Susan Barkehall-Thomas

Susan Barkehall-Thomas is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at Monash University, where she has taught since 1995 after practising in commercial law (General Corporate, Intellectual Property, and Tax). Her academic focus centers on Equity, Trusts, and Restitution with significant contributions to Property Law and Law and Economics scholarship.

Her research profile demonstrates deep engagement with Equity, Trusts, Restitution, and Property Law, characterized by empirical analysis of legal doctrines in real-world contexts. Recent work examines economic abuse in intimate relationships, statutory interpretation under the Victorian Relationships Act, and technological impacts on property law, reflecting her commitment to bridging theoretical frameworks with practical legal challenges.

Analysis of her 2018-2022 publications reveals consistent thematic focus on vulnerable populations in property disputes, empirical validation of equitable doctrines, and critical examination of statutory frameworks. Her scholarship demonstrates methodological diversity through case law analysis, practitioner surveys, and doctrinal critique, primarily serving Family Law and Property Law domains while advancing Equity jurisprudence.

She secured research funding as Chief Investigator for the 2019 project "Literature Review on Lending and Financial Abuse," which analyzed economic abuse patterns across 10 years of case law. This empirical work directly informs legal practice and policy development in family violence contexts.

Dr Barkehall-Thomas teaches core Monash Law curriculum including LAW4170 Trusts, LAW5008 Principles of Equity, and LAW5006 Principles of Property Law, shaping student understanding of foundational legal concepts through her practitioner-academic perspective.