Paul Kildea

Paul Kildea is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law & Justice, University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), where he directs the Elections & Referendums Project at the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law. His work focuses on public law, with a specialization in referendums, electoral law, and federalism.

• PhD (2012) and BA/LLB (2003) from UNSW
• Senior Lecturer (2016–present), Lecturer (2012–2016), and Research Fellow (2009–2011) at UNSW Law School

His research explores constitutional reform, electoral governance, and the legal dimensions of referendums. Recent work examines state and territory referendum practices, reform of referendum rules, and Australia's electoral law framework.

Key trends in his publications include:

• Constitutional law and referendum processes in Australia
• Comparative constitutional reform across jurisdictions
• Electoral management and legitimacy in direct democracy
• Public engagement and federal governance challenges

Notable awards:

• Australian Research Council Grant (2014) for 'Confronting the devolution paradox'

Paul supervises research students and collaborates on constitutional and electoral law projects. He has contributed extensively to media analysis of referendums, including the 2023 First Nations Voice proposal.