About LIONEL MURPHY The Life and Times of an Australian Jurist
Lionel Murphy – The Life and Times of an Australian Jurist
Lionel Murphy was a Senator, a Federal Attorney General, and a Justice of the High Court of Australia and made an indelible mark on Australian society and the Australian legal landscape.
In the words of Michael Kirby: “Lionel Murphy was a man who inspired great admiration and affection as well as strong opposition... More than Murphy's influence on particular legal subjects (of which there is much) his ultimate judicial legacy lies in his contribution to breaking the spell of unquestioning acceptance of old rules where social circumstances and community attitudes have changed so much as to make those rules inappropriate or inapplicable... Lionel Murphy was a change agent in Australia; a supernova in our land; a catherine wheel of ideas; light; progress towards good and justice; danger; and much achievement and kindness. After him, nothing was ever quite the same again.”
We are now just over 30 years since Murphy’s passing in October 1986.
Lionel Murphy – The Life and Times of an Australian Jurist is an event that will celebrate his life and legacy as a jurist and cover topics such as his ground-breaking views on the Australian Constitution, the notion of implied freedoms and rights arising from the Constitution, Administrative Law, Criminal Law, Anti-Discrimination Law, the way he revolutionised the workings of the Australian Senate and his great legislative work, The Family Law Act.
The evening will feature the following speakers:
- Former High Court Judge Michael Kirby AC CMG
- Former High Court Judge Mary Gaudron
- Professor Larissa Behrendt, Director of Research at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at UTS Law School
- Dr Margaret Kelly (Macquarie University Law School)
Cameron Murphy of the NSW Bar will introduce the evening.
There will also be a Q and A style discussion following the speeches moderated by Benedict Coyne, President of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights.
You will come away with a valuable toolkit of knowledge on High Court Practice and Procedure, Constitutional Law and both the past and the future of Australian Jurisprudence.
You should be eligible for 2 substantive law CPD points.
The event is being organised by and will raise funds for the National Justice Project, a not for profit Human Rights law firm in Sydney whose mission is to promote social justice, liberty, accountability and equality for all people. The NJP does not seek and therefore cannot rely on government funding. This is because much of our work is a direct challenge to governments and their unlawful actions. As a result, we can only rely on private donations for running the practice.
The event will be held on Tuesday 16 May 2017, doors will open at 5:30pm for refreshments and speeches will start at 6.15pm sharp. The venue is the Royal Automobile Club at 89 Macquarie Street, Sydney 2000.
For more information, visit our website here