Judy Cashmore

Professor Judy Cashmore AO is a leading socio-legal scholar at the University of Sydney's School of Education and Social Work. She holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology and is an Adjunct Professor at Southern Cross University. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on children's rights, legal decision-making processes affecting children, and child protection systems. She has advised government bodies like the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse and serves on the Judicial Commission of New South Wales.

Key research interests include children's participation in legal proceedings, out-of-home care systems, and the impact of child sexual abuse. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed works, including The Voice of a Child in Family Law Disputes (2008) and The SAGE Handbook of Child Research (2014). Recent projects include the Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study and evaluations of child sexual abuse prosecution practices.

Awards include the Officer of the Order of Australia (2010) and the Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award (2013). Current research students explore legal representation of children in adoption cases and court decision-making. She advises on policy reforms and collaborates internationally on child protection initiatives.