معرفی
Visakesa Chandrasekaram is a Senior Lecturer at UNSW Sydney’s School of Law, Society & Criminology. He holds a PhD and LLM from ANU, alongside MA degrees in English Literature (Macquarie University) and Mass Communication (University of Sri Jayewardenepura), and an LLB from the University of Colombo. His interdisciplinary work bridges law, human rights, and creative arts. Previously, he practiced as a human rights lawyer in Sri Lanka and worked in NSW Government departments as a diversity practitioner.
- Key Roles: Senior Lecturer at UNSW, former Senior Lecturer at University of Colombo.
- Research Focus: Confessional evidence under counter-terrorism laws, innovative research methods (film/theatre), human rights and criminal justice intersections.
Education
- PhD, ANU
- LLM, ANU
- MA in English Literature, Macquarie University
- MA in Mass Communication, University of Sri Jayewardenepura
- LLB, University of Colombo
Research Interests
Chandrasekaram employs creative methodologies like filmmaking and performance arts to explore legal and human rights issues. His work examines confessional evidence in counter-terrorism contexts, arts-based community legal education, and criminalizing consensual LGBT+ relationships. He also investigates transformative justice frameworks through Sri Lanka’s political movements.
Key Publications
Recent works include an interdisciplinary book on confessionary evidence (2025), articles on Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya protests (2024), and a film-essay on state violence (Journey, 2024). Earlier contributions include foundational studies on LGBT+ rights in Sri Lanka (2020) and forensic linguistic analyses of confessions (2016).
Awards & Recognition
- 2023 Tiger Jury Award for Munnel (Rotterdam Film Festival)
- 2015 Fairway Literary Award nomination for The King and the Assassin
- 2005 NSW Premier’s Award for anti-violence dance program Songs of Anklets
Grants & Collaborations
- GCRF Hub Grant: Applied arts project using film/theatre research methods.
- NSW Law & Justice Foundation: Forum theatre-based legal education for migrant communities.
- Law Society of Sri Lanka: Documentary film fellowships for law students.
