A Human Rights Act for NSW?

ACU Chancellor the Hon Martin Daubney AM KC and Vice-Chancellor Professor Zlatko Skrbis were among a guestlist bulging with legal academics, practitioners, students and staff who heard from one of the legal profession’s preeminent minds Arthur Moses SC, at the ninth Annual Hon Barry O’Keefe Memorial Lecture.

Hosted by the Thomas More Law School at the Peter Cosgrove Centre, Arthur Moses SC explored arguments for and against a Human Rights ACT in the New South Wales during the lecture.

Over three decades at the NSW Bar, Mr Moses SC has expertly handled a range of matters, including administrative law, corruption inquiries, discrimination and native title litigation.

The co-chair of LAWASIA’s Human Rights Committee told guests at the event that the successful introduction of standalone human rights legislation in the ACT, Queensland and Victoria fuelled his belief NSW needed better safeguards of individual rights and freedom.

Dean of the Thomas More Law School Patrick Keyzer said Mr Moses SC was an outstanding example to law students.

“Throughout his career Mr Moses’ work has embodied ACU’s values relating to the pursuit of knowledge, the dignity of the human person and the common good,” Professor Keyzer said.

“We welcome his contribution to the intellectual climate of the Law School and we’re sure students and colleagues alike will benefit from his insights as Barry O’Keefe Lecturer for 2023”.  

The Barry O’Keefe Memorial Lecture is an annual event hosted by ACU’s Thomas More Law School, and it is named in honour of the late Hon Barry O'Keefe AM QC DUniv (HonorisCausa) (ACU).

Barry O’Keefe was an Australian judge and lawyer who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales from 1993 to 2004 and the Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption from 1994 until 1999.

His ethos of service was reflected in his term as an alderman on Mosman Council from 1968 to 1991, as president of the Local Government Association of NSW and the National Trust of Australia, and as a member of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

Pictured: Hon Martin Daubney AM KC, Arthur Moses SC, Professor Zlatko Skrbis, Professor Andrew O'Neil, Professor Patrick Keyzer.