Selden Society lecture series Australia

Dec 02 2024 38 ep. 48 mins 1.2k

Selden Society lecture series Australia Podcast artwork

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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Sir Gerard Brennan: constrained compassion

Dec 02 2024 54 mins

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 t

Juries—their place in democracy: achievements and challenges

Dec 01 2024 48 mins

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 speakerThe Hon Roslyn Atkinson AO is a graduate of The University of Queensland

Sir Charles Lilley and the Grimley Affair

Mar 10 2024 53 mins

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

Queensland Law Society: serving ‘conscientious, honest lawyers’

Oct 08 2023 63 mins

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

Mr Justice Harding—a titan of Queensland law

Jul 18 2023 30 mins

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

Lord Denning

May 11 2023 52 mins

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�

Sir Frederick Jordan: Australia’s most influential judge?

Dec 08 2022 36 mins

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

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

Sep 29 2022 60 mins

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

Making law through practice: examples from commercial law

Jul 28 2022 39 mins

Sir Ross Cranston will draw on themes in his recent book, Making commercial law through practice 1830–1970 (Cambridge UP, 2021), emphasising the Australian dimension.  He will examine three areas: markets, agency and sales, to show that although the common law provided the backdrop to commercial activity, it was in practice a flexible tool to achieve what the parties wanted. 

1922: after Ryan, the storm

Apr 25 2022 51 mins

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