Rate My Professor Carolyn Evans

Professor Carolyn Evans is a distinguished legal scholar and academic leader with a long association with the University of Melbourne. She completed her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws with Honours at the University of Melbourne before pursuing doctoral studies as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, where she earned a DPhil in 1999 focused on human rights and religious freedom. Following her doctorate, she served as a stipendiary lecturer in law at Exeter College, Oxford, before returning to join the academic staff of Melbourne Law School. She progressed to senior roles at the university, including Dean of the Melbourne Law School from 2011 to 2017 and Harrison Moore Professor of Law. She also held positions as Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Advancement), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Graduate and International), and Deputy Provost. In April 2026, she was appointed the 22nd Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, with her term commencing in October 2026.

Professor Evans is an internationally recognised expert in the areas of constitutional law, human rights, and religious freedom. Her research has been supported by multiple Australian Research Council grants as Chief Investigator, and she has an extensive publication record including books published by Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, as well as peer-reviewed journal articles and scholarly collections. Key publications include Freedom of Religion under the European Convention on Human Rights (Oxford University Press, 2001) and Legal Protection of Religious Freedom in Australia (Federation Press, 2012). She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, and a recipient of a Fulbright Senior Scholarship. She has contributed to public policy and higher education leadership through roles such as President of the Australian Higher Education Industrial Association and board positions with Universities Australia and other organisations. Her work has influenced academic discourse on law and religion both in Australia and internationally.

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