Desmond Manderson

Desmond Manderson FRSC FAAL FASSA is Professor jointly appointed in ANU Colleges of Law and Arts & Social Sciences, directing the Network for Law, Arts and Humanities. With BA/LLB (Hons) from ANU and DCL from McGill, his interdisciplinary research bridges law, philosophy, literature and visual arts. Publications include influential works on law and humanities methodologies and drug policy history.

Research explores:

• Interconnections between legal systems and cultural production
• Legal theory through philosophical and artistic frameworks
• Historical evolution of drug policies
• Representations of justice in visual arts
• Indigenous legal knowledge systems

Recent publications examine surveillance cultures, pandemic metaphors, and public space jurisprudence. Works demonstrate innovative integration of legal theory with arts and humanities.

Creative output includes the play Twenty Minutes with the Devil (2022), examining global drug policy impacts. Professional recognition includes fellowships in Royal Society of Canada, Australian Academy of Law, and Academy of Social Sciences.