The Francis Forbes Society for Australian Legal History (ACN 099 158 620) is a registered public company, limited by guarantee.
The aims of the society, as expressed in its Constitution are to:
- Encourage the study and advance the knowledge of the history of Australian law
- Publish and promote, for the benefit of the public, books, journals, periodicals and other literary publications
- Arrange and promote, for the benefit of the public, continuing education
- Promote the compilation of authentic records relating to Australian and Indigenous law.
Become a member
The Society is dedicated to studying and documenting the history of Australian law. Its membership includes legal practitioners, academics, journalists and students. Benefits of membership include timely notification of legal history events via updates emailed to members from time to time and opportunities to obtain discounts on publications from time to time published or arranged by the Society.
About Sir Francis
Sir Francis Forbes was the first Chief Justice of New South Wales, between 13 October 1823 and 1 July 1837.
An informative summary on the career of Sir Francis Forbes is available at the Australian Dictionary of Biography. A profile of him and other chief justices may also be obtained from the history pages of the web site of the NSW Supreme Court.
| Members of Council | |
| President | The Hon James Allsop AC |
| Senior Vice President | The Hon Justice Geoff Lindsay AM |
| Junior Vice President | Professor Mark Lunney |
| Hon Treasurer | Carol Webster SC |
| Hon Secretary | Dr Simon Chapple SC |
| Members | Wendy Robinson KC – former (founding) Junior Vice President |
| Associate Professor Ben Chen – The University of Sydney Law School | |
| David Miller – a partner of Colin Biggers & Paisley | |
| Jacqueline Dawson, Junior Vice President of the Law Society of NSW | |
| Hon Executive Director | Heather Moore, Executive Director of the NSW Bar Association |
| Members of the Advisory Board | Life members of the Society |
| The Hon Justice Mark Leeming (Court of Appeal) | Emeritus Professor Bruce Kercher (founding President) |
| Tony Cunneen (History teacher at St Pius X College Chatswood) | David Ash (former Editor, Forbes Flyer) |
| David Ash, barrister | |
| The Hon Keith Mason AC KC – former (founding) Senior Vice President | |
| Kathleen Morris, barrister | |
| Mandy Tibbey, barrister | |
| Daniel Yazdani, barrister |
Make a donation
One of the Society’s objects is to encourage and promote research into Australian legal history and it maintains a fund for that purpose to which donations may be made – the Francis Forbes Fund (donations of $2.00 or more to which are tax deductible). The membership form has provision for donations.
Annual Reports
The Francis Forbes Society for Australian Legal History’s annual reports from previous years.
