Normann Witzleb

Normann Witzleb is an Associate Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Faculty of Law and concurrently an Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University Faculty of Law. At CUHK he chairs the Obligations Lab Asia within the Centre for Comparative and Transnational Law. Previously he served as Associate Dean (International and Engagement) at Monash Law (2016-2018) and held appointments at the University of Western Australia (2001-2007) and the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) (1996-2000), where he completed his PhD.

Education

• PhD, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)

Research Interests

Professor Witzleb’s scholarship centres on the intersection of private law and technology, with particular emphasis on data protection and privacy law in Australia and the European Union, the law of torts and remedies, and comparative contract law. His work explores how traditional private-law doctrines adapt to digital challenges, including big-data political campaigning, online surveillance, and cross-border data flows.

Recent Research Directions

Between 2020 and 2025 his publications and funded projects have clustered around three themes: (1) the legal implications of big-data political micro-targeting for democratic governance; (2) comparative perspectives on contractual certainty and exceptions to pacta sunt servanda across Asian jurisdictions; and (3) the evolution of tort liability and remedies in Hong Kong.

Scientific Awards & Recognition

• Monash Law Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence, 2010

Grants & Advising

He has been Chief Investigator on seven Australian Research Council and government-funded projects since 2011, including:

• “Privacy risks and harms for children and other vulnerable groups” (OAIC, 2020)
• “Young people’s privacy in an online world” (2018-2019)
• “New Technologies Project” (Attorney-General’s Department, 2019)
• “iappANZ Prize for LAW5317 Principles of Privacy and Freedom of Information” (2019-2024)

Labs & Teams

At CUHK he founded and chairs the Obligations Lab Asia, a research hub dedicated to comparative study of obligations law across common- and civil-law systems in the Asia-Pacific region.