Speeches/Articles by the Hon Robert French AC

2016

European Australian Business Council, Luncheon Address, 10 November 2016, Sydney (PDF 274K) (RTF 119K)

Launch of the Fourth Edition of Cowen and Zines's Federal Jurisdiction in Australia, 10 November 2016, Sydney (PDF 183K) (RTF 105K)

Beyond our Borders: A Judiciary and Profession Looking Outwards, Australian Bar Association & Victorian Bar, National Conference, 27 October 2016, Melbourne (PDF 193K) (RTF 158K)

The Changing Face of Judicial Leadership: A Western Australian Perspective, David Malcolm Annual Memorial Lecture, 19 October 2016, Fremantle (PDF 287K) (RTF 206K)

Criminal Law in the 21st Century, The High Court and Criminal Law, 15th International Criminal Law Congress, 15 October 2016, Adelaide (PDF 229K) (RTF 272K)

Law making in a Representative Democracy: The Durability of Enduring Values, Catherine Branson Lecture Series, 14 October 2016, Adelaide (PDF 278K) (RTF 213K)

Seeing Visions and Dreaming Dreams, Judicial Conference of Australia Colloquium, 7 October 2016, Canberra (PDF 212K) (RTF 161K)

Convergence across National Boundaries In Commercial Law, Renmin University of China Law School, 21 September 2016, Beijing (PDF 250K) (RTF 151K)

Australian Federalism — Fathered by a Son of Wales, Public Law Wales, 15 September 2016, Wales (PDF 280K) (RTF 201K)

The Globalisation of Public Law — A Quilting of Legalities, Cambridge Public Law Conference, 12 September 2016, London (PDF 254K) (RTF 186K)

Vive la difference — two countries two systems, Anglo Australasian Lawyers' Society, 9 September 2016, London (PDF 366K) (RTF 219K)

Legal Change and Social Change, 2016 National Indigenous Legal Conference, 5 September 2016, Canberra (PDF 192K) (RTF 112K)

Seeking Higher Things in Higher Education - The Case of the Lawyers, Campion Lecture, St Aloysius College, Kirribilli, Sydney, 18 August 2016 (PDF 416K) (RTF 256K)

Giving and Taking Offence, Sir Harry Gibbs Memorial Oration, Adelaide, 13 August 2016 (PDF 278K) (RTF 214K)

Legal Change - The Role of Advocates, Sir Maurice Byers Lecture, Sydney, 22 June 2016 (PDF 357K) (RTF 277K)

The State of the Australian Judicature, Law Council of Australia and Australian Bar Association, Hobart, Tasmania, 29 April 2016 (PDF 260K) (RTF 177K)

Arbitration and Public Policy, 2016 Goff Lecture, Hong Kong, 18 April 2016 (PDF 308K) (RTF 272K)

Transnational Dispute Resolution, Supreme and Federal Court Judges' Conference, Brisbane, 25 January 2016 (PDF 284K) (RTF 212K)

Convergence of Commercial Laws — Fence Lines and Fields
Doing Business Across Asia — Legal Convergence in an Asian Century Conference, Singapore, 22 January 2016 (PDF 383K) (RTF 259K)

2015

The Role of Courts in Competition Law, Asian Competition Forum 2015, Hong Kong, 30 November 2015 (PDF 297K) (RTF 257K)

Old but not Obsolete - The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Australia) Ltd Centenary Gala Dinner, Sydney, 24 November 2015 (PDF 181K) (RTF 82K)

The Fine Art of Giving and Taking Offence, Birkenhead Lecture, Gray's Inn, London, 18 November 2015 (PDF 316K) (RTF 310K)

28th Annual LAWASIA Conference, Welcoming Remarks at Opening of LAWASIA Conference, Sydney, 6 November 2015 (PDF 88K) (RTF 60K)

Australian Law Reform Commission, 40th Anniversary Celebration, Sydney, 23 October 2015 (PDF 169K) (RTF 88K)

The Racial Discrimination Act: A 40 Year Perspective, Inaugural Kep Enderby Lecture, Sydney, 22 October 2015 (PDF 360K)                 (RTF 270K)

Judicial Colloquium - Equitable Compensation, Hong Kong, 23 September 2015 (PDF 345K) (RTF 141K)

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia — History, Principle and Interpretation, Australian National University, Canberra, 1 October 2015 (PDF 232K) (RTF 120K)

The Unbearable Lightness of Being an Intellectual Property Lawyer, Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand, WA Branch, Perth, 16 September 2015 (PDF 191K) (RTF 123K)

Three Virtuous Things - the Charter the University and the Law School, Murdoch University Law School, Murdoch, 15 September 2015 (PDF 232K) (RTF 99K)

Ethics and Public Office, Sir Zelman Cowen Memorial Oration, Monash University, Melbourne, 10 September 2015 (PDF 280K) (RTF 218K)

One Justice - Many Voices, Language and the Law Conference, Darwin, 29 August 2015 (PDF 251K) (RTF 155K)

The Relevance of Difference - Equal Justice and Equality before the Law, Faculty of Law and UTS Law Society, University of Technology, Sydney, 27 August 2015 (PDF 277K) (RTF 186K)

Statutory Interpretation and Rationality in Administrative Law, Australian Institute of Administrative Law, Canberra, 23 July 2015 (PDF 231K) (RTF 212K)

Measure not on the Scale of Perfection, 5th International Conference on Evidence Law and Forensic Science, Adelaide, 22 July 2015 (PDF 194K) (RTF 118K)

Lawyers, Causes and Passion, EDO NSW 30th Anniversary Dinner, Sydney, 25 June 2015 (PDF 198K) (RTF 129K)

Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity National Roundtable — Access to Justice for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Women Opening Remarks, Canberra, 24 June 2015 (PDF 210K) (RTF 74K)

Harold Ford Memorial Lecture, Trusts and Statutes, Melbourne Law School, 20 May 2015 (PDF 311K) (RTF 291K)

ISDS Litigating the Judiciary, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Centenary Conference, Hong Kong, 21 March 2015 (PDF 336K)  (RTF 260K)

Equal Justice and Cultural Diversity The General Meets the Particular, Cultural Diversity and the Law Conference, Sydney, 14 March 2015 (PDF 268K) (RTF 192K)

The Moving Finger Writes and, Having Writ, Rewrites, Bannerman Lecture, Sydney, 26 February 2015 (PDF 380K) (RTF 224K)

The High Court, The Constitution and Australian Politics, Book Launch, Sydney, 13 February 2015 (PDF 74K) (RTF 148K)

Hellenic Australian Lawyers Association Incorporated, Queensland Chapter Launch, Brisbane, 30 January 2015 (PDF 147K) (RTF 82K)

2014

Common Law Constitutionalism, Robin Cooke Lecture, Wellington, New Zealand, 27 November 2014 (PDF 116K) (RTF 276K)

Opening of Owen Dixon Chambers West Extension, Melbourne, 7 November 2014 (PDF 48K) (RTF 98K)

Statutory Interpretation in Australia, University House, Australian National University, Canberra, 24 October 2014 (PDF 172K) (RTF 79K)

Curriculum Change - A Multidimensional Task, Curriculum Review at the Law School of the University of New South Wales, 20 October 2014 (PDF 49K) (RTF 100K)

National Judiciaries in a Global Economy, International Association for Court Administration - 7th International Conference, Sydney, 24 September 2014 (PDF 85K) (RTF 194K)

Trade Law and the Australian Courts - Law Council of Australia 2014 - International Trade Law Symposium, Canberra, 18 September 2014 (PDF 87K) (RTF 214K)

Legal Practice in a Global Neighbourhood, Newcastle Law School — University of Newcastle, 8 August 2014 (PDF 347K) (RTF 287K)

Investor-State Dispute Settlement — A Cut Above the Courts?, Supreme and Federal Courts Judges' Conference, Darwin, 9 July 2014     (PDF 240K) (RTF 252K)

Pericleans, Plumbers and Practitioners Book Launch, Monash University Law School 50th Anniversary, Melbourne, 28 June 2014                (PDF 160K) (RTF 136K)

Federal Circuit Court - History Repeats Itself, Melbourne, 1 May 2014 (PDF 51K) (RTF 101K)

Australasian Legal History Libraries - A Large Step Forward, Sydney, 30 April 2014 (PDF 161K) (RTF 70K)

The Idea of a Law School named after Thomas More, Launch of Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne 23 April 2014 (PDF 190K) (RTF 121K)

Bending Words: The Fine Art of Interpretation, University of Western Australia, Faculty of Law, Guest Lecture Series, Perth, 20 March 2014 (PDF 103K) (RTF 188K)

Pro Bono Publico - Cui Bono?, Law Summer School, Perth, 21 February 2014 (PDF 222K) (RTF 235K)

2013

Legal Limits, Book Launch, Perth, 17 December 2013 (PDF 165K) (RTF 126K)

Inglis Clark - A Living Force, Andrew Inglis Clark and the Building of the Australian Nation Conference, Parliament House, Canberra, 8 November 2013 (PDF 219K) (RTF 168K)

Poetry and Public Law, New South Wales Bar, Constitutional & Administrative Law Branch Annual Dinner, Sydney, 7 November 2013 (PDF 81K) (RTF 210K)

Singapore - Where Common Law and Constitutions Meet, Anglo-Australasian Lawyers Society Breakfast Address, Sydney, 21 October 2013 (PDF 140K) (RTF 163K)

Justice in the Eye of the Beholder, Law & Justice Foundation, Sydney, 21 October 2013 (PDF 52K) (RTF 156K)

South Australia and the Australian Constitution, John Bray Oration, Adelaide, 14 October 2013 (PDF 318K) (RTF 389K)

Justice in Arms: Military Lawyers in the Australian Army's First One Hundred Years, Book Launch, Canberra, 2 October 2013 (PDF 39K) (RTF 101K)

The Rule of Law as a Many Coloured Dream Coat, Singapore Academy of Law, Singapore, 18 September 2013 (PDF 313K) (RTF 346K)

Historical Foundations of Australian Law, Book Launch, Sydney, 22 August 2013 (PDF 103K) (RTF 68K)

International Commercial Dispute Resolution and the Place of Judicial Power, International Commercial Law and Arbitration Conference, Sydney, 22 August 2013 (PDF 219K) (RTF 273K)

If they could see us now - what would the founders say?, John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library 2013 Anniversary Lecture, Perth, 18 July 2013 (PDF 332K) (RTF 384k)

The future is not what it used to be - Australian Law Students' Association Conference, Perth, 15 July 2013 (PDF 160K) (RTF 105K)

Why Rome and not Hong Kong - the Australian Bar at Large, Rome, 2 July 2013 (PDF 239K) (RTF 258K)

Law - Complexity and Moral Clarity, Mildura, 19 May 2013 (PDF 51K) (RTF 182K)

The Past - not such a Foreign Country, Perth, 16 May 2013 (PDF 168K) (RTF 73K)

Religion and the Constitution, Perth, 14 May 2013 (PDF 270K) (RTF 256K)

Property, Planning and Human Rights, Canberra, 25 March 2013 (PDF 59K) (RTF 212K)

Australian Migration and Settlement Awards, Parliament House, Canberra, 18 March 2013 (PDF 17k) (RTF 80k)

Essential and Defining Characteristics of Courts in an Age of Institutional Change, Adelaide, 21 January 2013 (PDF 70K) (RTF 265K)

2012

The Interrogation That Never Ends, 50th Anniversary of the Professor Harry Messel International Science School, Sydney, 27 November 2012 (PDF 68k) (RTF 98k)

Judges and Academics - Dialogue of the Hard of Hearing, Inaugural Patron's Lecture, Australian Academy of Law, Sydney, 30 October 2012 (PDF 60k) (RTF 212k)

Two Chapters about Judicial Power, Peter Nygh Memorial Lecture 2012, 15th National Family Law Conference, Hobart, 15 October 2012 (PDF 129k) (RTF 280k)

Book Launch: Privatising the Public University The Case of Law by Margaret Thornton, Australian National University, Canberra, 4 October 2012 (PDF 156k) (RTF 100k)

GA Kennedy AO - A Man Worthy of Memory, University of Western Australia, Perth, 24 September 2012 (PDF 100k) (RTF 160k)

Women Lawyers in a Public World, Australian Women Lawyers Association Fourth National Conference, Australian National University, Canberra, 11 August 2012 (PDF 160k) (RTF 92k)

The Courts and the Parliament, Queensland Supreme Court Seminar, Brisbane, 4 August 2012 (PDF 224k) (RTF 240k)

Wisdom's Legacy, Francis Burt Chambers 50th Anniversary Dinner, Perth, 28 July 2012 (PDF 108k) (RTF 92k)

A Public Law Perspective on Intellectual Property, Melbourne, 25 July 2012 (PDF191K) (RTF318K)

Public Law - An Australian Perspective, Scottish Public Law Group, Edinburgh, 6 July 2012 (PDF 164k) (RTF 184k)

Human Right Protection in Australia and the United Kingdom: Contrasts and Comparisons, Anglo-Australasian Lawyers Society and Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association, London, 5 July 2012 (PDF 216k) (RTF 304k)

Appellate Advocacy in the High Court of Australia, World Bar Conference, London, 29 June 2012 (PDF 84k) (RTF 108k)

Unelected Judges in a Representative Democracy, St Thomas More Society, Sydney, 22 June 2012 (PDF228K) (RTF204K)

Cooperation and Convergence - Judiciaries and the Profession, Commonwealth Lawyers Association Regional Conference, Sydney, 21 April 2012 (PDF 92k) (RTF 168k)

Horses for Courses, National Symposium, International Legal Services Advisory Council, Canberra, 16 March 2012 (PDF 264k) (RTF 92k)

Tax and the Constitution, Tax Institute 27th National Convention, Canberra, 14 March 2012 (PDF 123k) (RTF 114k)

Deakin Law School 20th Anniversary Dinner, Geelong, 18 February 2012 (PDF 39k) (RTF 58k)

Litigating in a Statutory Universe, Victorian Bar Association 2nd Annual CPD, Melbourne, 18 February 2012 (PDF 639k) (RTF 184k)

2011

Aboriginal Women's Legal Education Trust - Launch, Supreme Court of Western Australia, 15 December 2011 (PDF 88k) (RTF 64k)

The Judicial Function in an Age of Statutes, 2011 Goldring Memorial Lecture, Wollongong, 18 November 2011 (PDF 773k) (RTF 217k)

Sir Frank Kitto Lecture, University of New England, Armidale, 23 September 2011 (PDF 144k) (RTF 140k)

University of New South Wales, Law School 40th Anniversary, Sydney, 17 September 2011 (PDF 60k) (RTF 52K)

Closing Address - Asia Pacific Model UN Conference - Final Plenary Session, Canberra, 15 July 2011 (PDF 32K) (RTF 32K)

Trials of Advocacy - The Australian Bar Association Bar Readers' Trial Advocacy Course - Closing Dinner, Perth,
08 July 2011 (PDF 55K) (RTF 52K)

Legal Education in Australia - A Never Ending Story, Australasian Law Teachers' Association Conference, Brisbane,
4 July 2011 (PDF 162K) (RTF 155K)

Public Office and Public Trust, Seventh Annual St Thomas More Forum Lecture, Canberra, 22 June 2011 (PDF 112K) (RTF 88K)

Judging Science - 13th Greek/Australian International Legal and Medical Conference, 30 May 2011 (PDF 136K) (RTF 140K)

The Northern Territory - A Celebration of Constitutional History, Centenary of the Northern Territory Supreme Court Kriewaldt Lecture, Darwin, 23 May 2011 (PDF 144K) (RTF 158K)

The Role of the Courts in Migration Law, Migration Review Tribunal and Refugee Review Tribal Annual Members' Conference, Torquay, Victoria, 25 March 2011 (PDF 152k) (RTF 161k)

Occasional Address, Graduation Ceremony, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, 22 March 2011 (PDF 40k) (RTF 38k)

The Judiciary in an Age of Global Interdependence, International Association for Court Administration Conference, Bogor, Indonesia, 15 March 2011 (PDF 101K) (RTF 91.5K)

Albritton Lecture, School of Law, University of Alabama, USA, 18 January 2011 (PDF 100K) (RTF 208K)

"Liberty and Law in Australia", School of Law, Washington University, St Louis, USA, 14 January 2011(PDF 171K) (RTF 288K)

2010

 "Law and Justice Outside the CBD", Rural and Regional Law & Justice Conference, Deakin University, Warrnambool, 20 November 2010 (PDF 59K) (RTF 108K)

The Interface between Equitable Principles and Public Law, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, Sydney, 29 October 2010 (PDF 162k) (RTF 210K)

"One Small Town", The Law Society of New South Wales Annual Member's Dinner, Sydney, 28 October 2010

(PDF 48K) (RTF 74K)

Procedural Fairness - Indispensable to Justice?, Sir Anthony Mason Lecture, The University of Melbourne Law School, Law Students' Society, Melbourne, 7 October 2010 (PDF 147k)

Singers of songs and dreamers of plays, Victorian Bar Association Annual Dinner, Melbourne, 3 September 2010 (PDF)

"It's Not Whether You Win or Lose...", Northern Territory Bar Association Annual Dinner, Darwin, 14 August 2010 (PDF)

A Complicated Brief - The Corporations Law Adviser, Business Law Section, Law Council of Australia, Corporations Law Workshop Dinner, Canberra, 31 July 2010 (PDF)

Administrative Justice - Words in Search of Meaning, Australian Institute of Administrative Law Annual Conference - National Administrative Law Forum 2010, Sydney, 22 July 2010 (PDF)

John Forrest: Founding Father from the Far West, National Archives of Australia Constitution Day Lecture, Canberra, 8 July 2010 (PDF)

Courts in a Representative Democracy, University of Southern Queensland, Toowomba, 25 June 2010 (PDF)

Justice as Fairness - A Contested Ideal, University of Western Sydney Biennial Dinner, Sydney, 7 May 2010 (PDF)

Welcome to High Court, 15th National Schools Constitutional Convention Dinner, Canberra, 24 March 2010 (PDF)

Interacting with Diversity: Australian Judges and Regional Courts, Australian Institute of International Affairs - ACT Branch, Canberra, 12 March 2010 (PDF)

Theories of Everything and Constitutional Interpretation - 2010 Constitutional Law Conference Dinner, University of New South Wales - Gilbert &: Tobin Centre of Public Law, Sydney, 19 February 2010 (PDF)

The Executive Power - Inaugural George Winterton Lecture, Sydney Law School, Sydney, 18 February 2010 (PDF)

Protecting Human Rights Without a Bill of Rights, John Marshall Law School, Chicago, 26 January 2010 (PDF)

Constitutional Review of Executive Decisions - Australia's US Legacy, John Marshall Law School - Chicago Bar Association, 25 and 28 January 2010 (PDF)

Australia's Constitutional Evolution, John Fordham Law School Constitutional Law Master Class, New York, 20 January 2010 (PDF)

2009

The Future of Australian Constitutionalism, International and Comparative Perspectives on Constitutional Law: A 21st Anniversary Celebration for the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies, Melbourne, 27 November 2009 (PDF)

The Constitution and the Protection of Human Rights, Edith Cowan University Vice-Chancellor's Oration, Perth, 20 November 2009 (PDF)

Judicial Activism - The Boundaries of the Judicial Role, LAWASIA Conference, Ho Chi Minh City, 10 November 2009 (PDF)

Public & Private Law: The Intersection - La Trobe Lecture, Melbourne, 30 October 2009 (PDF)

The Chief Justice and the Governor-General, Melbourne University Law Review Annual Dinner, Melbourne, 29 October 2009 (PDF)

Judicial Education - A Global Phenomenon, The International Organisation for Judicial Training, The Fourth International Conference on the Training of the Judiciary, Sydney, 26 October 2009 (PDF)

The State of the Australian Judicature, The 36th Australian Legal Convention, Perth, 18 September 2009 (PDF)

Notaries - from Stones to Electrons, Australia and New Zealand College of Notaries Biennial Conference, Melbourne, 11 September 2009 (PDF)

The Common Law and the Protection of Human Rights, Anglo Australasian Lawyers Society, Sydney, 4 September 2009 (PDF)

International Law and Australian Domestic Law, Supreme Court of New South Wales Annual Conference, Hunter Valley, 21 August 2009 (PDF)

Surfing the Wavefront, Law Council of Australia Trade Practices Workshop, Yarra Valley, 15 August 2009 (PDF)

Modest Questions - Great Answers, International Committee of the Red Cross and Australian Red Cross, 60th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, Canberra, 12 August 2009 (PDF)

Perspectives on Court Annexed Alternative Dispute Resolution, Law Council of Australia - Multi-Door Symposium, Canberra, 27 July 2009 (PDF)

From Light and Life to Genes and Galaxies - 45 Years On, 35th Professor Harry Messel International Science School, Sydney, 13 July 2009 (PDF)

Relaunch of National Archives Exhibition on the High Court at the "Memory of a Nation" Gallery, Canberra, 8 July 2009 (PDF)

Adding Value To Law Making - Australia and New Zealand Scrutiny of Legislation Conference, Canberra, 6 July 2009 (PDF)

In Praise of Unelected Judges - The John Curtin Institute of Public Policy, Public Policy Forum, Perth, 1 July 2009 (PDF)

"Oil and Water?" - International Law and Domestic Law in Australia, The Brennan Lecture, Bond University, 26 June 2009 (PDF)

Federalism in The Supreme Court of India and The High Court of Australia - Second Indo Australian Legal Forum Meet 2009, Canberra, 3 June 2009 (PDF)

James Merralls' AM QC - The Doyen of Law Reporters - 40 Years Editor of the Commonwealth Law Reports, Melbourne, 29 May 2009 (PDF)

In Hope of Convergence - A Regional Perspective on Competition Law, 2009 Competition Law Conference, Sydney, 23 May 2009 (PDF)

Boundary Conditions - The Funding of The Courts Within a Constitutional Framework, Australian Institute of Judicial Administration, Australian Court Administrator's Group Conference, Melbourne, 15 May 2009 (PDF)

Don't you know who I am? - Ego and Identity in the Administration of Justice, New South Wales Bar Association, Bench and Bar Dinner, Sydney, 8 May 2009, (PDF)

Science and Judicial Proceedings - Seventy-Six Years On, Medico Legal Society of Victoria, 2 May 2009, (PDF)

Intellectual Property - Living in the Twilight Zone, Licensing Executives Society of Australia and New Zealand, Annual Conference, Canberra, 4 April 2009, (PDF)

The Human Dimension of the Law, University of Canberra - Isaacs Law Society - Law Ball, Canberra, 3 April 2009, (PDF)

Native Title - A Constitutional Shift?, JD Lecture Series, University of Melbourne Law School, 24 March 2009, (PDF)

The Future of Litigation: Dispute Resolution in Jurassic Park? Annual Conference 2009, Bar Association of Queensland, 7 March 2009, (PDF)

Superannuation - A Confluence of Legal Streams, 26 February 2009, (PDF)

"In praise of breadth" - A reflection on the virtues of generalist lawyering, Law Summer School 2009, University of Western Australia, 20 February 2009, (PDF)

Conference on Judicial Reasoning: Art or Science?, Opening Address: Chief Justice Robert French, Australian National University, National Judicial College of Australia and Australian Academy of Forensic Science, Canberra, 7 February 2009, (PDF)

2008

"Swapping Ideas: The Academy, the Judiciary and the Profession", delivered at the Australian Academy of Law 2008 Symposium Series, Melbourne, 1 December 2008, (PDF)

Rolling a Rock Uphill? - Native Title and the Myth of Sisyphus, Judicial Conference of Australia National Colloquium, 10 October 2008, (PDF)

Unleashing the Tiger? - Competition Law in China and Hong Kong, Conference Opening Address, Melbourne Law School, 4 October 2008, (PDF)

Cause for Celebration, Law Council of Australia 75th Anniversary Dinner, 19 September 2008, (PDF)

Law Libraries - Places of Power and Danger, The Art of Information, Australian Law Librarians Association Conference 2008, Perth, 18 September 2008, (PDF)

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