His research, ideas and teaching have been influential within Australia and internationally. After joining the Law School he quickly built an international reputation in the area of Freedom of Information and within six years was awarded a Teaching Excellence Award and was profiled as one of the 48 Australian academics with exemplary or noteworthy approaches to teaching (Ballantyne et al Reflecting on University Teaching Academics Stories 1997). Since that time he has developed a growing reputation in the area of Ombudsman studies.