Law Futures Centre

International Commission of Jurists 2024 Seminar

Reforming the Law in Australia to Deal with Miscarriages of Justice

Friday 23 February 2024

Queensland College of Art & Design

QCA Lecture Theatre (S05), Room 2.04

226 Grey Street, South Brisbane

The Queensland chapter of the International Commission of Jurists, in partnership with the Griffith University Innocence Project and Griffith University’s Law Futures Centre, is pleased to present a seminar on Reforming the Law in Australia to Deal with Miscarriages of Justice.

Presenters from around Australia including Stephen Keim SC, Samuel Lane, the Hon. Malcolm McCusker AC CVO KC, Dr Robert Moles, Rhanee Rego and Adjunct Associate Professor Bibi Sangha will share their perspectives providing insight into what it takes to uncover and correct miscarriages of justice in Australia – and how to design a better criminal justice system that will facilitate access to justice in such cases. The seminar will explore, inter alia, second and further appeals legislation which has been implemented in some states and criminal cases review commissions which operate in some overseas jurisdictions including New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.

The seminar will conclude with a panel discussion focussing on reform options and what it will take to transform talk of a Criminal Cases Review Commission into a reality.

Click here to register

Selden Society 2024 lecture series: lecture one

The rigours of truth-telling: Sir Samuel Griffith and Queensland's violent frontier

Presented by Dr Raymond Evans

Thursday 22 February
5.15 for 5.30pm
Banco Court, Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law

Level 3, 415 George Street, Brisbane
(Or join the livestream via Zoom.)

The first Selden Society lecture for 2024 will be, The rigours of truth-telling: Sir Samuel Griffith and Queensland’s violent frontier, presented by Dr Raymond Evans.

Dr Evans will address the current controversy surrounding the career of Sir Samuel Walker Griffith and the claim that his historical reputation and legacy is marred by responsibility for the high degree of racial violence along the Queensland colony’s frontiers in the later nineteenth century.

The lecture builds upon Dr Evans’ recently published essay, ‘Samuel Griffith and Queensland’s “War of Extermination”’.

Join us for refreshments in the Portrait Gallery after the lecture.

Register to attend this free lecture in person—please bring your ticket for quick check-in.

We will also be livestreaming the lecture: register to join this lecture via Zoom.

UDHR 75 Australian Celebration

The LFC was delighted to host a collaboration of Australian human rights actors to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the UDHR, designed to feed into the UN Human Rights 75 High-level event on 1-12 December 2023.  The event is supported by the Law Futures Centre at Griffith University, the UN Information Centre and DFAT.

Speakers included Susan Harris Rimmer, Selina Walker, Bronte Moules, Kim Rubenstein & Anne Isaac, Leanne Smith & Damian Cardona Onses.

The Australian celebration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Professor Susan Harris Rimmer.

Final agenda for celebration

On the occasion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 75th anniversary, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched earlier this year a global campaigning to rejuvenate the Declaration and reaffirm its relevance in confronting humanity's most pressing challenges.  The HR75 campaign will culminate on 11 and 12 December, with the convening of a High-Level pledging event simultaneously held in Geneva, Nairobi and Panama, which will lead to a vision for human rights for the next 25 years and help set the stage for the 2024's UN Summit of the Future.

The UN Secretary-General's 2023 message can be read here.

Australian Ambassador for Human Rights Bronte Moule's speech can be read here.

The Australian celebration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Professor Susan Harris Rimmer and Matthew Day.  Song credit: Freedom by Kevin Carmody and Tiddas.

UDHR 75 resources can be found here.

Australian Human Rights Commission UDHR resources can be found here.