. Babie, & J. Viven-Wilksch (Eds.), Leon Duguit and the Social Obligation Norm of Property: A Translation and Global Exploration (pp. 355-370). Singapore: Springer Nature.
    DOI Scopus1
    2017 Heath, M., & Burdon, P. (2017). Academic resistance: Landscape of hope and despair. In A. Nocella II, & E. Juergensmeyer (Eds.), Fighting Academic Repression and Neoliberal Education: Resistance, Reclaiming, Organizing, and Black Lives Matter in Education (pp. 33-45). NY, USA: Peter Lang Publishing.
    2017 Burdon, P. (2017). The Earth Community and Ecological Jurisprudence. In K. Bosselmann, & P. Taylor (Eds.), Ecological Approaches to Environmental Law. Edward Elgar.
    2017 Burdon, P. D. (2017). Private Property Revisited. In K. Bosselmann, & P. Taylor (Eds.), Ecological Approaches to Environmental Law. Edward Elgar.
    2017 Burdon, P., & Martel, J. (2017). Environmentalism and an Anarchist Research Method. In A. Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos, & V. Brooks (Eds.), Handbook of Research Methods in Environmental Law (pp. 316-337). United Kingdom: Edward Elgar.
    2016 Burdon, P., Drew, G., Stubbs, M., Webster, A., & Barber, M. (2016). Decolonising Indigenous water ‘rights’ in Australia: flow, difference, and the limits of law. In T. Neale, & S. Turner (Eds.), Other People's Country: Law, Water and Entitlement in Settler Colonial Sites (pp. 58-73). United Kingdom: Routledge.
    2016 Burdon, P. (2016). Property: concept, rationale, contexts. In H. Esmaeili, & B. Grigg (Eds.), The Boundaries of Australian Property Law (pp. 6-21). Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.
    2016 Burdon, P. (2016). Native title: history and conflict. In H. Esmaeili, & B. Grigg (Eds.), The Boundaries of Australian Property Law (pp. 118-139). Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.
    2016 Burdon, P., & Reilly, A. (2016). Deliberative democracy. In G. Appleby, & R. Dixon (Eds.), The Critical Judgments Project: Re-reading Monis v The Queen (pp. 163-178). Annandale, NSW: Federation Press.
    2016 Burdon, P., & Williams, C. (2016). Rights of nature: a constructive analysis. In D. Fisher (Ed.), Research Handbook on Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Law (pp. 196-220). Gloucestershire, England: Edward Elgar Publishing.
    DOI Scopus3
    2015 Burdon, P. (2015). Environmental human rights: a constructive critique. In A. Grear, & L. Kotze (Eds.), Research Handbook on Human Rights and the Environment (1 ed., pp. 61-78). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
    DOI Scopus3
    2014 Burdon, P. D. (2014). Earth jurisprudence and the project of Earth democracy. In M. Maloney, & P. Burdon (Eds.), Wild Law - In Practice (1 ed., pp. 19-30). Oxfordshire, England: Taylor & Francis.
    DOI Scopus12
    2014 Burdon, P. D. (2014). Realizing earth democracy: governance from below. In L. Westra, & M. Vilela (Eds.), The Earth Charter, Ecological Integrity and Social Movements (1 ed., pp. 24-35). United Kingdom: Routledge.
    DOI Scopus2
    2013 Burdon, P. (2013). The project of Earth Democracy. In L. Westra, P. Taylor, & A. Michelot (Eds.), Confronting ecological and economic collapse: ecological integrity for law, policy and human rights (1 ed., pp. 244-254). United Kingdom: Routledge.
    DOI Scopus5
    2011 Burdon, P. (2011). The Great Jurisprudence. In P. Burdon (Ed.), Exploring Wild Law: The Philosophy of Earth Jurisprudence (1 ed., pp. 59-78). Australia: Wakefield Press.
    2011 Burdon, P. (2011). Eco-Centric Paradigm. In P. Burdon (Ed.), Exploring Wild Law: The Philosophy of Earth Jurisprudence (1 ed., pp. 85-96). Australia: Wakefield Press.

  • Conference Items
    Year Citation
    2012 Burdon, P. D. (2012). Environmental Protection and the Limits of Rights Talk. Poster session presented at the meeting of Unknown Conference.

  • Report for External Bodies
    Year Citation
    2020 Burdon, P. D. (2020). Torrens Governance Reforms.
    2017 Bosselmann, K., Burdon, P., Taylor, P., Stewart, N., Kotzé, L., Waikavee, T., & IUCN WCEL Ethics Specialist Group. (2017). Compatibility of trophy hunting as a form of sustainable use
    with IUCN’s objectives    . IUCN.
    2017 Bosselmann, K., Burdon, P., Taylor, P., Stewart, N., Kotzé, L., Waikavee, T., & IUCN WCEL Ethics Specialist Group. (2017). Compatibility of trophy hunting as a form of sustainable use
    with IUCN’s objectives    . IUCN.
    2015 Burdon, P. D. (2015). A change in the weather? Australia and Climate Change Politics 2007–2014: Ethics and Climate Change: A Study of National Commitments (86). IUCN Publications Services.

  • Original Creative Works
    Year Citation
    2020 Authors: Burdon PD, Alexander S. Title: Death For Gaia: Ecocide and the Righteous Assassins. Description: N/A. Extent: 110 pages.

University of Adelaide, Learning and Teaching Award  2020, $5,000 with Anne Hewitt, Stacey Henderson, DavidCaruso, Kellie Toole, Margaret Castles, Gabrielle Golding, Maeghan Toews & David Plater.

University of Adelaide, Faculty of the Professions, Diversity and Inclusion Grant 2017, $2,000.

University of Adelaide, Faculty of the Professions and Adelaide Law School, Combined Cat 1 and Momentum Fund Grants 2013-2015, $20,000 for 'Psychology of Property' Pilot and ARC DP Projects.

University of Adelaide, Green Loan Fund 2014, $5,000.

University of Adelaide, Green Loan Fund 2013, $5,000.

My teaching style has been influenced by the educational writings of John Dewey, Paulo Freire, bell hooks, Mary Heath and Stephen Brookfield. I seek to create an educational space that is inclusive, democratic and which encourages critical thinking.

I teach the following courses:

LAW 1506 - Property Law

LAW 2561 - The Politics of Law

LAW 2526 - Legal Theory (Special Topic, Hannah Arendt & Eichmann in Jerusalem)

LAW 3505 - Aboriginal Peoples and the Law

LAW 7187 - Advanced Legal Research and Writing

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  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 Principal Supervisor Created Equal? Revisiting Equality's Philosophical Foundations Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Sawinder Singh
    2021 Principal Supervisor The Modern Interface of Law and Science: CRISPR Technology Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Olga Christine Pandos
    2021 Principal Supervisor Alternative Dispute Resolution and Disability Discrimination Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Peta Spyrou
    2020 Principal Supervisor Protecting Public Health against Harm from Medical Device Adverse Events Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Ms Aminath Ali Mariya
    2020 Principal Supervisor Consent to treatment in acute care health settings: clinical practice and patient autonomy Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Patricia Carlisle
    2018 Co-Supervisor Investing in 'Home': Theorising the State's Role in Distributing 'Home' Ownership. Is there a Just Distribution of 'Home' in Australia, and whose Responsibility is this? Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Samuel Paul Tyrer
    2017 Principal Supervisor International Law, International Relations and Climate Change Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Geoffrey William George Leane
    2017 Co-Supervisor Opinion as Law: University Compliance with Ideo-Political Education Policy Regarding Pedagogy in Chinese Universities Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Michael Shaun Patrick Hooper
    2014 Principal Supervisor Environmental Law: Ocean/Climate Science Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Claire Marie Williams

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2017 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Posthuman Legal Subjectivity in the Anthropocene: Introducing the Cosmic Person Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Rev Jana Norman
    2017 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Towards a New Law School Curriculum in Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Joshua Krook
    2015 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Demystifying Critical Legal Studies Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time James Gilchrist Stewart
    2014 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Lawful Cruelty: Six Ways in Which Australian Animal Welfare Laws Permit Cruelty Towards Nonhuman Animals Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Katherine Elizabeth Russell
  • Position: Deputy Dean of Law
  • Phone: 83134446
  • Email: peter.d.burdon@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Ligertwood, floor 3
  • Room: 3 28
  • Org Unit: Adelaide Law School
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