Sir Ninian Stephen Lecture
The Sir Ninian Stephen Lecture is an annual event held by the Law School of the University of Newcastle, Australia. The first lecture was delivered by former Governor-General of Australia Sir Ninian Stephen in 1993, to celebrate the establishment of the Bachelor of Laws program at the University. This event continues under his name, and is generally held in the early weeks of the academic year. The 2017 lecture was delivered on 11 August 2017 by Justice Margaret Beazley, President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal titled "Langauge, Law's Essential Tool."
Sir Ninian Stephen Lecturers
- 1993, Sir Ninian Stephen KG AK GCMG GCVO KBE QC, "Our Democratic Constitution"
- 1994, Justice Michael McHugh AC QC, "The Growth of Legislation and Litigation"
- 1995, Justice Deirdre O'Connor, "The Effect of Australia's International Obligations on the Development of Our System of Industrial Relations"
- 1996, Chief Justice Murray Gleeson AC QC, "The Secrecy of Jury Deliberations"
- 1997, Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG, "Constitutional Centenary and the Counting of Blessings"
- 1998, Gordon Samuels AC CVO QC, "No More Cabs on the Rank? Some Reflections about the Future of Legal Practice"
- 1999, Chief Justice James Spigelman AC QC, "Statutory Interpretation: Identify the Linguistic Register"
- 2000, Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE QC, "Principle and Independence: The Guardians of Freedom"
- 2001, Garth Nettheim, "Making a Difference: Reconciling our Differences"
- 2002, Hilary Charlesworth AM, "International Law and Australian Law in the 21st Century"
- 2003, Noel Pearson, "The High Court's Abandonment of the 'Time Honoured Methodology of the Common Law' in its Interpretation of Native Title in Mirriuwung Gajerrong and Yorta Yorta"
- 2004, Julian Burnside AO QC, "The Practice of Law: Justice or Just a Job"
- 2005, Margaret Cunneen SC, "Living Within the Law"
- 2006, Frank Brennan SJ AO, "Confessions of an Erstwhile Land Rights Advocate"
- 2007, Graeme Innes AM, "Using the Law to Make a Difference"
- 2008, Justice John Basten, "Human Rights and the Rule of Law"
- 2009, Stephen Gageler AC, "Fact and Law"
- 2010, Hal Wootten AC QC, "Finding a Life in the Law"
- 2011, Justice Julie Ward, "The Modern Day Fusion Falacy - Should There Be a Separate Bar?"
- 2012, Kevin Lindgren AM QC, "The Rule of Law: Its State of Health in Australia"
- 2013, Nicola Roxon, "Breathing value into your law degree"
- 2014 Chief Justice Robert French AC, "The Practising of Law in a Global Neighbourhood"
- 2015 Professor Neil Rees, "I look ahead"
- 2016 Justice Virginia Bell AC, "Equality, Proportionality and Dignity : The Guiding Principles for a Just Legal System"
- 2017 Justice Margaret Beazley AO, "Language, Law's Essential Tool"