Selden Society lecture series Australia

Supreme Court Library Queensland
Selden Society lecture series Australia

Join a variety of judicial officers, legal professionals and academics for this informative and provocative series of legal history lectures. Each episode presents a single story uncovering a unique aspect of our common law past. This might be literature or language, a fascinating event or item, a significant person, or the development of a legal idea. These lectures are recorded in the Banco Court, Brisbane, and are now available to the world.

  1. 12/03/2024

    Sir Gerard Brennan: constrained compassion

    Sir Gerard Brennan has been one of Australia’s most important barristers and judges since World War II. As a judge, he made many significant contributions to Australian jurisprudence. The most consequential of these was the leading judgment in the High Court’s decision in Mabo recognising the rights of occupation of Australia’s indigenous peoples. A few short years later in the Wik case, Brennan CJ dissented from the Court’s decision that native title had not been extinguished by grant...

    54 min

  2. 12/02/2024

    Juries—their place in democracy: achievements and challenges

    It is 100 years since women were allowed to serve on juries in Queensland, the first state in Australia to introduce what was then a radical reform. What are the challenges today for the composition of juries to reflect the judgment of a defendant’s peers and reflect modern democratic values? About the speaker The Hon Roslyn Atkinson AO is a graduate of The University of Queensland—Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (1970), Bachelor of Educational Studies (1975) and Bachelor of Laws (Honours I) (1985...

    48 min

  3. 03/11/2024

    Sir Charles Lilley and the Grimley Affair

    Sir Charles Lilley (1827–97) was a towering figure in politics and law in colonial Queensland, but his final years were dogged by controversy.  In October 1892, Sir Charles announced his intention to resign as second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland (1879–93). The catalyst was his behaviour throughout the 57-day civil trial of Queensland Investment and Land Mortgage Co Ltd v Grimley. Leading up to his resignation, Sir Charles increasingly eschewed norms of judicial detac...

    54 min

  4. 10/08/2023

    Queensland Law Society: serving ‘conscientious, honest lawyers’

    A statement praising ‘conscientious honest lawyers’ was published in a Brisbane newspaper in 1874. At that time, the public image of lawyers—barristers, as well as solicitors—was poor. For decades Queensland Parliaments were inclined to agree. The creation of the incorporated Queensland Law Society was seen as an important step in improving the reputation of lawyers. In this lecture, historian Helen Gregory presents the challenges which needed to be addressed, and how government was persuaded...

    1h 3m

  5. 07/18/2023

    Mr Justice Harding—a titan of Queensland law

    George Rogers Harding (1838–1895) was the 5th Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and is regarded as one of Queensland’s finest civil lawyers, whose rigorous analytical approach helped to establish the reputation of the Supreme Court. He is also known as one of Queensland’s most influential bibliophiles and was instrumental in developing a fine collection for the Supreme Court Library. After his death, his extensive personal library provided the foundation for what became the State...

    30 min

  6. 05/11/2023

    Lord Denning

    Many consider Lord Denning (1899–1999) to be the most important English judge of the 20th century. His witty and trenchant judgments are read by law students and cited by legal texts and lawyers in the United Kingdom as well as Australia, Canada and beyond. The Honourable James Douglas uses this lecture to examine Lord Denning’s life and judicial philosophy, as well as Denning’s willingness to reconsider precedent and reform legal principles. About the speaker The Honourable James Douglas QC...

    53 min

  7. 12/08/2022

    Sir Frederick Jordan: Australia’s most influential judge?

    Sir Frederick Jordan served as Chief Justice of New South Wales from 1934–1949. His vigorous defence of the rule of law during World War II sometimes put him at odds with the governments of the day and the High Court of Australia, but his fiercely written judgments remain relevant and continue to be cited even into this new century. Although Sir Frederick declined an appointment to the High Court offered by Prime Minister Robert Menzies at the urging of Sir Owen Dixon, his law school te...

    37 min

  8. 09/30/2022

    Kidnapping and slavery in Queensland: the 'Jason' and the 'Hopeful'

    In our latest episode, Dr Andrew Stumer and Professor Emeritus Kay Saunders AO examine two Queensland criminal cases from the late 19th century. With the rapid expansion of sugar production in Queensland in the second half of the 19th century, new sources of labour were sought. In 1871, the Supreme Court of Queensland upheld the conviction of Captain Coath of the schooner Jason for kidnapping nine South Sea Islanders to force them into servitude. Supporters of Captain Coath insisted th...

    1h 1m
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Join a variety of judicial officers, legal professionals and academics for this informative and provocative series of legal history lectures. Each episode presents a single story uncovering a unique aspect of our common law past. This might be literature or language, a fascinating event or item, a significant person, or the development of a legal idea. These lectures are recorded in the Banco Court, Brisbane, and are now available to the world.

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