Selden Society lecture series Australia

Prior to the enactment of the Australia Act 1986 (Cth) and the Australia Act 1986 (UK), some Queensland court matters were appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for final determination. What were hearings like in this forum before this avenue of appeal was abolished? In this lecture, Sandy Thompson KC will share his experiences appearing as counsel in 1985 and 1986, the latter (Coast Securities No. 9 Pty Ltd v Bondoukou Pty Ltd) being the last Queensland appeal to Her Majes...

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...

TJ Ryan, as leader of Queensland’s first Labor government to have a majority in the lower house of state parliament, implemented wide‑ranging political, economic and social reforms in the face of opposition from the upper house and resistance from the Supreme Court of Queensland. After his untimely death in 1922, Ryan’s successors launched sustained attacks on the Legislative Council and the Supreme Court of Queensland. In this lecture, Justice Keane AC considers the extent to which th...

Sir Samuel Griffith’s Brisbane home was a grand riverfront estate in the Brisbane suburb of New Farm. It was lavishly furnished with Chippendale furniture and Italian objets d’art and even included a high-ceilinged ballroom at its centre in which Sir Samuel and Lady Julia Griffith held their many official and social engagements. Brisbane architect Richard Kirk explores Griffith’s life through the lens of his New Farm home, and tells Merthyr House’s story—emblematic of the evolution of B...

Listen to a panel discussion between the Hon Justice Peter Applegarth AM, author Gideon Haigh and Associate Professor Kylie Burns that took place after the lecture 'Mrs Chester’s lost child: inconsolable psychological injury and Justice Evatt’s finest judgment'. This lecture was brought to you by Australian Academy of Law (academyoflaw.org.au/) and the Selden Society (Australia) (legalheritage.sclqld.org.au/selden-society). Support the show

Sir Samuel Griffith was undoubtedly the instigator of some of the greatest law reform moments in Queensland history. This lecture attempts to capture the most significant pieces of law reform for which he was singularly responsible for more than a quarter of a century. The range of subjects include both civil and criminal law, substantive law and procedural law with a view to identifying what was innovative and, at times, audacious. About the speaker: The Hon Justice David Jacks...

Has there ever really been a revolution in private law, never mind the law of obligations? Professor Hector MacQueen addresses that question by considering the relationship between law and revolution. Read the paper. View the lecture. Support the show

After discovering a badly decomposed snail at the bottom of a bottle of ginger ale, Mrs Donoghue became ill and then sued the manufacturer. Lord Atkin’s judgment in this case would have a lasting impact on society. Hear the Hon Justice Applegarth AM discuss this case and others that made Lord Atkin one of the most influential judges of his or any generation. Read the paper. View the lecture. Visit the exhibition. Support the show