School of Business and Law

Associate Professor Joshua Aston

Dr Joshua N Aston is the Associate Dean (Law) and a member of the Executive in the School of Business and Law.

Biography

Associate Professor Joshua Aston has been the Associate Dean of Law and member of the Executive in the School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University since 2020. He was the Chair of the Student Appeals Committee between 2021- 2024. Before joining ECU, he held prominent leadership roles, including Dean (SW) and Officer on Special Duty to the Director/Vice-Chancellor at Gujarat National Law University, India, and Deputy Director at Symbiosis Law School, Symbiosis International University, India. In recognition of his academic excellence, he was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor of Law at Amity University, India, in 2022, and Honorary Adjunct Professor of Law at Galgotias University, India, in 2024.

Dr. Aston’s distinguished academic journey includes receiving the prestigious Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) scholarship from Germany, which enabled him to serve as a Research Scholar at the Institute of Air, Space, and Cyber Law, University of Cologne. Additionally, he is an Asian Law Institute Fellow at the National University of Singapore. His accolades include the Israeli Government Scholarship, awarded through the Ministry of Human Resource Development, India, allowing him to conduct research as a scholar at the Buchmann Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

His educational background in the field of Modern Slavery and Human Rights Law has provides him with a solid foundation, enabling him to delve into specific areas of study by examining the impact of national-level actions on the international stage. Throughout his academic pursuits, he has maintained a steadfast focus on the issue of human rights violations, a subject of great relevance in contemporary civil society. This passion has driven him to extensively research and publish on the pressing matter of Modern Slavery, offering profound insights. His research continually challenges the existing paradigms, and his scholarly writings compellingly advocate for the need to effect positive change in various situations, aiming for a more compassionate and humane world.

Beyond academia, Dr. Aston actively contributes to community development as a Board Member of the Joondalup Business Association, supporting the growth and sustainability of the local business sector in Joondalup, Western Australia. In 2024, he further demonstrated his dedication to public service by being appointed as a Justice of the Peace in Western Australia.

Other Scholarly Publications

• Tomer, A., Aston, J., Singh, R., Srivastava, M. (2024). “Comparative Legal Contours of Intellectual Property Rights and Technology”. Law & Justice Publishing Co.
• Tomer, A., Aston, J., Srivastava, M., Singh, R. (2024). “Handbook on Comparative IPR Law Technology Law and Emerging Legal Domains”. OakBridge.
• Aston, J., Tomer, A., Singh R. (ed) (2024). “Comparative Law - Unravelling Global Legal Systems”. Springer.
• Aston, J., Tomer, A., Mathew, J. (ed.) (2023). Comparative Approaches in Law and Policy. Singapore, Springer.
• Tomer, A., Aurora, V. & Aston, J. (2022) Comparative Law: Facets, Nuances and Intricacies, New Delhi, Thomson Reuters.
• Aston J. (2020), Higher Studies in Law, Lucknow, Eastern Book Company.
• Aston, J. (2018) Acing Internships. New Delhi, Eastern Book Company.
• Aston, J. (2017). Contract Law for Managers. Lucknow, Eastern Book Company.
• Aston, J. (2017). MCQ’s on Law of Contract. Lucknow, Eastern Book Company.
• Aston, J. (ed.) (2016). Identifying and Comparing the Trends in International Contract Laws and Probing the Critical Issues for Multinational Contracting Parties. New Delhi, Eastern Book Company.
• Aston, J. (ed.) (2015) International Contracts, Jurisdictional Issues, and the Global Commercial and Investment Governance (A Collection of Essays on Recent Trends). Gandhinagar, Gujarat National Law University.

Other Research Project

Research Project on 'Prevention of Domestic Violence against Migrant Women in Australia: A Review of Policy Responses and Practice. Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University, 2022. $500

Research Project on ‘Irregular migration and modern slavery in Australia: legal and policy challenges and responses’ Society and Culture Research Theme – Small Grants Scheme 2021.  $4973.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Law), India, 2014.
• Master of Laws, England, 2008.
• Bachelor of Laws, India, 2007.

Research Outputs

Research Projects

• MARS: Investigating Awareness of and the Affective, Cognitive and Behavioural Responses to Sexual Harassment Legislation Among FIFO Mining Workers, DMIRS: Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety - MARS, Grant, 2024, $40,000.
• Law & Policy, Cyber Security Research Centre Ltd, Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 2019 ‑ 2021, $362,057.

Research Student Supervision