Selden Society 2025 lecture three The origins of contemporary judicial power in Papua New Guinea Presented by the Hon Justice John Logan RFD Thursday 16 October 5.15 for 5.30pm Banco Court, Level 3, QEII Courts of Law
On the night of 19 June 1904, Christopher Stansfeld Robinson—the first Australian chief judicial officer in what became the Territory of Papua—died by suicide outside Government House in Port Moresby.
Behind this tragedy lay earlier tragedies, each rooted in the clash of civilisations that marked the colonial experience for what has become the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, for the Commonwealth of Australia and for a shared colonial predecessor, the United Kingdom.
Marking the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence, the Honourable Justice John Logan RFD will examine the causes of Robinson’s death and trace recurring themes in the development of judicial power in Papua New Guinea. His Honour suggests these themes offer valuable insights into Australia’s closest neighbour.
