Associate Professor Neil Foster

Associate Professor Neil Foster

Associate Professor

School of Law and Justice (Law)

Career Summary

Biography

Neil Foster is an Associate Professor in Newcastle Law School. His main research and teaching interests are Torts, Workplace Health and Safety Law, and Law and Religion.

Research Expertise


- Torts (civil liability for wrongs)
- Occupational (Workplace) Health and Safety Law
- Personal Liability of Company Officers for OHS breaches
- Law and Religion 

Teaching Expertise

Torts, Workplace Health and Safety, Property, Law and Religion

A radio interview on Law and Religion issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLSl0W7LHDE&nbsp;<br />

Blog

Neil comments on "law and religion" issues at https://lawandreligionaustralia.blog  


 

Qualifications

  • Master of Laws, University of Newcastle
  • Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Laws, University of New South Wales
  • Bachelor of Theology, Australian College of Theology
  • Diploma of Arts in Theology, Moore Theological College, Sydney

Keywords

  • Workplace Health and Safety Law
  • law and religion
  • occupational health and safety law
  • torts

Fields of Research

Code Description Percentage
480605 Tort law 40
480404 Law and religion 35
480104 Labour law 25

Professional Experience

UON Appointment

Title Organisation / Department
Associate Professor University of Newcastle
Newcastle Law School
Australia

Academic appointment

Dates Title Organisation / Department
1/1/2007 -  Editorial Board - Torts Law Journal Torts Law Journal, Australia
Australia

Membership

Dates Title Organisation / Department
1/1/2010 -  Membership - National OHS Regulatory Research Consortium National OHS Regulatory Research Consortium
Australia

Prestigious works / other achievements

Year Commenced Year Finished Prestigious work / other achievement Role
2021 2022 Member of Editorial Executive for Journal of Health, Safety & Environment Journal of Health, Safety & Environment Editor
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Publications

For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.

Book (14 outputs)

Year Citation Altmetrics Link
2023 Turnbull RD, Barker R, Babie PT, Foster N, Law and Religion in the Commonwealth: The Evolution of Case Law, CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, 4 (2023)
DOI 10.1017/S0956618X23000339
2022 Roberts JGNFDJH, Property Law in New South Wales, 5th Edition (2022)
2021 HARDER LHBDFG, LUNTZ & HAMBLYATMS TORTS Cases, Legislation and Commentary, 9th Edition (2021)
2019 Foster N, Torts Cases and Commentary Supplement: Defamation and Wrongful Interference with Goods, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood, 141 (2019)
2017 Foster NJ, Luntz H, Hambly D, Burns K, Dietrich J, Grant G, Harder S, Torts: Cases and Commentary, LexisNexis Butterworths, Australia, 1029 (2017)
2017 Foster NJ, Gray J, Dorsett S, Roberts H, Property Law in New South Wales, LexisNexis Butterworths, Australia, Chatswood, 799 (2017)
2016 Foster NJ, Workplace health and safety law in Australia, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood, NSW, 709 (2016)
2014 Foster NJ, Pressure Points, Matthias Media, Sydney, 83 (2014) [A2]
2014 Foster NJ, Torts: Cases and Commentary Supplement: Defamation and Wrongful Interference with Goods, LexisNexis Butterworths, Australia, 122 (2014) [A2]
2013 Foster NJ, Luntz H, Hambly D, Dietrich J, Burns K, Torts Cases and Commentary, LexisNexis Butterworths, Australia, 972 (2013)
2012 Gray J, Edgeworth B, Foster NJ, Dorsett S, Property Law in New South Wales, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood, NSW, 736 (2012) [A4]
2012 Foster NJ, Workplace Health and Safety Law in Australia, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood, NSW, 646 (2012) [A1]
2009 Luntz H, Hambly D, Burns K, Dietrich J, Foster NJ, Torts: Cases and Commentary, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood, NSW, 898 (2009) [A2]
2007 Gray J, Edgeworth B, Foster NJ, Grattan S, Property Law in New South Wales, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood, NSW, 668 (2007) [A3]
Show 11 more books

Chapter (13 outputs)

Year Citation Altmetrics Link
2022 Foster N, 'Christian Youth Camps Ltd v Cobaw Community Health Services Ltd: Balancing Discrimination Rights with the Religious Freedom of Organisations', Law and Religion in the Commonwealth: The Evolution of Case Law, Bloomsbury (Hart), Oxford, UK 265-291 (2022) [B1]
DOI 10.5040/9781509950171.ch-017
2022 Foster N, 'The Majority Opinion: A Commentary', The Line in the Sand: The Appellate Tribunal Opinion and the Future of the Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican Church Record/Anglican Church League, Camperdown 39-50 (2022)
2021 Foster N, 'Respecting the Dignity of Religious Organisations: When Is It Appropriate for Courts to Decide Religious Doctrine?', The Inherence of Human Dignity: Law and Religious Liberty, Volume 2, Anthem Press, London, UK 221-247 (2021) [B1]
2021 Foster N, 'Religious Freedom and the Theological Academy', God's Exemplary Graduates Character-Oriented Graduate Attributes in Theological Education, SCD Press, Macquarie Park, Sydney 226-250 (2021) [B1]
2021 Foster N, 'Gender Identity Law and Basic Freedoms', Current Issues in Law and Religion, Connor Court Publishing, Redland Bay, QLD 155-182 (2021) [B1]
2020 Foster N, 'Protection of religious freedom under Australia s amended marriage law: constitutional and other issues.', Freedom of Religion or Belief: Creating the Constitutional Space for Fundamental Freedoms, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK 184-206 (2020) [B1]
2016 Foster NJ, 'Convergence and Divergence: the Law of Non-delegable Duties in Australia and the United Kingdom', Divergences in Private Law, Hart Publishing, Oxford 109-134 (2016) [B1]
DOI 10.5040/9781782256632.ch-007
2013 Foster NJ, 'Statutes and Civil Liability in the Commonwealth and the United States: A Comparative Critique', Tort Law: Challenging Orthodoxy, Hart Publishing, Oxford 169-214 (2013) [B1]
2012 Foster NJ, 'Defamation and vilification: Rights to reputation, free speech and freedom of religion at common law and under human rights laws', Freedom of Religion under Bills of Rights, University of Adelaide Press, Adelaide, SA 63-85 (2012) [B1]
Citations Scopus - 1
2011 Foster NJ, 'Individual liability of company officers', European Developments in Corporate Criminal Liability, Routledge, Abingdon 114-138 (2011) [B1]
2011 Foster NJ, 'The tort of breach of statutory duty', Fleming's The Law of Torts, Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia, Pyrmont, NSW 423-436 (2011) [B2]
2002 Foster NJ, 'COVENANTS AFFECTING LAND', Halsbury's Laws of Australia, LEXISNEXIS BUTTERWORTHS, SYDNEY 35 (2002) [B2]
2002 Foster NJ, 'BOUNDARIES, FENCES AND ENCROACHMENTS', Halsbury's Laws of Australia, LEXISNEXIS BUTTERWORTHS, SYDNEY 37 (2002) [B2]
Show 10 more chapters

Journal article (53 outputs)

Year Citation Altmetrics Link
2023 Foster N, ' Material Contribution should be seen as an example of the but for test ', Precedent, 175 8-13 (2023)
2022 Foster N, 'Material Contribution in Bonnington: Not An Exception To 'But For' Causation', University of Western Australia Law Review, 49 404-425 (2022) [C1]
2022 Foster N, 'Religious Freedom, Section 109 of the Constitution, and Anti-discrimination Laws', Australian Journal of Law and Religion, 1 (2022) [C1]
DOI 10.55803/c59x
2021 Foster N, 'Reforming the action for breach of statutory duty in the 21st century: Reconsidering the limited class of the public rule', Torts Law Journal, 27 29-50 (2021) [C1]
2021 Thiele-Evans L, Pepper B, Zeleznikow J, Foster N, Sourdin T, 'Regulatory approaches to managing artificial intelligence systems in autonomous vehicles in Australia', International Journal of Law and Information Technology, 29 79-100 (2021) [C1]
DOI 10.1093/ijlit/eaab002
Citations Scopus - 1
Co-authors Tania Sourdin
2021 Thiele-Evans L, Pepper B, Zeleznikow J, Foster N, Sourdin T, 'Navigating a New Terrain; Developing Autonomous Vehicle Liability Pathways in Australia in light of international experience', Australian Law Journal, 95 875-897 (2021) [C1]
Co-authors Tania Sourdin
2021 Foster N, 'Book review: Research handbook on law and religion', International Journal for Religious Freedom, 11 131-137 (2021)
2020 Foster N, 'Statutory construction and biblical hermeneutics- law in the service of the gospel?', St. Mark's Review: A journal of Christian thought and opinion, 252 106-128 (2020) [C1]
2020 Foster N, 'Respecting the Dignity of Religious Organisations: When is it Appropriate for Courts to Decide Religious Doctrine?', University of Western Australia Law Review, 47 175-219 (2020) [C1]
Citations Scopus - 2Web of Science - 1
2019 Foster N, ' Misfeasance in a Public Office, by Erika Chamberlain ', Canadian Business Law Journal, 62 125-132 (2019) [C1]
2018 Foster NJ, 'Religious Freedom and the Law in Australia', Proceedings of the Samuel Griffith Society, 27 44-77 (2018) [C1]
2017 Foster NJ, 'Protection of Religious Free Speech in Australia', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2887799
2017 Foster NJ, 'Protecting Religious Freedom in Australia through Legislative Balancing Clauses', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2991432
2017 Foster N, 'The Bathurst Diocese Decision in Australia and its Implications for the Civil Liability of Churches', ECCLESIASTICAL LAW JOURNAL, 19 14-34 (2017) [C1]
DOI 10.1017/S0956618X1600106X
Citations Web of Science - 3
2016 Foster NJ, 'Reforming the Action for Breach of Statutory Duty in the 21st Century: Reconsidering The 'Section of the Public' Rule', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2888732
2016 Foster NJ, 'Protecting Economic Interests through the Nominate Tort Action for Breach of Statutory Duty', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2888733
2016 Foster NJ, 'Manslaughter in the Workplace', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2888741
2016 Foster NJ, 'Churches and the Law of Sanctuary in Australia', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2888743
2016 Foster NJ, 'How Should Religious Marriage Celebrants Respond If Same Sex Marriage Is Introduced in Australia?', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2888754
2016 Foster NJ, 'Unscrambling the Curate's Egg The High Court's ACT Same Sex Marriage Decision', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2888785
2016 Foster NJ, 'Freedom of Religion and Balancing Clauses in Discrimination Legislation', Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, 5 385-430 (2016) [C1]
DOI 10.1093/ojlr/rww045
Citations Scopus - 2Web of Science - 1
2015 Foster NJ, 'Vicarious Liability and Non-Delegable Duty in Common Law Actions Based on Institutional Child Abuse', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2583604
2015 Foster NJ, Apps A, 'The neglected tort Breach of statutory duty and workplace injuries under the Model Work Health and Safety Law', Australian Journal of Labour Law, 28 57-73 (2015) [C1]
Co-authors Ann Apps
2014 Foster NJ, 'Law and Religion in the Victorian Court of Appeal', Australian Law Journal, 88 860-862 (2014) [C1]
2014 Foster NJ, 'Christian Youth Camp Liable for Declining Booking from Homosexual Support Group', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2430493
2013 Foster NJ, 'Freedom of Religion and Law Schools: Trinity Western University', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2215248
2013 Foster NJ, 'Anti-Vilification Laws and Freedom of Religion in Australia - Is Defamation Enough?', SSRN Electronic Journal,
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.2311891
2012 Foster NJ, 'Review of 'Liability for Wrongful Interferences with Chattels' by Simon Douglas (2011) (2012)
2012 Foster NJ, 'Liability for wrongful interferences with chattels [Book Review]', Canadian Business Law Journal, 53 290-296 (2012) [C2]
2012 Foster NJ, 'You can't do that! Directors insuring against criminal WHS penalties', Insurance Law Journal, 23 109-125 (2012) [C1]
2012 Foster NJ, 'Update on the national work health and safety harmonisation process', Employment Law Bulletin, 17 138-141 (2012) [C3]
2011 Foster NJ, 'The merits of the civil action for breach of statutory duty', The Sydney Law Review, 33 67-93 (2011) [C1]
Citations Web of Science - 5
2010 Foster NJ, 'General risks or specific measures? The High Court decision in Kirk', Australian Journal of Labour Law, 23 230-239 (2010) [C1]
2010 Foster NJ, 'Case note: Civil liability arising from the Bunsfield explosion', Environmental Law Review, 12 57-70 (2010) [C1]
DOI 10.1350/enlr.2010.12.1.076
2009 Foster NJ, 'Digital copyright and the consumer revolution: Hands off my iPod', Media and Arts Law Review, 14 112 (2009) [C3]
2009 McCallum R, Foster N, Tooma M, Selinger M, Reid S, 'New OHS laws divide leading OHS experts', FOOD AUSTRALIA, 61 471-472 (2009)
2009 Foster NJ, 'NSW Court of Appeal: Is public liability created under OH&S legislation', Australian Civil Liability, 6 186-189 (2009) [C2]
2008 Foster NJ, 'Personal civil liability of company officers for company workplace torts', Torts Law Journal, 16 20-68 (2008) [C1]
2008 Foster NJ, 'Lawyers predicting the future: Disclosure in insurance contracts - CGU Insurance Ltd v Porthouse', Journal of Professional Negligence, 24 247-249 (2008) [C1]
2008 Foster NJ, 'Deemed to be 'workers' for common law actions', Law Society Journal, 46 68-69 (2008) [C3]
2008 Foster NJ, 'Mining, maps and mindfulness: The Gretley appeal to the Full Bench of the Industrial Court of NSW', Journal of Occupational Health and Safety, Australia and New Zealand, 24 113-129 (2008) [C1]
Citations Scopus - 1
2007 Foster NJ, 'The CAMAC Report on Personal Liability for Corporate Fault - A Critique from the OHS Perspective', Australian Journal of Labour Law, 20 112-118 (2007) [C1]
2007 Foster NJ, 'Psychiatric workplace injury and breach of duty: New South Wales v Fahy', Torts Law Journal, 15 227-232 (2007) [C1]
2007 Foster NJ, 'Trees and nuisance in NSW', Australian Law Journal, 81 291-295 (2007) [C1]
2007 Foster NJ, Horvath A, 'Duty of Care owed in attesting Signature of Documents', Law Society Journal, 45 43-47 (2007) [C2]
2006 Foster NJ, 'Manslaughter by Managers: The Personal Liability of Company Officers for Death Flowing from Company Workplace Safety Breach', The Flinders Journal of Law Reform, 9 79-111 (2006) [C1]
2006 Foster N, 'The Gretley Appeal to the Full Bench of the Industrial Court of New South Wales', 6) 5/4 Regulation at Work, 12-18 (2006) [C3]
2006 Foster NJ, 'Case Notes - Another tale of two divers', Torts Law Journal, 14 115-123 (2006) [C1]
2006 Foster NJ, 'Vicarious Liability for Independent Contractors Revisited: Sweeny v Boylan Nominees Pty Ltd', Torts Law Journal, 14 219-223 (2006) [C1]
2006 Foster NJ, 'Breach of statutory duty and risk management in occupational health and safety law: New wine in old wineskins?', The Tort Law Review, 14 79-104 (2006) [C1]
2005 Foster NJ, 'Personal Liability of Company Officers for Corporate Occupational Health and Safety Breaches: Section 26 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (NSW)', Australian Journal of Labour Law, 18 107-135 (2005) [C1]
2004 Foster NJ, 'Psychiatric Injury Following Workplace Trauma or Death: Actions by Fellow-Workers and Relatives in New South Wales', Tort Law Review, 12 59-63 (2004) [C3]
2000 Foster NJ, ''Vigilant Protection' of the Olympic brand - too fast, too high, too strong?', Australian & New Zealand Trade Practices Law Bulletin, Vol 15 No. 10 117-122 (2000) [C3]
Show 50 more journal articles

Review (1 outputs)

Year Citation Altmetrics Link
2016 Foster NJ, 'Treading on Sacred Grounds: Places of Worship, Local Planning and Religious Freedom in Australia by Noel Villaroman [Review]', Jnl of Church and State (2016)
DOI 10.1093/jcs/csw013

Conference (18 outputs)

Year Citation Altmetrics Link
2018 Foster N, 'Tort Liability of Churches for Clergy Child Abuse after the Royal Commission: Implications of Developments in the Law of Vicarious Liability and Non-Delegable Duty', Melbourne (2018)
2014 Foster NJ, 'Lost in the Woodland(s)? Convergence and Divergence in the Law of Non-delegable Duties between Australia and the United Kingdom', Pending, Hong University Faculty of Law (2014) [E3]
2013 Foster NJ, 'Religious Anti-Vilification Laws: Gatekeeping Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech in Australia', N/A, Australian National University College of Law, Canberra (2013) [E3]
2012 Foster NJ, 'Statutes and civil liability in the Commonwealth and the United States: A comparative critique', Sixth Biennial Conference on the Law of Obligations: Challenging Orthodoxy, Ontario, Canada (2012) [E2]
2011 Foster NJ, 'Freedom of religion in practice: Exemptions under anti-discrimination laws on the basis of religion', 3rd Annual Australiasian Conference for the Academy and the Church, Brisbane (2011) [E3]
2011 Foster NJ, 'Private rights and public regulation: The action for breach of statutory duty and workplace safety in modern Australia', Private and Public Law: Intersections in Law and Method Abstracts, Brisbane (2011) [E3]
2010 Foster NJ, 'Towards a National OHS Law', 18th Annual Labour Law Conference, Sydney, NSW (2010) [E2]
2010 Foster NJ, 'Directors insuring against criminal OHS wrongdoing - The Common Law position', AHRC Network Meeting: Holding Companies Accountable, Berlin, Germany (2010) [E2]
2010 Foster NJ, 'Personal corporate officer liability under the model Work Health and Safety Bill', Eighth National OHS Regulatory Research Colloquium, Canberra, ACT (2010) [E2]
2010 Foster NJ, 'Jesus: Dead or alive? A Lawyer's view of the evidence for the Resurrection', Second Annual Australian Conference for the Academy and the Church, Brisbane, QLD (2010) [E2]
2009 Foster NJ, 'Individual liability', European Developments in Corporate Criminal Liability: Programme, London, UK (2009) [E3]
2009 Foster NJ, 'Statutory construction and biblical hermeneutics: Law in the service of the gospel?', First Annual Australasian Conference for the Academy and the Church, Brisbane, QLD (2009) [E3]
2009 Foster NJ, 'Defamation and vilification: Rights to reputation, free speech and freedom of religion at common law and under human rights laws', Papers of the 2009 Australia Conference: Cultural and Religious Freedom Under a Bill of Rights Conference, Canberra, ACT (2009) [E2]
2009 Foster NJ, 'Recent developments in personal liability of company officers for workplace safety breaches: Australian and UK decisions', Seventh National OHS Regulatory Research Colloquium, Canberra, ACT (2009) [E2]
2009 Foster NJ, 'The national review into model OHS laws: A paper examining the duties of officers and due diligence', Symposium on the National Review into Model OHS Laws, Canberra, ACT (2009) [E2]
2009 Foster NJ, 'Personal OHS liability of company officers under the Harmonised Scheme', The Safety Conference 2009: Program, Sydney, NSW (2009) [E3]
2006 Foster N, 'The CAMAC Report on Personal Liability for Corporate Fault- Critique from the OHS perspective', Working Paper No 50, National Research Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (2006) [E2]
2004 Foster NJ, 'Breach of Statutory Duty and Risk Management in Occupational Health and Safety Law: New Wine in Old Wineskins', Crossing Boundaries, Darwin (2004) [E3]
Show 15 more conferences

Other (1 outputs)

Year Citation Altmetrics Link
2014 Foster NJ, 'Discrimination, Language and Freedom of Religion: Two Important Law and Religion decisions in Australia', ( pp.1-21): Nil (2014) [O1]

Preprint (1 outputs)

Year Citation Altmetrics Link
1900 Foster NJ, 'Freedom of Religion and Discrimination - Two Important UK Cases
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.1527327
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Research Supervision

Number of supervisions

Completed1
Current0

Past Supervision

Year Level of Study Research Title Program Supervisor Type
2017 PhD From Premise to Practice: Strategic Decision-making in Risk-based Regulatory Agencies PhD (Management), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle Co-Supervisor
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News

News • 5 Jul 2023

Neil Foster: Common Law & Torts

Associate Professor Neil Foster was interviewed by ABC Local Radio’s Paul Turton, discussing the benefits and detriments of the common law of torts, and a leading case on “law and religion” issues involving the Jehovah’s Witnesses group during World War II.

News • 20 Jun 2023

Neil Foster: Significant Law Cases

Neil Foster was interviewed by Paul Turton on ABC Newcastle, to discuss significant law cases. The interview provides a comparison between legal systems in Australia and the United States.

News • 26 May 2023

Neil Foster: Donoghue v Stevenson

Neil Foster was interviewed by Paul Turton on ABC Newcastle, to discuss pivotal cases in consumer protection.

Freedom For Faith Kite

News • 1 Oct 2015

Religious Freedom in a Multicultural World

On Friday September 25, 2015 Freedom for Faith and the Newcastle Law School jointly hosted the Conference – Religious Freedom in a Multicultural World.

The discussion covered the controversial issues, conflicts and contradictions that surround religious freedom in the eyes of the law, and in society more generally.

News • 7 Jan 2015

Law, Religion, and Economic Development

Newcastle Law School academic presents at G20 Interfaith Summit

News • 23 Oct 2014

G20 Interfaith Summit: Economic Development and Religious Freedoms

Newcastle Law School academic presents at G20 Interfaith Summit

News • 23 May 2014

Appeal to clarify religious standing

Associate Professor Neil Foster welcomes appeal on landmark court decision regarding religious freedom in an article with the Australian

News • 9 May 2014

New anti-discrimination laws ‘erode religious freedom’

Assoc Prof Neil Foster, one of the nation's leading authorities on law and religion, has warned that religious freedom in Victoria is being degraded in favour of anti-discrimination laws.

News • 12 Feb 2014

Opinion: Minimum lawful age for marriage is clear

Newcastle Law School's Associate Professor Neil Foster has commented in the Newcastle Herald on a recent case involving the "marriage" of a 12 year old girl in the Hunter region.

Associate Professor Neil Foster

Position

Associate Professor
School of Law and Justice
College of Human and Social Futures

Focus area

Law

Contact Details

Email neil.foster@newcastle.edu.au
Phone (02) 4921 7430
Fax (02) 4921 6931
Links Personal Blogs
Personal webpage

Office

Room X-543
Building NU Space
Location City Campus

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