Indigenous human rights expert to deliver keynote speech

Professor Megan Davis will discuss Indigenous human rights during a keynote speech as part of the 20 year anniversary celebrations for Southern Cross University’s School of Law and Justice at this year’s annual Michael Kirby Lecture on Friday, October, 11, at the Lismore campus.

The Lecture will form part of the celebrations for the School of Law and Justice, which first offered law from the Lismore campus in 1993.

Kirby lecture convenor, Professor Bee Chen Goh, believes Professor Davis will offer great insight into Indigenous human rights.

“Not only is Megan a distinguished academic at the University of NSW, but she has vast experience in the area,” Professor Goh said.

“She is an expert member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples and only last year she was the Rapporteur of the UPFII Expert Group Meeting on Violence Against Indigenous Women in New York. She was elected again in 2013 as the Rapporteur for the UNPFII Expert Group Meeting on Indigenous Youth.

“This caps off her extensive experience as an international lawyer at the UN where she worked for over a decade, participating in the drafting of the UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples (1999-2004). Megan is also a former UN Fellow of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.”

Professor Davis’ Lecture will consider the most recent constitutional project, the 'recognition' of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Constitution of Australia. She will explore the politics of racial non-discrimination in the current constitutional reform process and explain why 'soft' recognition – the trend in State Constitutions – should be disavowed. Professor Davis’ Lecture starts at 6pm at the Whitebrook Theatre and is free to the public.

The evening then continues at Zest Restaurant from 7.30pm when Emeritus Professor Jim Jackson (Foundation Dean), Professor Stanley Yeo (former Dean) and Magistrate David Heilpern will be guest speakers over dinner. The School of Law and Justice Alumni Fund for Scholarships and Prizes will be launched during dinner.

Dinner tickets are priced at $90 general admission or $75 for current students or group bookings of more than four. For further information or to book a spot at Zest please email lawevents@scu.edu.au

The Lecture Series is named after Australia’s most iconic judge, The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG. When he retired from the High Court in 2009, Mr Kirby was Australia’s longest serving judge. He has remained active in retirement.

Recently, Mr Kirby was appointed as the chair of the UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry to investigate human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The COI was announced in March and is now operational. The COI’s mandate is to investigate fundamental human rights violations such as the right to food, violations associated with prison camps, torture and inhuman treatment, arbitrary detention, violations of the right to life, freedom of movement and enforced disappearances, discrimination and violations of freedom of expression.

Unfortunately, his appointment to this Commission means he will miss this year’s lecture but he believes Professor Davis will deliver a great lecture in his absence.

Photo: Professor Megan Davis.