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"The annual McPherson Lecture Series, inspired by the famous Hamlyn Lecture Series in England, hosts a celebrated international scholar or legal expert to deliver a series of three lectures. In this, the third, volume, The Honourable James Jacob Spigelman, considers the theme of statutory interpretation and human rights. The first of these lectures, The Common Law Bill of Rights, considers the principles of the law of statutory interpretation which constitute, in substance, a common law bill of rights. The second lecture, The Application of Quasi-constitutional Laws, considers the developing jurisprudence of the application of the special interpretive provision in human rights legislation and how the principles of statutory interpretation are applied to legislation of this character. The final lecture, Legitimate and Spurious Interpretation, considers the difficulties posed for interpretation by the need to balance conflicting human rights and the limits of interpretation. These thought-provoking and timely essays tackle an important and controversial area of law, that has real repercussions for the reputation of the law, the role of judges and the independence of the court system in Australia."--Provided by publisher

AbstractFreedom from fear, expressly recognized in the foundational human rights treaties, has been forgotten in human rights discourse. Fear can have profound behavioural impacts. Without recognition of the importance of freedom from fear, the fulfilment of many human rights is compromised, particularly physical security. Politico-legal thought, from Montesquieu and Blackstone, has long identified the significance of security of the person and the tension between liberty and security. Comparative exploration of contemporary case law reveals disparate approaches to the recognition of security of the person as an individual right which the State is obliged to protect. Increasing the salience of security of the person and the dimension of freedom from fear in human rights decision making raises the difficult issue of balancing conflicting rights.

This volume of speeches by Murray Gleeson AC, QC, who served as Chief Justice of New South Wales, then of Australia, for two decades, is, as James Spigelman has put it in his foreword, "a testament to judicial leadership". While his judgments are his most enduring and primary contribution to the law, in hundreds of occasional speeches he explained the role and importance of the rule of law, and of the institutions through which it is maintained.Although Murray Gleeson is known as a judge, he is also one of our great legal writers. The selected papers are models of elegant expression, clarity of thought, deep contemplation and scholarship. They cover several broad themes: the rule of law, advocacy, judging, legal history, the judiciary as an arm of government, the application of legal principle, and international commercial arbitration.As James Spigelman acutely observes, Murray Gleeson's patient and seemingly tireless effort in explaining the significance of the rule of law and legal institutions is "a critical aspect of judicial leadership. That is particularly so in an era, such as the period covered herein, when institutions are being attacked and, even, subverted". These speeches are part of the legacy that Murray Gleeson has bequeathed to his successors in the law and to the Australian community