Professor Eileen Webb

Dr Eileen Webb is Professor of Law and Ageing in the School of Law.

Eileen’s scholarly research focuses on ageing and the law (elder law) and the human rights of older people. Her recent research has focused older people’s rights to housing including security of tenure for older people and how the operation of existing laws may make older people susceptible to financial exploitation and housing vulnerability. She has also examined how revised property and planning laws could facilitate more downsizing options for older people, canvassed the necessity for law reform to address the contentious issue of assets for care arrangements and considered whether property law and human rights principles could assist in alleviating the plight of older women who have become homeless.

Eileen has been a member of two national AHURI projects examining the scope for social impact investment to alleviate housing vulnerability and, in 2020, will be part of the AHURI Inquiry into Housing Older Australians. Also in 2020, she is working with a UniSA team examining the relationship between South Australia’s new adult safeguarding legislation and existing criminal and coronial laws. She has recently completed a BCEC project on security of tenure for older renters, a Queensland Government project reviewing the prevalence and characteristics of elder abuse in Queensland and, most recently, a National Survey on the Impact of Tenancy Laws on Women and Children Escaping Violence. This report included a discussion of older women utilising tenancy laws to escape domestic and family violence, including elder abuse. She is a member of the Expert Reference Group for the international cross-organisational research initiative, The Implications of the Tenure Revolution for New Zealand and its Ageing Society. 

Eileen co-ordinates and teaches in UniSA’s Ageing and the Law program. She also teaches Elder Law at the Curtin Law School.

Eileen is a foundation member of the Australian Research Network on Law and Ageing (ARNLA) and a member of the Australian Association of Gerontology, including the Housing and Built Environment and Elder Abuse special interest groups.

In addition to her work on ageing and the law, Eileen teaches and researches in real property law, particularly housing and tenancy law and competition and consumer law (including small business law). She is the co-author (with Margaret Stephenson) of Focus: Land Law (5th edition) (forthcoming 2020, LexisNexis) and a co-author (with Robyn Honey and John Mugambwa) of Real Property Law in Western Australia (forthcoming 2020 Thomsons).

Eileen is an Adjunct Professor in the Curtin Law School and is a former academic member of the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia.  She is also a member of the ACCC’s Small Business and Franchising Consultative Committee.

Eileen is a foundation member of the Australian Research Network on Law and Ageing (ARNLA) and a member of the Australian Association of Gerontology, including the Housing and Built Environment and Elder Abuse special interest groups. She is also a member of the ACCC’s Small Business and Franchising Consultative Committee. Eileen was formerly a member of the Western Australian Ministerial Committee on Consumer Law, the ShelterWA Board, the ShelterWA Advisory Committee on Homelessness and the TenancyWA Boarders and Lodgers Working Group. 

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy University of Western Australia

• Master of Laws Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

• Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

Work history

Eileen is passionate about housing issues affecting vulnerable members of our society and her recent research has focused on security of tenure for older people, particularly how the operation of existing laws may make Seniors susceptible to financial exploitation. She has also examined how revised property and planning laws could facilitate more downsizing options for Seniors, canvassed the necessity for law reform to address the contentious issue of assets for care arrangements and considered whether property law and human rights principles could assist in alleviating the plight of older women who have become homeless. Eileen is a member of two national AHURI projects, a Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre project on security of tenure for older renters and a Queensland Government project reviewing the prevalence and characteristics of elder abuse in Queensland. Eileen has recently been appointed to the Expert Reference Group for the international cross-organisational research initiative, The Implications of the Tenure Revolution for New Zealand and its Ageing Society.