Distinguished Professor Irene Watson

Distinguished Professor Irene Watson is a Research Professor of Law with Justice and Society, at the University of South Australia, where her research focuses on Indigenous Peoples, colonialism and international law. Professor Watson belongs to the Meintangk, Bunganditj, Potaruwutj and Tanganekald First Nations Peoples, of the Southeast of South Australia. Irene was appointed the inaugural Pro Vice Chancellor Aboriginal Leadership and Strategy and David Unaipon Chair from 2016-2023, at the University of South Australia. Irene holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and a PhD in Law from the University of Adelaide and was awarded the Bonython Prize for best law thesis in 2000. She previously held academic positions at the University of Adelaide and Flinders University Law Schools. Irene was a post-doctoral research fellow with the University of Sydney Law School from 2005 to 2008 when she took up an appointment at the David Unaipon College of Indigenous Research and Education at the University of South Australia. Professor Watson has provided independent academic opinions to First Nations Peoples across Australia for some 40 years. In 1989 she was acknowledged for her scholarship and her being the first Aboriginal law graduate in the dedication of the 'Irene Watson Room' at the Adelaide University Law School, this was given a ceremonial re-launch in 2016. Another room at the Adelaide University of Adelaide was dedicated to her in 1999 by the student union. In 1987 she was nominated by the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) as 'SA Aboriginal of the Year'.  She has held a legal practicing certificate since 1985 and been a member of the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement in South Australia since 1973, where she served as a board member, legal practitioner and CEO. From 2010 until 2019 Irene was the Chairperson of Kungari Aboriginal Heritage Association, established in 1988 by Elders for the purpose of managing and protecting Aboriginal lands and culture in the Southeast region of S.A. She has served on numerous Aboriginal bodies across Australia, primarily concerned with advancing Aboriginal rights. She has written numerous journal articles and book chapters; her books include Aboriginal Peoples, Colonialism, and International Law: Raw Law (Routledge 2015), and Indigenous Peoples as Subjects in International Law (Routledge 2017).