The Great Legal Debate

Posted on September 23, 2004 by Ken Parish
Posted in Law

For masochists who found the Great Debate between Howard and Latham to be rivetting television, and who have an interest in matters legal, you may wish to view the webcast of the Great Legal Debate between Coalition cadaver and Attorney-General Philip Ruddock and his Labor counterpart Nicola Roxon. It was an event conducted by the Gilbert and Tobin Centre of Public Law a couple of days ago in Sydney. The debate was chaired by the Centre's Director George Williams (who I'm reliably informed isn't Clive Hamilton under a pseudonym) and the contestants were quizzed (not very aggressively or even entertainingly) by a panel. I confess I didn't find it especially exciting, but others conceivably might.

3 Comments

  1. L.F. Brown
    September 23, 2004

    Well, you did warn us. It was not very interesting and only a little more so than a reading of their policy papers. Ruddock was bland and Roxon quite smug. And not much of a debate either. I had mostly forgotten what they said as soon as the next question came up. There should have been a segment where they could throw questions at each other or at least follow up on their other answers (eg. when Ruddock wanted to interject about the Hicks issue near the end.) I don't expect a "And Justice for All" moment, but something to think about.

    Would I want these people to be my lawyer or on my side? Not really from the contents of this "debate." An online debate would be good, with a chance for more extended answers.

    And what was she talking about on the third question about the appointment/advertising of senior positions in the judiciary when she mentioned her "Mexican credentials"?

  2. Ken Parish
    September 24, 2004

    I presume she meant Victorian i.e. south of the border. Queenslanders refer to settlers from anywhere "down south" (including NSW and Victoria) as "Mexicans".

  3. L.F. Brown
    September 24, 2004

    Which would make Queenslanders Texan. Okay.