Fiona McGaughey

Dr. Fiona McGaughey is an Associate Professor at the UWA Law School, serving as Deputy Head of School (Learning & Teaching) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her expertise spans international human rights law, business and human rights (particularly modern slavery), and higher education pedagogy. She co-founded UWA’s Modern Slavery Research Cluster and has contributed to policy development through roles such as Member of the UWA Disability Access and Inclusion Working Group and Fellow of the UWA Public Policy Institute.

Education: Fiona holds a PhD in International Human Rights Law from Queen’s University of Belfast, a Master’s in Human Rights, and a Law degree with French. Her career includes policy roles in racial equality, disability rights, and management consulting across Europe and Australia.

Research Interests: Fiona focuses on modern slavery legislation, UN human rights mechanisms, and pedagogical innovation. Her work bridges legal frameworks and business practices, with notable contributions to comparative analyses of modern slavery laws in Australia, the UK, and Europe.

Grants & Awards: She secured grants including Fay Gale Fellowship 2022-2023, Minderoo funding for forced marriage projects, and a WUN grant on pandemic impacts. Her awards include Excellence in Teaching and UWA Teaching Excellence recognition.

Labs & Collaborations: Leads the interdisciplinary Modern Slavery Research Cluster and collaborates globally with institutions like UNSW, RMIT, and universities in the US, Canada, and Ireland. Her research often informs public policy, including submissions to parliamentary inquiries and UN bodies.