2022 Hal Wootten Lecture

A nudge in the right direction: In 2008, Hal Wootten spoke of his belief that “every now and then there is the opportunity to give a little nudge that sends the law along the direction it ought to go”.

In the 2022 Hal Wootten Lecture, Chief Justice Kiefel discusses landmark cases that have shaped Australian common law, tracing the development of legal principles arising from those cases and highlighting how these cases are the culmination of past judicial “nudges” in the right direction.

This annual lecture was established in 2006 by UNSW Law & Justice in honour of our founding Dean, the late Emeritus Professor Hal Wootten AC QC. The lecture is a highlight of the UNSW year and commemorates Hal Wootten's vision for the Faculty and the role of lawyers in society.

Following the lecture, please join us for refreshments and conversation.

Registration for this event is essential.

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Live Event & Venue

Law Theatre is located within the UNSW Law Building at UNSW Sydney's Kensington Campus (refer F8 on this map). Please note this event will not be live-streamed.

Visitor Safety Information

The health and safety of our patrons is our top priority, and this event will abide by the Public Health Order prevailing at the time. Please follow our conditions of entry, and check back here for updated information prior to the event.

• Do not attend the event if you feel unwell, have recently experienced any cold or flu-like symptoms or are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.
• Face masks are recommended.

Access

Wheelchair Access

The closest accessible drop off point to the Law Theatre is the north entrance (F8 on map). Vehicles should arrive via High Street, Gate 2, follow Gate Two Ave to Union Road. The closest accessible parking is available in the Western Campus Car Park on Anzac Parade (G2) or the Barker Street parking station (N18).

Assisted Listening

The Law threatre has a hearing loop. Patrons wishing to utilise this need to simply switch their hearing aid to the T (Telecoil) setting to pick up on the wireless signal.

Parking & Public Transport

The Law theatre is easily accessible via public transport. Call the Transport Infoline on 131 500 or visit transportnsw.info.

Paid casual and visitor parking is offered via the CellOPark App and ‘pay by plate meters’. For more information head here.

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About the speaker

The Hon Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC, LLM (Cantab)

The Honourable Susan Mary Kiefel was appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia on 30 January 2017, having served as a Justice of the High Court since 3 September 2007.

Her Honour was born in Cairns, Queensland, Australia in 1954. She was educated in Queensland and at the University of Cambridge, where she received a Master of Law. Having been admitted to the Queensland Bar in 1975, in 1987 her Honour became the first woman in Queensland to be appointed Queen’s Counsel. She became a Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1993, and a Justice of the Federal Court in 1994. For four years (2003 to 2007) her Honour served as a part time Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission. She also held a commission as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Norfolk Island from 2004. Her Honour was awarded the Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2011.

In 2008, her Honour was made an Honorary Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge and a Doctor of the University of Griffith University. She was made a Doctor of Laws honoris causa by the University of Queensland in 2009, and awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of Adelaide in 2018. In 2019, her Honour received the awards of Doctor of the University from both the Queensland University of Technology and the University of the Sunshine Coast. Among other things, her Honour is a titular member of the International Academy of Comparative Law; an Honorary Bencher of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn; and an Honorary Professor of the Faculty of Law at The University of Hong Kong.