Selden Society - 2017 Lecture Series

Selden Society - 2017 Lecture Series

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Posted 2017-10-06 by Marina Marangos follow

Thu 19 Oct 2017 - Tue 28 Nov 2017

Just recently, I came across the Australian chapter of the Selden Society and it's a very interesting series of lectures. Before I tell you about them, it might be a good idea to share with you some of the history and the reasons why this Society was formed.



The society was created to honour a man called John Selden, born in Salvington, Sussex in the UK in 1584. He went to Oxford to study law and soon after was called to the Bar. He is regarded as an authority on legal and historical works and for his controversial views, he was sent to the Tower of London, not once, but twice!

His most famous work is the "History of Tithes", a work on the history of English Law, in which he argued that the clergy had a legal right to tithes, but not a divine one. The population paid tithes to the clergy and the rulers. His notion was controversial because he was effectively denying the divine right of kings. He then went on to suggest that Parliament was answerable to the people and not the Crown and for this he was imprisoned in the Tower by James I.

Once he became a member of the House of Commons in 1623 he used his position to promote religious and civil freedoms. His agitation did not win him any favours and he was sent to the Tower once more. This time by Charles I for a short stay.

He died in London in 1654 and was undoubtedly one of the most learned lawyers, politicians and historians of his day. To honour him, the Selden Society was formed in 1887 to promote the study of English Legal History.

The UK chapter of the Society publishes a lot of source material on the English Legal System on their website. Additionally, the Australian chapter, administered by the Supreme Court Library Queensland, holds a series of lectures. The purpose of the lecture series is to appeal to a contemporary Australian audience by providing engaging presentations about topics that all lawyers should regard as part of our common cultural inheritance. The Australian Chapter has a membership of just under 200 and a large number of these members are actually from Queensland.

Which brings me full circle now to tell you about the lectures.
You will find details on the Supreme Court Library Queensland website .

Lecture Four

Thursday the 19th of October 2017.
5.15 for 5.30pm at the Banco Court, Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law.
Level 3, 415 George St, Brisbane.

Notable Trials – The Trials of Oscar Wilde

Most of you might be familiar with Oscar Wilde as a playwright and poet. Not everyone is aware of the trials he became involved with. Wilde became infatuated with the son of the Marquess of Queensbury, Lord Alfred Douglas. Homosexuality at the time was a crime. The Marquess leveled an accusation against Wilde, which Wilde chose to challenge in court in a case of Criminal libel. He lost the case.

A number of trials resulted from this action and we shall hear about the fascinating details surrounding them from The Hon Alan Wilson QC. Though retired, Judge Wilson continues to train judges in good judgment writing and has a life long interest in poetry and literature.

Lecture Five

Tuesday the 28th of November 2017.
5.15 for 5.30 pm. at the Banco Court, Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law.
Level 3, 415 George St, Brisbane.

Inaugural Lord Atkin Lecture

James Richard Atkin was born in Tank Street Brisbane on 28th November 1867. His parents had emigrated to Queensland from the UK. Atkin went to Oxford and then was called to the Bar. He swiftly rose to QC, then to the King's Bench, followed by Lord Justice of Appeal and then Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.

He was hailed as insightful thinker and brilliant judge and perhaps his most famous judgment is Donoghue v Stevenson, where he explained the basis of the tort of negligence, as it is understood today.

For those of you interested in what he said, I quote:
"You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omission which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour. Who then in law is my neighbour? The answer seems to be persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought to have them in ( mind) when I am (considering these) acts or omissions."

The Hon Susan Kiefel AC was admitted to the Queensland Bar in 1975 and was the first woman to be appointed Queen's Counsel. She was also the first woman appointed Chief Justice of Australia in January 2017. She will be the speaker for the Inaugural Lord Atkin Lecture which will be celebrating the 150 years of his birth.

These lectures are free for all to attend and you do not need to be a member of the Society to register. Online self registration will be available closer to the date of each event.

You can phone 07 3006 5130 or email [email protected] for further information.

#libraries
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#october
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!date 19/10/2017 -- 28/11/2017
%wnbrisbane
217835 - 2023-06-16 07:38:52

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