Prominent legal eagles to debate Bill of Rights issue

The need for a Bill of Rights in Australia will be hotly debated by two prominent legal eagles during the Shine Lawyers/USQ Law School’s Free Public Lecture.

The lecture, to be held at the USQ Allison Dickson Theatre on November 4 at 6pm, is part of a series and will take the form of the debate: Should Australia have a Bill of Rights? It will be chaired by Shine Lawyers Associate Carolyn Howe.

Ed Santow, a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of New South Wales and Director of the Charter of Human Rights project at the Gilbert and Tobin Centre of Public Law, will be the speaker for the affirmative.

Mr Santow has previously worked at the Australian Law Reform Commission, as a solicitor at a Sydney law firm and as an associate to a High Court judge.His main areas of expertise are Human Rights, Administrative Law and Constitutional Law.

On the opposing side will be Professor Jim Allan, who is Garrick Professor of Law at the University of Queensland. A native-born Canadian, Professor Allan has practised law at a large firm in Toronto and at the bar in London.

Professor Allan has taught in Hong Kong, Sydney and New Zealand. His primary areas of research interest are Legal Philosophy, Constitutional Law and Bill of Rights Scepticism.

USQ Law lecturer Craig Burgess said a debate concerning a Bill of Rights is timely in view of a recent recommendation by the National Human Rights Consultation Committee for a Federal Human Rights Act.

'Australia is the only democratic country in the world that does not have a national charter or bill that protects human rights,' Mr Burgess said.

'The debaters have radically different views the debate might help local residents better understand the issues. The Rudd government says it will respond to the report by the end of the year.'

Members of the public are welcome to attend the debate. Light refreshments will be served from 5.30pm until 6pm.