The time is right for New South Wales to legislate a Human Rights ACT, according to one of the legal profession’s preeminent minds.
Arthur Moses SC explored arguments for and against a Human Rights ACT in the state at Australian Catholic University’s ninth Annual Hon Barry O’Keefe Memorial Lecture at ACU’s Peter Cosgrove Centre in North Sydney.
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.
The event attracted legal academics, practitioners and students from ACU’s law school.
