Rob Mullins
@robertmullins.bsky.social
Associate Professor, University of Queensland.
Pinned
Rob Mullins
@robertmullins.bsky.social
· Jun 16
Does Nature Need Rights?
Abstract. Rights of nature (RoN) appear to provide a promising alternative to anthropocentric environmental rights. But do they meet the demands of transfo
academic.oup.com
My article "Does Nature Need Rights?" (coauthored with the wonderful Lulu Weis), forthcoming in the OJLS, is now available open access: academic.oup.com/ojls/advance...
This is almost identical to Stock's argument against sex being a socially constructed category, by the way.
December 25, 2025 at 8:50 PM
This is almost identical to Stock's argument against sex being a socially constructed category, by the way.
We noticed you from across the bar and really dig your vibe.
December 25, 2025 at 8:44 AM
We noticed you from across the bar and really dig your vibe.
Why do I like watching England lose so much? It feels like something is wrong with me. Is it just a kind of racism?
December 21, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Why do I like watching England lose so much? It feels like something is wrong with me. Is it just a kind of racism?
It's really interesting to go back and read the Times's coverage of the Peggie case from the middle of the year. If you were trying to actually understand the legal dispute you'd have been very poorly served. archive.md/2025.07.13-0...
December 20, 2025 at 10:20 AM
It's really interesting to go back and read the Times's coverage of the Peggie case from the middle of the year. If you were trying to actually understand the legal dispute you'd have been very poorly served. archive.md/2025.07.13-0...
The dead have risen and they're releasing 500-page Victorian novels just in time for Christmas.
December 19, 2025 at 9:22 PM
The dead have risen and they're releasing 500-page Victorian novels just in time for Christmas.
We are a living through an essentialist reaction to the openness of social categories. You can see it in the disability discourse in particular, as well as in so much contemporary discourse about race and sex.
December 19, 2025 at 12:19 PM
We are a living through an essentialist reaction to the openness of social categories. You can see it in the disability discourse in particular, as well as in so much contemporary discourse about race and sex.
Reposted by Rob Mullins
There has been lots said about the evidence quality underpinning trans healthcare today, in both popular press and by politicians.
Here is a story where I parsed those details through reporting on a failed research partnership--and it's fallout.
Here is a story where I parsed those details through reporting on a failed research partnership--and it's fallout.
Trans health care "skeptics" lost a key ally—now they're having a meltdown
The godfather of evidence-based medicine on rejecting anti-trans "misuse" of his work.
www.motherjones.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:06 PM
There has been lots said about the evidence quality underpinning trans healthcare today, in both popular press and by politicians.
Here is a story where I parsed those details through reporting on a failed research partnership--and it's fallout.
Here is a story where I parsed those details through reporting on a failed research partnership--and it's fallout.
Reposted by Rob Mullins
BREAKING: The High Court of New Zealand has granted PATHA’s application for interim relief, declaring that the Crown should not take any steps to enforce the incoming ban on new prescriptions of puberty blockers to transgender children and young people. More to come:
www.courtsofnz.govt.nz
December 16, 2025 at 10:20 PM
BREAKING: The High Court of New Zealand has granted PATHA’s application for interim relief, declaring that the Crown should not take any steps to enforce the incoming ban on new prescriptions of puberty blockers to transgender children and young people. More to come:
Reposted by Rob Mullins
a friend reminded me of the existence of Conor Court publishing and after twenty minutes on the website I discovered it: the perfect Christmas gift for young and old, friend or foe
December 16, 2025 at 10:31 AM
a friend reminded me of the existence of Conor Court publishing and after twenty minutes on the website I discovered it: the perfect Christmas gift for young and old, friend or foe
I think freedom of association is the most glaring weakness in the current gender critical legal position in the UK, and probably the issue that will force a legal change.
December 15, 2025 at 9:07 AM
I think freedom of association is the most glaring weakness in the current gender critical legal position in the UK, and probably the issue that will force a legal change.
Reposted by Rob Mullins
What to do about university governance
What to do about university governance
A Senate Committee report gets halfway to the answer
johnquigginblog.substack.com
December 13, 2025 at 1:35 AM
What to do about university governance
I thought I'd share a full draft of a paper I've been working on on FWS and "biological sex". papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
December 11, 2025 at 7:04 AM
I thought I'd share a full draft of a paper I've been working on on FWS and "biological sex". papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
I've read bits of the Peggie judgment, and I don't think it's a masterpiece of judicial writing. But the only possible error of law I've spotted so far was in the claimaint's favour (on the harassment point).
December 10, 2025 at 10:35 PM
I've read bits of the Peggie judgment, and I don't think it's a masterpiece of judicial writing. But the only possible error of law I've spotted so far was in the claimaint's favour (on the harassment point).
Reposted by Rob Mullins
New: Queensland Police unlawfully gave victims’ addresses to domestic and family violence offenders in seven cases, despite being aware of the risks for years, a report has found.
Police knew for years of risk of handing DV victims’ details to offenders
After revelations last year, the state’s Information Commissioner has found unaddressed failures of police policies and systems breached privacy laws.
www.brisbanetimes.com.au
December 10, 2025 at 6:30 AM
New: Queensland Police unlawfully gave victims’ addresses to domestic and family violence offenders in seven cases, despite being aware of the risks for years, a report has found.
I'm convinced that the social media ban is part of a plan to force young people onto laptops and the dark web so they will be good at computers again.
December 10, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I'm convinced that the social media ban is part of a plan to force young people onto laptops and the dark web so they will be good at computers again.
A lot of people have treated FWS as if every passage of the judgment was part of the statute itself. As far as I can tell, that's not how precedent works in statutory interpretation cases. If you want legislative clarity you need new legislation.
December 9, 2025 at 10:35 AM
A lot of people have treated FWS as if every passage of the judgment was part of the statute itself. As far as I can tell, that's not how precedent works in statutory interpretation cases. If you want legislative clarity you need new legislation.
I continue to think there are/were two broadly defensible interpretationsof the EA 2010:
(1) A trans person's rights in their acquired sex depend on possessing a GRC
(2) A trans person's rights in their acquired sex depend on section 7 of the EA.
FWS made interpretation (1) impossible.
(1) A trans person's rights in their acquired sex depend on possessing a GRC
(2) A trans person's rights in their acquired sex depend on section 7 of the EA.
FWS made interpretation (1) impossible.
December 8, 2025 at 8:06 PM
I continue to think there are/were two broadly defensible interpretationsof the EA 2010:
(1) A trans person's rights in their acquired sex depend on possessing a GRC
(2) A trans person's rights in their acquired sex depend on section 7 of the EA.
FWS made interpretation (1) impossible.
(1) A trans person's rights in their acquired sex depend on possessing a GRC
(2) A trans person's rights in their acquired sex depend on section 7 of the EA.
FWS made interpretation (1) impossible.
Full article link here. They mostly come across as pretty reasonable but I think the mask slips in this passage. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
December 8, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Full article link here. They mostly come across as pretty reasonable but I think the mask slips in this passage. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Rob Mullins
macquarie uni has an internationally renowned group of classics and acheological scholars, a group that is now being squeezed by higher admin for resources as part of cutting arts courses and presumably prioritising other areas in which the uni has less comparative advantage. great.
More on the destruction of MqUni Arts. Every PoC in Sociology has been sacked or pushed into teaching only. Only 1 woman left in Politics & Intl Relations, & 1 in Sociology. At least 3/9 sacked academics are neurodiverse. Several successful researchers have been sacked or made teaching only. 2/2
December 7, 2025 at 3:08 AM
macquarie uni has an internationally renowned group of classics and acheological scholars, a group that is now being squeezed by higher admin for resources as part of cutting arts courses and presumably prioritising other areas in which the uni has less comparative advantage. great.
Reposted by Rob Mullins
just learned about this colin mcginn blog post
December 6, 2025 at 11:30 PM
just learned about this colin mcginn blog post
Reposted by Rob Mullins
It’s time for my annual thread of Australian poetry books you should buy ppl for Xmas. No one buys poetry partly cos it’s intimidating. It rarely makes xmas book guides. But poetry is an ethical gift that: supports underfunded writers; wins brownie points with gift receiver; improves the human soul
December 5, 2025 at 2:45 AM
It’s time for my annual thread of Australian poetry books you should buy ppl for Xmas. No one buys poetry partly cos it’s intimidating. It rarely makes xmas book guides. But poetry is an ethical gift that: supports underfunded writers; wins brownie points with gift receiver; improves the human soul
It won't happen, of course, but the liberal judges on the SC should probably just resign and announce that they support judicial reform.
December 5, 2025 at 1:55 AM
It won't happen, of course, but the liberal judges on the SC should probably just resign and announce that they support judicial reform.
I feel like we need to think about taking more steps to guarantee the independence and institutional competence of these sort of quasi-medical inquiries/reviews.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Streeting orders review into mental health and ADHD diagnosis
The health secretary said the aim was to tackle a rising demand for services and the increased pressure on the NHS.
www.bbc.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:46 AM
I feel like we need to think about taking more steps to guarantee the independence and institutional competence of these sort of quasi-medical inquiries/reviews.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Rob Mullins
We're getting hung up on the philosophical "what is a woman" "low quality evidence" discussions when the actual question is "can transgender people participate in economic, social, and cultural life. can they transition socially and medically without becoming second-class citizens"
December 3, 2025 at 10:51 PM
We're getting hung up on the philosophical "what is a woman" "low quality evidence" discussions when the actual question is "can transgender people participate in economic, social, and cultural life. can they transition socially and medically without becoming second-class citizens"
I think my many followers are sick of me repeating myself so I'm just going to retweet this whenever something ghoulish happens to trans people in the UK: consider saying something. It's important and easy.
I'm going to repeat my request that any of my current or former colleagues in the UK think about being more outspoken about this.
I don’t like subtweeting people I consider online friends, but there is a subset of people who are very worried about the ongoing radicalisation of our political elite but won’t ever acknowledge the echoes with the radicalisation of their colleagues on trans rights
December 3, 2025 at 9:50 AM
I think my many followers are sick of me repeating myself so I'm just going to retweet this whenever something ghoulish happens to trans people in the UK: consider saying something. It's important and easy.