Juries—their place in democracy: achievements and challenges

Selden Society lecture series Australia

It is 100 years since women were allowed to serve on juries in Queensland, the first state in Australia to introduce what was then a radical reform. What are the challenges today for the composition of juries to reflect the judgment of a defendant’s peers and reflect modern democratic values?

About the speaker

The Hon Roslyn Atkinson AO is a graduate of The University of Queensland—Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (1970), Bachelor of Educational Studies (1975) and Bachelor of Laws (Honours I) (1985).

The Hon Roslyn Atkinson was the recipient of the Ruthning Memorial Scholarship (1984) and several prizes, including the Wilkinson Memorial Prize (1984) for obtaining the highest results in law courses taken over the program of study. She was also awarded the James Archibald Douglas Prize (1985) for highest results in the Bar Practice Course.

In 1986 the Hon Roslyn Atkinson was Associate to the Hon Sir Gerard Brennan of the High Court of Australia. After being admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1987, the Hon Roslyn Atkinson commenced practice at the Bar.

The Hon Roslyn Atkinson has served as a member (1992–94) and inaugural President of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal (1994–97), Hearing Commissioner of the Human Rights and Equal

Opportunity Commission (1994–97) and Chair of the Queensland Law Reform Commission (2002–2014).

In 2015 the Hon Roslyn Atkinson was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the judiciary and to law reform in Queensland, through contributions to the legal profession and to promoting awareness of issues of injustice and inequality in Australia and internationally.

The Hon Roslyn Atkinson was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1998 and retired in 2018.

Post retirement, she has had a variety of roles including being a Commissioner with the Disability Royal Commission, Chair of Screen Queensland and is currently a member of the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry.

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