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 Suprem

Queensland Law Society: serving ‘conscientious, honest lawyers’

Oct 8th, 2023 1h 3m

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.

Mr Justice Harding—a titan of Queensland law

Jul 18th, 2023 30m 12s

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

Lord Denning

May 11th, 2023 52m 59s

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, Canad

Sir Frederick Jordan: Australia’s most influential judge?

Dec 8th, 2022 36m 38s

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 fierc

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

Sep 30th, 2022 1h

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,

Making law through practice: examples from commercial law

Jul 28th, 2022 39m 56s

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 althoug

1922: after Ryan, the storm

Apr 25th, 2022 51m 43s

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 f

Justices of the US Supreme Court—Chief Justice John Marshall and the establishment of judicial review

Feb 3rd, 2022 47m 31s

During John Marshall’s long tenure as Chief Justice (1801-1835) a decision of particular importance was Marbury v Madison 5 US 137 (1803), in which Marshall CJ delivered the opinion of the court. The judgment established the key role of the Sup

Merthyr House—the home of Sir Samuel Griffith

Dec 7th, 2021 37m 17s

Sir Samuel Griffith’s Brisbane home was a grand riverfront estate in the Brisbane suburb of New Farm. It was lavishly furnished with Chippendale furniture and Italian objets d’art and even included a high-ceilinged ballroom at its centre in whi

 Mrs Chester’s lost child: inconsolable psychological injury and Justice Evatt’s finest judgement

Sep 19th, 2021 1h 4m

After her ‘brilliant boy’ drowned in an unfenced trench in 1937, Mrs Chester took legal action against the local council. Although her claim would ultimately be unsuccessful, the dissenting and empathic judgment of Justice Evatt would mark a cr

BONUS CONTENT: Mrs Chester’s lost child: inconsolable psychological injury and Justice Evatt’s finest judgment

Sep 19th, 2021 8m 14s

Listen to a panel discussion between the Hon Justice Peter Applegarth AM, author Gideon Haigh and Associate Professor Kylie Burns that took place after the lecture 'Mrs Chester’s lost child: inconsolable psychological injury and Justice Evatt’s

Lord Eldon

Jun 3rd, 2021 45m 55s

Many leading equity texts and lawyers continue to quote Lord Eldon’s judgments. He is seen by many to be one of the most famous of the Chancery judges in equity law, as he systematised and bought certainty to its principles. Listen to Queenslan

The audacity of Griffith as a law reformer

Apr 26th, 2021 35m 26s

Sir Samuel Griffith was undoubtedly the instigator of some of the greatest law reform moments in Queensland history. This lecture attempts to capture the most significant pieces of law reform for which he was singularly responsible for more tha

Justice Mary Gaudron

Feb 4th, 2021 45m 47s

Mary Genevieve Gaudron was the first woman to be appointed a justice of the High Court of Australia. Gaudron served on the Court as one of its most influential members for 16 years (1987–2003), and her career has been described as ‘a classic ex

Private law’s revolutionaries: authors, codifiers and merchants?

Dec 15th, 2020 48m 24s

Has there ever really been a revolution in private law, never mind the law of obligations? Professor Hector MacQueen addresses that question by considering the relationship between law and revolution. Read the paper.View the lecture. Support t

Celebrating Samuel Griffith

Nov 24th, 2020 58m 20s

To mark our brand new exhibition, The many hats of Sir Samuel Griffith, our latest podcast features the Australian Academy of Law and Selden Society (Australia) webinar, Celebrating Samuel Griffith. The Hon Justice Peter Applegarth AM chairs a

Lord Atkin

Oct 13th, 2020 51m 16s

After discovering a badly decomposed snail at the bottom of a bottle of ginger ale, Mrs Donoghue became ill and then sued the manufacturer. Lord Atkin’s judgment in this case would have a lasting impact on society. Hear the Hon Justice Applegar

Supreme Court Fire of 1968

Aug 31st, 2020 40m 44s

In the early hours of a cold Brisbane morning in 1968, David Bertram Brooks entered the unlocked front door of Queensland’s historic Supreme Court. Resentful of the police and the justice system for his frequent arrests, Brooks made his way to

Sir Harry Gibbs CJ

Aug 3rd, 2020 37m 12s

Sir Harry Talbot Gibbs PC AC GCMC QC served as a Justice of the High Court of Australia for more than 16 years (1970–87), rising to the office of Chief Justice from 1981 to 1987. As a judge of exemplary ability and integrity, with no political

Lord Mansfield

Jun 9th, 2020 43m 14s

In this episode Professor Warren Swain examines Lord Mansfield and his influence in developing the common law to meet the growing needs of commercial practice.In particular, his judgments shaped the law in relation to bills of exchange, marine

Sir Edward Coke

May 19th, 2020 53m 32s

Barrister, legal scholar, parliamentarian, and judge, Sir Edward Coke (1552–1634) was at the very centre of some of the most dramatic moments in England's legal history including the trials of the Earl of Essex (1600), Sir Walter Raleigh (1603)

Law and politics in McCawley's case

Apr 6th, 2020 43m 19s

The appointment of Thomas William McCawley to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1917 was a decision destined to provoke controversy. The challenge to his appointment was based on what were called 'purely legal and constitutional grounds', but

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

Mar 2nd, 2020 50m 29s

In this episode of the podcast, the Hon Margaret McMurdo AC pays tribute to the life and work of Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to be appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Throughout her long and distinguished leg

Lord Bingham of Cornhill

Feb 3rd, 2020 53m 59s

Lord Thomas Bingham of Cornhill was described in his obituary as the greatest English judge since the Second World War. He was the first modern judge to hold all of the positions of Master of the Rolls, Lord Chief Justice, and Senior Law Lord.