Kate Purcell

Dr. Kate Purcell is a Research Fellow in the Law of the Sea at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), School of Global & Public Law, specializing in international law, maritime jurisdiction, and climate change law. She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge (Yorke Prize), a Master’s in Civil Law from Oxford (Distinction), and a First Class Honours law degree from UNSW (University Medal). Her work intersects legal geography, sovereignty claims, and refugee/asylum policies.

Research interests include:

• Law of the Sea and territorial sovereignty
• Climatic impacts on maritime boundaries
• Australia’s asylum policies and international obligations
• Historical perspectives on colonial legal systems

Key publications include a monograph on geographical change in maritime law (Oxford UP, 2019), analyses of Australia’s ‘Operation Sovereign Borders’ (2015), and foundational critiques of refugee processing mechanisms. Her work appears in Leiden Journal of International Law, Australian Year Book of International Law, and British Yearbook of International Law.

Awards include the Yorke Prize (Cambridge), Oxford Distinction, and UNSW University Medal. She has contributed to Senate inquiries on migration legislation and human rights consultations, emphasizing legal frameworks for global justice.