Honorary Professor Colleen Lewis’ research interests span politics, parliamentary studies and criminal justice.  The unifying theme that underpins these three areas of research is her abiding interest in the politics of accountability.

Colleen is the author of Complaints Against Police: The Politics of Reform (1999) and an editor and contributor of seven books: Corporate Management in Australian Government (1989 with Glyn Davis & Patrick Weller); Unpeeling Tradition: Contemporary Policing (1994 with Keith Bryett); Civilian Oversight of Policing: Governance, Democracy and Human Rights (2000 with Andrew Goldsmith); It’s Time Again: Whitlam and Modern Labor (2003 with Jenny Hocking); Counter-Terrorism and the Post-Democratic State (2007 with Jenny Hocking), The Fitzgerald Legacy: Reforming Public Life in Australia and Beyond (2010 as lead editor with Janet Ransley & Ross Homel); and Parliamentarians’ Professional Development: The Need for Reform (2016 as lead editor with Ken Coghill).

Colleen also publishes in refereed journals and non-refereed publications and is the author of the report Come Clean: Stopping the Arms Race in Political Donations. She regularly makes submissions to parliamentary committees, as she has a keen interest in contributing to public policy debates.  Colleen regularly engages with the media through opinion pieces and interviews.  She is an associate of the Centre for Public Sector Integrity, a member of the Accountability Round Table and National President of the Australasian Study of Parliament Group.  All three of these bodies are non-partisan in nature.