Harry Blagg

Ph.D.

Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice, University of Western Australia Former Director of the Law and Criminal Justice Research Centre, Plymouth Law School, Plymouth England

Harry Blagg is a Professor of Criminology and Director of the Centre for Indigenous Peoples and Community Justice in the Law School, UWA. He has over 20 years of experience conducting high-level research with Aboriginal people across Australia (including urban, rural and remote locations) on justice-related issues.

Expert Bio

Harry Blagg is a Professor of Criminology and Director of the Centre for Indigenous Peoples and Community Justice in the Law School, UWA. He enjoys a national and international reputation as a leading Criminologist specializing in Indigenous people and criminal justice, particularly family and domestic violence, youth justice, policing and restorative justice. He has over 20 years of experience conducting high-level research with Aboriginal people across Australia (including urban, rural and remote locations) on justice-related issues. From 2001 to 2006 Harry was Research Director of the West Australian Law Reform Commission’s project: Aboriginal Customary Laws. This project explored whether Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal forms of law can be harmonized and integrated. Harry led some of the first Aboriginal community-engaged research on family violence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which included innovative work focused on the potential for Aboriginal organizations (including community patrols and women’s organizations) to act as First Respondents in family violence situations. He has produced numerous reports and scholarly texts on various aspects of youth justice. In 1992 he developed WA’s first diversionary conferencing system, which became the Juvenile Justice Teams under the YOA 1994, and has written extensively on the strengths and weaknesses of restorative justice. His work has been informed by a ‘decolonising’ approach to reform the youth justice system. Meaning an enhanced role for Aboriginal culture and families in determining and managing outcomes for their young people. Several recently completed projects include a study to develop Diversionary Pathways for Indigenous youth believed to be FASD in the Kimberley Region of WA, funded by the Criminology Research Council of Australia; an evaluation of integrated and innovative community-owned responses to Aboriginal family violence; and a project on the Role of Aboriginal Law and Culture in Responding to Family Violence, both funded by ANROWS. He has authored/co-authored 5 books, as well as numerous book chapters and articles in peer, reviewed international journals. Blagg is currently engaged in advising the WA police on how to reduce the use of police lock-ups for Aboriginal people.