Selden Society lecture series Australia

This lecture explores Lord Atkin’s famous dissent in the 1941 case of Liversidge v Anderson, where he sought to strike down a wartime internment decision that had been given without reasons. More about the case can be found in the Supreme Court Library’s online exhibition celebrating Lord Atkin. 

The lecture is presented by the Hon Susan Kiefel AC. Her Honour was appointed Chief Justice of Australia in January 2017. At the time of her appointment she had been a judge of the High Court since September 2007 and had previously served as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of Queensland.

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This episode of the podcast gives a first-hand account of one of the most important judgments ever delivered by the High Court, Mabo v the State of Queensland (No.2). It was presented as part of our 2016 lecture series. The presenter is the Honourable Margaret White AO, who acted as junior counsel for the Queensland Government during the Mabo case. This year marks the 27th anniversary of the Mabo decision.  

The Supreme Court Library is currently hosting the exhibition Overturning terra nullius: the story of native title, which looks at the Mabo and Wik native title cases and their influence on law reform. The exhibition is free and open to everyone, if you're in Brisbane please pay us a visit.

Ground floor
Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law
415 George Street, Brisbane
Open daily 8.30am - 4.30pm

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This lecture examines the celebrated 1971 English case of McKenzie v McKenzie, in which the Court of Appeal unanimously affirmed the important principle that any person conducting proceedings in court is entitled to quiet assistance from a person of their choice. 2019 marks fifty years since the initial divorce trial of McKenzie v McKenzie in London.  The lecture is presented by Ian Hanger AM QC, who was the original ‘McKenzie’s friend’.  

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Antonin Scalia was a prominent and controversial member of the Supreme Court of the United States: February marks the anniversary of his unexpected death in 2016. The lecture is presented by the Honourable Justice Glenn Martin, judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland.

A video of the lecture and copy of the paper are available on the Supreme Court Library Queensland website, https://legalheritage.sclqld.org.au/2018-lecture-one

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