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 the attacks on these institutions of government should be regarded as part of Ryan’s legacy.

About the speaker
The Hon Justice Patrick Keane AC was appointed to the High Court in March 2013. At the time of his appointment he was Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. He served as a judge of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Queensland from 2005–10 before being appointed to the Federal Court. Justice Keane AC was appointed a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2015.

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