Personal profile
Biography
See Google Scholar profile here.
My work adapts the political theory of deliberative democracy to understand how contentious constitutional problems can be better managed. For example, I explore deliberative democratic approaches to polarising human rights cases, constitutional design in divided societies, and armed conflict. I am currently co-leading (with Allison McCulloch and Ian O'Flynn) a collaborative Oxford University Press book project on Deliberative Peacemaking, which draws on more than 30 contributors from 14 countries.
Past books include Deliberative Peace Referendums (Oxford University Press, 2021, with Ian O'Flynn and Hoi Kong); The Law of Deliberative Democracy (Routledge, 2016, with Graeme Orr) and The Cambridge Handbook of Deliberative Constitutionalism (Cambridge University Press, 2018, with Hoi Kong, Graeme Orr and Jeff King eds). Other works have appeared, for example, in Public Law, Global Constitutionalism, McGill Law Journal, UNSW Law Journal, Melbourne University Law Review, Public Law Review, Election Law Journal and The Oxford Handbook of Deliberative Democracy.
Grants include international funding and two Australian Research Council Discovery Projects: 'The Law of Deliberative Democracy: Theory and Reform' (DP130100706, 2013-2015) bridging research on election law with deliberative democratic theory; and 'Confronting the Devolution Paradox' (DP140102682, 2014-2016) on federalism and political culture.
Current and former roles include:
- Convenor of the International Advisory Panel on Referendums;
- Board Member of International Society of Constitutional Law (I•CON-S) Aus/NZ Branch, and Co-convenor of Constitutional Theory Group;
- Associate at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance; and
- Former Co-Director of the Project on Deliberative Governance and Law.
- Visiting positions at Yale, Cambridge, Stanford, McGill, Hebrew University, Sydney University, King's College London and Oxford.
Qualifications
BSc (McGill); JD (Toronto); LLM (Columbia); PhD (Osgoode); admitted to Bar of Ontario
Research Interests
Public law and political theory, especially constitutional law, constitutional reform, peacemaking, human rights, the law of political systems, and deliberative democracy
External Scholarly Memberships and Affiliations
Associate, Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance
1 Jan 2018 → …
Research student supervision
- Registered to supervise
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Deliberative peace referendums
Levy, R., O’Flynn, I. & Kong, H. L., 22 Apr 2021, Oxford University Press . 248 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
23 Citations (Scopus) -
The Deliberative Democratic Turn in Human Rights
Levy, R. & Ogg, K., 3 Sept 2025, In: Federal Law Review. 53, 30 p., e1.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Mini-Public Adjudication of Human Rights Disputes: An Empirical Evaluation
Palmerlee, H., Levy, R. & Ogg, K., 3 Sept 2025, In: Federal Law Review. 53, p. 1-26 26 p., e4.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Right to a Referendum, or Duty to Deliberate? Rethinking Normative Entitlements to Secession
Levy, R., 2025, In: Politics and Governance. 13, 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus) -
Vetoes, Deadlock and Deliberative Umpiring: Toward a Proportionality Doctrine for Power-Sharing Constitutions
Levy, R. & O'Flynn, I., 1 Dec 2024, In: Global Constitutionalism.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus)
Projects
- 3 Finished
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The Law of Deliberative Democracy: Theory and Reform
Levy, R. (PI), Orr, G. (PI) & Orr, G. (PI)
1/01/13 → 31/12/17
Project: Research
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ANU Hansen Scandinavian Friendship Research Grant 2023
Levy, R. (PI)
4/10/23 → 3/10/24
Project: Research
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Confronting the devolution paradox: constitutional values, federal political culture and governance reform
Brown, A. J. (PI), Levy, R. (PI), Cole, R. (CoI), Hollander, R. (CoI), Kildea, P. (CoI), Kincaid, J. (CoI) & Smith, R. (CoI)
23/01/14 → 22/01/17
Project: Research