Professor Michele Riondino - Director of Canon Law Centre

Michele Riondino (Italy, 1978) commenced as Professor of Canon Law at ACU's Thomas More Law School in 2019 where he also lectures in International Children’s Rights. He is also lecturing in Canon Law at ACU’s School of Theology. The inaugural Director of the Canon Law Centre, Professor Riondino published the English translation of Introduction to Canon Law, which he co-authored, in June 2019. He brings a wealth of knowledge from his work in Italy, Spain and England to the Australasian context where he hopes, through the Centre, to promote both the study of Canon Law and its application for the benefit of individuals, institutions and communities across the region. He is also a visiting professor of International Children's Rights at John Paul II Institute in Madrid. Most recently he was appointed as guest Professor at KU Leuven's Faculty of Canon Law.

After obtaining his Law Degree, BPh, BTh and MTheol, Michele earned his PhD in Canon Law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. At this university he won the Sub Auspiciis Lateranensibus prize for 2010's best doctoral thesis of the year, began teaching Children's Rights and Canon Law, and in 2013 became a full professor of Canon Law. From 2013 to 2016 he also worked as an adjunct professor of Canon Law at LUMSA University School of Law. Prior to his appointment at ACU, Michele was a guest professor of Canon Law at Catholic University of Murcia–UCAM and a visiting scholar at Heythrop College-University of London, where his research focused particularly on law and religion in educational matters. In 2012 he was appointed as a lawyer “ad casum” for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Prof Riondino is a member of the scientific board of Vergentis, the juridical review of the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), and of Monitor Ecclesiasticus. He authored the books Famiglia e Minori. Temi giuridici e canonici (2011) and Giustizia riparativa e mediazione nel diritto penale canonico (2011; 2nd edition 2012), and co-authored Introduzione al diritto canonico (2015; 2nd edition 2017; 3rd edition 2019) with Manuel J. Arroba Conde. The Spanish translation of the latter was published in 2020 under the title Introducción al derecho canónico. More than fifty juridical articles and book chapters written by Prof Riondino have been published in Italian, English, Spanish and Portuguese. He has also provided keynote addresses and lectures at numerous international conferences in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.