The Barry O'Keefe Memorial Lecture is an annual event hosted by the Thomas More Law School at Australian Catholic University and is named in honour of the late Hon Barry O'Keefe AM QC DUniv (Honoris Causa) (ACU). The inaugural Barry O'Keefe Memorial Lecture was held at Australian Catholic University's MacKillop Campus in North Sydney in 2015.
Justice O'Keefe's contributions include Chair of Interpol's International Group of Experts on Corruption and Chair of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council representing the Catholic Church's response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Justice O'Keefe was a Judge of the New South Wales Court of Appeal, Court of Common Law Division and Court of Criminal Appeal. ACU awarded Justice O'Keefe the University's highest honour, an honorary doctorate, two weeks before he passed away in 2014.
Past lectures, together with invited speakers, are listed below. Recorded lectures can be accessed via the topic link.
Year |
Lecturer |
Topic |
2024 |
The Honourable Jacqueline Gleeson |
Mercy in Law |
2023 |
Arthur Moses SC |
A Human Rights Act for NSW? |
2022 |
Professor Libby Lyons |
Is the Fair Work Act really fair? |
2021 |
Professor Michael Dodson AM |
Treaty: It is a marriage not a divorce |
2020 |
Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO |
Do we need religious freedom laws in Australia? |
2019 |
Julian McMahon AC SC |
Why isn't the death penalty dying? Or is it? |
2018 |
The Honourable Susan Crennan AC SC |
Sir Owen Dixon: The Communist Party Case, Then and Now |
2017 |
Her Excellency The Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC |
The Principle of Legality and Protection of Human Rights in Australia |
2016 |
The Honourable Justice Francois Kunc |
The contribution of law to the greater good and human flourishing |
2015 |
The Honourable Murray Gleeson AC KC |
The purpose of law |
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