Sir Ninian Stephen Lecture
On 17 May, the Newcastle Law School hosted the Hon Justice Robert McClelland for the annual Sir Ninian Stephen Lecture. The Sir Ninian Stephen Lecture is delivered by an eminent lawyer each academic year and is one of the key events for staff and students on the law school calendar.
The Honourable Justice McClelland was Attorney-General of Australia from 2007 to 2011. He was a Labor member of the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2013. In opposition he was the Shadow Attorney-General 1998–2003 and his other roles included Shadow Minister for Defence 2004–06 and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs 2006–07. He retired from Federal politics in 2013. On 28 May 2015, McClelland was appointed to the Family Court of Australia and in September 2018 he was appointed as Deputy Chief Justice of the Court.
His lecture, 'Creativity in Dispute Resolution in Family Law Cases', provided an overview of some of the innovative dispute resolution practices that have been implemented in other family law jurisdictions and a reflection on some of the significant issues facing family law practitioners in Australia today. The event attracted Law School staff and students as well as Newcastle family law practitioners and other local members of the legal profession. The Law School also welcomed special guests, the Hon Justice Margaret Cleary and Hon Justice Stuart Austin. Following the lecture, invited guests joined Hon Justices McClelland, Cleary and Austin for dinner at NewSpace.
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The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.