Private and Commercial Law Annual Conference

The annual Private and Commercial Law Conference will be hosted at the UWA Law School from 3-4 December 2026, on the theme of “Trust and Trusts in Commercial Law”.

The aims of the conference are to provide academics with an informal and supportive environment in which to present work in progress, and to facilitate a collegial discussion of issues related to teaching and publishing in private and commercial law. We encourage early and mid-career academics and research higher degree students to consider presenting on aspects of their work relating to the Conference theme.

The theme is designed to foster imaginative, broad and deep connections between conceptions of ‘trust’ and ‘trusts’ in commercial law. Papers may draw, for example, on:

· Relevant theory and doctrine from the fields of Equity & Trusts, such as may arise through undue influence, fiduciary and trusts law, duties of confidence, accessorial liability and equitable remedies;

· Consumer law insights into promoting and regulating trust and trustworthiness, including relevant theory and doctrine on topics such as misleading and unconscionable conduct, new and old challenges in digital commerce, health law (eg Big Pharma) and other fields;

· Relevant theory and doctrine from the laws of torts and contract, such as may arise from ancient torts such as deceit and injurious falsehood, or from contractual duties of confidence and ‘relational’ contracts;

· Corporate law insights on trust and trustworthiness in corporate governance and corporate culture, or reflections on the interplay between corporations and trusts;

· Regulatory and philosophical theory pertaining to the theme of Trust and Trusts.

Expressions of interest in presenting, with draft titles and short (250 word) abstracts, should be submitted to pclresearchcluster@uwa.edu.au by Tuesday 30 June 2026. Registration is not limited to prospective presenters. The registration fee of AUD $90.00 for in-person attendees will contribute to catering costs — full time RHD students and remote participants are exempt.

The conference will have a ‘blended’ format, to allow for in-person and remote presentations and attendance, but preference will be given to presenters who intend to attend in person. Presenters will be encouraged to submit their papers to the UWA Law Review for inclusion in a special issue on the Conference theme. Finally, participants may be interested in the annual conference of the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law, which will also take place at UWA Law School in the days immediately preceding the PCL conference.