Dr Stephenson Chow
Senior Lecturer
School of Law and Justice (Law)
- Email:stephenson.chow@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 4055 0909
Career Summary
Biography
Through a mix of doctrinal legal research and interdisciplinary methods, Dr Chow’s research explores new contours in international law and international human rights law that seek to make possible the accommodation of diversity in an increasingly globalised world. His research touches on a wide array of themes such as cultural rights and multiculturalism, discrimination, ethnic conflicts, the rights of persons with disabilities and the use of treaty reservations. He also researches on the law in relation to civil disobedience.
Dr. Chow published extensively in leading journals, including the Modern Law Review, the International & Comparative Law Quarterly (ICLQ), and the Human Rights Law Review. His work was cited by international courts, agencies and human rights bodies including the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the European Parliament, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (UK) and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Australia). In 2017, he was awarded the International and Comparative Law Quarterly’s (ICLQ) Young Scholar Prize. He is also proficient in grant capture and has been awarded more than AUD270,000 in competitive grants as a Principal Investigator.
Prior to joining academia, Dr Chow worked in various human rights NGOs and public bodies, including Amnesty International. He is a member of the US bar and is qualified to practice in the State of New York.
Dr Chow currently teaches the course Civil Dispute Resolution and is happy to take up the supervision of research students.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Nottingham - UK
- Bachelor of Law Honours, University of Hong Kong
- Master of Law, University of Nottingham - UK
Keywords
- Cultural Rights and Multiculturalism
- Disability Law
- International Human Rights Law
- Public International Law
- Public Law
Languages
- English (Fluent)
- Cantonese (Mother)
- Mandarin (Fluent)
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 480307 | International humanitarian and human rights law | 50 |
| 480310 | Public international law | 30 |
| 480799 | Public law not elsewhere classified | 20 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Senior Lecturer | University of Newcastle School of Law and Justice Australia |
Academic appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 15/8/2017 - 31/1/2023 |
Assistant Professor in Law Prior to joining the School of Law and Justice, Dr. Chow taught at the City University of Hong Kong (ranked 51th globally by Times Higher Education in the 2023 law school rankings, and 65 globally in the 2022 QS rankings) as an Assistant Professor, where he taught the courses Contract Law, Business and Law, Hong Kong Legal System, and the Law of Evidence. Over the years, he has consistently received some of the highest teaching evaluation scores among faculty members. He was also the coach of the School's team in the International Model United Nations Human Rights Council UPR Competition - a regional competition sponsored by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea, held annually in Seoul - where he guided his to students to capturing multiple awards. During his time at CityU, Dr. Chow served on the School's Executive Committee and the School's Graduate Studies Committee. He also served on the University's Student Discipline Committee from 2020-2022. He was a core member of the School's Public Law and Human Rights Forum, a member of the inter-disciplinary Centre for Public Affairs and Law and the University's One Health Research Cluster. In 2022-2023, he helped found City University of Hong Kong's first Law Clinic. |
City University of Hong Kong School of Law Hong Kong |
Awards
Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2018 |
International & Comparative Law Quarterly - 2017 Young Scholar Prize Cambridge University Press |
| 2010 |
Human Rights Law Center, University of Nottingham, Summer School Scholarship Human Rights Law Centre, University of Nottingham |
| 2009 |
School of Law, University of Nottingham, PhD Scholarship School of Law, University of Nottingham |
| 2003 |
Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund |
Teaching
| Code | Course | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS4012 |
Public International Law School of Law and Justice, University of Newcastle his course focuses on the relations between states, internationalThis course focuses on the relations between states, international organisations and other legal actors within the public international legal framework. It explores competing notions of sovereignty, and the dilemma of conflict resolution between parties under international law. Special attention will be paid to the recognition of states and the consequent obligations of states, the law of treaties, and topical issues in international law, for example criminal justice, refugees, the law of the sea, and human rights. |
Teacher | 21/7/2023 - 31/12/2023 |
| LAWS5016 |
Law Review Newcastle Law School | University of Newcastle |
Course Coordinator | 17/1/2023 - 31/12/2023 |
| LAWS6008 |
Civil Dispute Resolution Newcastle Law School | University of Newcastle |
Course Co-ordinator | 17/1/2023 - 31/5/2023 |
| LAWS4003 |
Civil Dispute Resolution Newcastle Law School | University of Newcastle |
Course Co-ordinator | 17/1/2023 - 31/5/2023 |
| LAWS6013 |
Public International Law School of Law and Justice, University of Newcastle This course focuses on the relations between states, international organisations and other legal actors within the public international legal framework. It explores competing notions of sovereignty, and the dilemma of conflict resolution between parties under international law. Special attention will be paid to the recognition of states and the consequent obligations of states, the law of treaties, and topical issues in international law, for example criminal justice, refugees, the law of the sea, and human rights. |
Teacher | 21/7/2023 - 31/12/2023 |
| LAWS6043 |
Advanced Legal Research Project School of Law and Justice, University of Newcastle Advanced Legal Research Project will further develop student legal research and communication skills to an advanced level, and will require students to demonstrate specialised knowledge of the topic of their dissertation. The course consists of research and writing under supervision. |
Course Co-ordinator | 21/7/2023 - 31/12/2023 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Highlighted Publications
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 |
Chow PYS, 'Culture as Collective Memories: An Emerging Concept in international Law and Discourse on Cultural Rights', Human Rights Law Review, 14 611-646 (2014)
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| 2016 |
Chow PYS, 'Has Intersectionality Reached its Limits? Intersectionality in the UN Human Rights Treaty Body Practice and the Issue of Ambivalence', Human Rights Law Review, 16 453-481 (2016)
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| 2017 |
Chow PYS, 'Reservations as Unilateral Acts? Examining the International Law Commission's Approach to Reservations', International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 66 335-365 (2017)
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| 2023 |
Chow PYS, 'The Change in Judicial Practice in Cases Concerning Civil Disobedience Protests and its Constitutional Significance', Modern Law Review, 86 927-950 (2023) [C1]
|
Nova | ||||||
Book (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 |
Chow PYS, Cultural Rights in International Law and Discourse: Contemporary Challenges and Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Brill L. Nijhoff, The Netherlands (2018) [A1]
|
Chapter (4 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Chiu U, Chow PY, 'Mental Capacity in Hong Kong: Inconsistencies, Uncertainties, and the Need for Reform', Legal Capacity, Disability and Human Rights, Intersentia, Cambridge, UK 277-298 (2023) [B1] | ||||
| 2022 |
Chow PYS, 'Cultural Rights', Elgar Encyclopedia of Human Rights, Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK 421-428 (2022) [B1]
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| 2022 | Chiu U, Chow PYS, 'La capacidad mental en Hong Kong: contradicciones, incertidumbres y la necesidad de una reforma (Mental capacity in Hong Kong: Inconsistencies, uncertainties, and the need for reform)', Capacidad jurídica, discapacidad y derechos humanos, Supreme Court of Mexico, Mexico City 423-457 (2022) [B1] | Nova | |||
| 2018 | Bantekas I, Chow PYS, Karapapa S, Polymenopoulou E, 'Article 30: Participation in Cultural Life, Recreation, Leisure and Sport', The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities A Commentary, Oxford University Press, Oxford 863-923 (2018) [B1] | Nova | |||
| Show 1 more chapter | |||||
Journal article (17 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Chow PYS, Erueti A, 'The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: A New Interpretative Approach', ASIAN JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW, 14 214-215 (2024)
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| 2024 | Chow PYS, 'Positive Dignity and the Universality of Self-fulfilment Rights', Louisiana Law Review, 84 503-529 (2024) [C1] | Nova | ||||||
| 2023 |
Chow PYS, 'The Change in Judicial Practice in Cases Concerning Civil Disobedience Protests and its Constitutional Significance', Modern Law Review, 86 927-950 (2023) [C1]
|
Nova | ||||||
| 2022 |
Chow PYS, 'Reconsidering Sentencing Principles in Cases of Civil Disobedience: Cuadrilla Bowland Ltd and Others v Persons Unknown and Others', Modern Law Review, 85 1062-1070 (2022) [C1]
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| 2021 | Chow PYS, 'On Obligations Erga Omnes Partes', Georgetown Journal of International Law, 52 469-504 (2021) [C1] | |||||||
| 2021 | Chow PYS, 'The International Court of Justice and Ethnic Conflicts: Challenges and Opportunities', Texas International Law Journal, 56 1-34 (2021) [C1] | Nova | ||||||
| 2021 | Chow PYS, 'Makarov (on behalf of Makarova) v Lithuania, Admissibility and merits, UN Doc CRPD/C/18/D/30/2015, IHRL 4197 (CRPD 2017), 18th August 2017, United Nations [UN]; Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [CRPD] 1-12 (2021) | |||||||
| 2021 | Chow PYS, 'Given v Australia, Admissibility and merits, UN Doc CRPD/C/19/D/19/2014, Communication No 19/2014, IHRL 4020 (CRPD 2014), 16th February 2018, United Nations [UN]; Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [CRPD] 1-20 (2021) | |||||||
| 2018 | Chow PYS, 'After Kong Yunming v Director of Social Welfare: The Status of Socioeconomic Rights in Hong Kong', Public Law Review, 29 133-146 (2018) [C1] | |||||||
| 2017 |
Chow PYS, 'Reservations as Unilateral Acts? Examining the International Law Commission's Approach to Reservations', International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 66 335-365 (2017)
|
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| 2016 |
Chow PYS, 'Has Intersectionality Reached its Limits? Intersectionality in the UN Human Rights Treaty Body Practice and the Issue of Ambivalence', Human Rights Law Review, 16 453-481 (2016)
|
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| Show 14 more journal articles | ||||||||
Media (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Chow PYS, 'SCMP: Could Hong Kong policemen face prosecution for violent acts committed during crowd control?', (2014) |
Other (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Chow PYS, 'Protecting Human Rights', . United Kingdom: United Nations Association - UK (2018) |
Report (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Chow PY, Chow OWE, Riewpaiboon W, Oh-yong K, Leung B, 'Accommodating the Needs of Persons with Disabilities in Policies Concerning Public Health Emergencies: Law, Ethics and Practice', Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 285 (2022) |
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 7 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $368,908 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20231 grants / $4,656
The Human Right to Education in the Australian Context$4,656
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Amy Maguire, Doctor Stephenson Chow, Doctor Donna McNamara, Doctor Caitlin Mollica |
| Scheme | Pilot Funding Scheme |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2023 |
| Funding Finish | 2023 |
| GNo | G2300461 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20222 grants / $38,600
Hostile Judiciary Perception in Hong Kong: An Interventional Study$19,300
As court rulings on those arrested during the anti-government protests in Hong Kong since June 2019 begin to emerge, partisan perceptions of sentencing and judges are becoming salient. In rapidly polarized Hong Kong, both the pro-establishment and pro-democracy camps tend to perceive sentences as unfairly light or heavy, even when the judges stick to the principle of impartiality. We first apply the theory of hostile media perception in media communication research to probe the extent of hostile judiciary perception in Hong Kong. Next, we conduct an experiment in which we use information that indicates the bias of people’s judiciary perception as a stimulus, and analyze the extent to which people are able to correct their biased perception. In doing so, we will manipulate the presence of peripheral cues and examine the extent to which Hong Kong people rely on peripheral cues when they assess the severity of sentences.
Funding body: Centre for Public Affairs and Law
| Funding body | Centre for Public Affairs and Law |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr. Tetsuro Kobayashi; Dr. Fei Shen; Dr. Pok Yin Stephenson Chow; Dr. Peter Chan Chi Hin |
| Scheme | Centre for Public Affairs and Law Grant |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2023 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | C3220 - International Philanthropy |
| Category | 3220 |
| UON | N |
Attributes and Perceptions of the Rule of Law: A Longitudinal Study in Hong Kong$19,300
to agree on the basic attributes of rule of law: separation of power, independent
judiciary, non- violence (in the sense of being law-abiding and trusting the political
process) and defending freedom of expression. This has changed drastically especially
after the social movement in 2019. Politically, Hong Kong is divided into two polarised
camps. At the extremity of each camp, violence seems to be tolerable. Judicial
independence can be compromised. Through the use of surveys, interviews and other
empirical research methods, we aim to examine this seismic change in the population’s
evolving perception of rule of law since the Umbrella Movement.
Existing literature focuses mainly on the political-legal causes and consequences of the
social upheaval in Hong Kong (2014-now). Empirical study attempting to track the
changes in the population’s perception of the rule of law since the Umbrella Movement
remains scarce (see below). This project seeks to fill this literature gap.
Funding body: Centre for Public Affairs and Law
| Funding body | Centre for Public Affairs and Law |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr. Pok Yin Stephenson Chow; Dr. Edmund Cheng Wai; Dr. Peter Chan Chi Hin |
| Scheme | Centre for Public Affairs and Law Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2023 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | C3220 - International Philanthropy |
| Category | 3220 |
| UON | N |
20212 grants / $225,952
An Anatomy of Public Sentiment and Perception towards the Legal System after Hong Kong’s Social Upheaval: A Digital Analysis $133,952
Funding body: Research Grants Council
| Funding body | Research Grants Council |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr. Edmund Cheng; Dr. Pok Yin Stephenson Chow |
| Scheme | General Research Fund |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2021 |
| Funding Finish | 2025 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | International - Competitive |
| Category | 3IFA |
| UON | N |
Accommodating the Needs of Persons with Disabilities in Policies concerning Public Health Emergencies: Law, Ethics and Practice$92,000
Funding body: Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| Funding body | Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr CHOW, Pok Yin Stephenson, Dr CHOW, Oi Wah Esther, Prof. Wachara RIEWPAIBOON, Mr Oh-yong Kweon, Dr LEUNG, Po Yee Becky |
| Scheme | Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (Project Number: 2020.A1.111.20D) |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2021 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | International - Competitive |
| Category | 3IFA |
| UON | N |
20191 grants / $61,400
Self-fulfilment and Human Flourishing: a Re-examination of Human Rights Theories and their Application to the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)$61,400
The proposed research used an interpretive philosophical analysis of human rights theory, literature, and legal instruments to argue that the concept of human fulfillment should displace (take primacy over) human dignity from the foundational role that it plays in human rights discourse and legislation relating to economic, social and cultural rights. This project is important because the concept of dignity appears inadequate to secure the rights to ‘human flourishing’ and individual development (through, for example, cultural activities, sports and leisure) that international legal instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) require states to protect and advance. In addition to exploring the significance of ‘self-fulfilment’ to human rights theory, the research considered its utility in international human rights law. This aspect of the research will examine questions such as, which state obligations should ensue on the basis of the concept of self-fulfilment, and how should they be institutionalised? Findings from this part of the research will engage with claims that self-fulfilment as a normative concept plays an exceptionally prominent role when it comes to the rights of persons with disabilities and consider how the concept should inform the articulation of concrete rights and obligations enshrined in the CRPD.
Funding body: Research Grants Council, University Grants Council
| Funding body | Research Grants Council, University Grants Council |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr. Pok Yin Stephenson Chow |
| Scheme | Early Career Scheme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2019 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | International - Competitive |
| Category | 3IFA |
| UON | N |
20171 grants / $38,300
International Minority Protection in the Contemporary Global Legal Order: From the Treaty of Westphalia to the International Court of Justice$38,300
After the Cold War, ethnic conflicts have emerged to become a new paradigm of war and civil strife. The resurgence of nationalist conflicts in the past years in Syria-Iraq, the Lake Chad Basin, Sudan, South Ossetia, and along the borders of Russia and Ukraine, have evidenced the resilience of ethnic conflicts across the world. Meanwhile, on-going ethnic violence, such as that occurring daily in Chechnya (Russia), Balochistan (Pakistan), Kashmir (India), Sinai Peninsula (Egypt), the Kurdish regions of Turkey are increasingly becoming unnoticed, some seemingly forgotten. The project examines the effectiveness of contemporary international legal protections of ethnic minorities around the world in the midst of ethnic conflicts and gross human rights violations. In particular, it provided a contextual and theoretical basis for which to further examine how international law may be designed to maximise its protection for ethnic minorities and stateless nations.
Funding body: School of Law, City University of Hong Kong
| Funding body | School of Law, City University of Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr. Pok Yin Stephenson Chow |
| Scheme | Start-up Grant for New Faculty |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2017 |
| Funding Finish | 2019 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | International - Non Competitive |
| Category | 3IFB |
| UON | N |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | PhD | Flag State Social Responsibility (FSSR) | PhD (Law), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2024 | PhD | Judging Humanity: Reassessing Hostis Generis Humani, and its Place in Contemporary International Criminal Justice | PhD (Law), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2021 | PhD | An Re-examination of the Philosophical Foundations of Affirmative Actions Through the Lens of Compensatory Justice | Constitutional Law, City University of Hong Kong | Co-Supervisor |
Research Projects
An Anatomy of Public Sentiment and Perception towards the Legal System after Hong Kong’s Social Upheaval: A Digital Analysis 2023 -
This study examines public sentiment and perception towards the legal system in Hong Kong subsequent to the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill protest. Following a crackdown (including mass arrests, prosecutions, and sentencing) on those who participated in the civil unrest which occurred in late 2019, and the subsequent enactment of The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, police enforcement actions, prosecutorial decisions, court convictions and sentencing rationales became a major source of contention in Hong Kong’s politics. The increase in scepticism and hostility towards the legal system and legal authorities has, on occasion, transformed into radical action – sometimes involving the use and threat of violence – targeted at both law enforcement officers and judges. Examining the source of public resentment towards the legal system and its potential consequences is therefore crucial. Building on studies that confirm the constitutive role social media plays in shaping public opinions and alternate realities, this study is the first to examine, through digital content analysis, perceptions and sentiments towards the legal system in a deeply polarised Hong Kong. It studies how these opinions and emotions are formed over time, their antecedents and intensity, the factors and significant events that triggered them, how they are narrated and expressed in the digital domain and how they may affect behavioural tendencies. It draws upon a set of established frameworks in criminology concerning procedural justice, legitimacy and legal cynicism as an analytical lens to offer explanations for Hong Kong’s rapid decline from a law-abiding society, where the public cherishes the rule of law and respects the legal system, to a society where legal authorities are sometimes viewed with contempt. This study will provide empirical evidence to better our understanding of the current state of Hong Kong’s legal system, generate novel insights on the impact of social media on legal socialisation and enrich the theoretical and methodological frameworks of the process-based model in criminology and socio-legal studies.
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Research Collaborations
The map is a representation of a researchers co-authorship with collaborators across the globe. The map displays the number of publications against a country, where there is at least one co-author based in that country. Data is sourced from the University of Newcastle research publication management system (NURO) and may not fully represent the authors complete body of work.
| Country | Count of Publications | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 14 | |
| Hong Kong | 6 | |
| United Kingdom | 4 | |
| China | 1 | |
| Qatar | 1 | |
| More... | ||
Dr Stephenson Chow
Position
Senior Lecturer
School of Law and Justice
College of Human and Social Futures
Focus area
Law
Contact Details
| stephenson.chow@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | (02) 4055 0909 |
| Link | Research Networks |
Office
| Building | NUSpace. |
|---|---|
| Location | Newcastle East , |
