The Hamlyn Lectures are a series of public lectures in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland given annually on a legal topic. The lectures have been given every year since 1949 in memory of Emma Hamlyn 's father William Bussell Hamlyn.
History The Hamlyn Trust was established in 1948 by the 1939 will of Emma Warburton Hamlyn in memory of her father, William Bussell Hamlyn, a solicitor and JP in Torquay. Emma Hamlyn had travelled widely and was intrigued by the relation between each country and their laws. Her mother, Emma Gorsuch Warburton, had died in 1913 and her father died in 1919. After this she spent the last twenty years at her home in Ilsham reading and receiving visitors.
The trust was to furtheramong the Common People of this Country of the knowledge of the Comparative Jurisprudence and the Ethnology of the Chief European countries including our own and the circumstances of the growth of such Jurisprudence to the intent that the Common People of our Country may realise the privileges which in law and custom they enjoy in comparison with other European Peoples and realising and appreciating such privileges may recognize the responsibilities and obligations attaching to them.Initially there was doubt as to whether the trust was valid, but the High Court approved a scheme for the administration of the trust in 1948, which followed closely the wording of the will.
The lectures became popular after Lord Denning delivered the first one and others agreed to follow his example.
List of Hamlyn Lectures YearLecturerTitle1949Sir Alfred DenningFreedom Under the Law1950Richard O'SullivanThe Inheritance of the Common Law1951F. H. LawsonThe Rational Strength of English Law1952A. L. GoodhartEnglish Law and the Moral Law1953Sir Carleton Kemp AllenThe Queen's Peace1954C. J. HamsonExecutive Discretion and Judicial Control: An Aspect of the French Conseil d'Etat1955Glanville WilliamsThe Proof of Guilt: A Study of the English Criminal Trial1956Sir Patrick DevlinTrial by Jury1957Lord MacDermottProtection from Power under English Law1958Sir David Hughes ParryThe Sanctity of Contracts in English Law1959C. H. S. FifootJudge and Jurist in the Reign of Victoria1960M. C. SetalvadThe Common Law in India1961T. B. SmithBritish Justice: The Scottish Contribution1962R. E. MegarryLawyer and Litigant in England1963Baroness Wootton of AbingerCrime and the Criminal Law: Reflections of a Magistrate and Social Scientist1964Erwin N. GriswoldLaw and Lawyers in the United States: The Common Law Under Stress1965Lord TangleyNew Law for a New World?1966Lord KilbrandonOther People's Law1967O. D. SchreinerThe Contribution of English Law to South African Law; and the Rule of Law in South Africa1968Harry StreetJustice in the Welfare State1969Bora LaskinThe British Tradition in Canadian Law1970Henry CecilThe English Judge1971Rupert CrossPunishment, Prison and the Public: An Assessment of Penal Reform in Twentieth Century England by an Armchair Penologist1972Otto Kahn-FreundLabour and the Law1973K. C. WheareMaladministration and its Remedies1974Sir Leslie ScarmanEnglish Law—The New Dimension1975Sir Desmond HeapThe Land and the Development; or, the Turmoil and the Torment1976Sir Robert MicklethwaitThe National Insurance Commissioners1977Lord Mackenzie StuartThe European Communities and the Rule of Law1978Sir Norman AndersonLiberty, Law and Justice1979O. R. McGregorSocial History and Law Reform1980H. W. R. WadeConstitutional Fundamentals1981Hubert MonroeIntolerable Inquisition? Reflections on the Law of Tax1982Tony HonoréThe Quest for Security: Employees, Tenants, Wives1983Lord Hailsham of St. MaryleboneHamlyn Revisited: The British Legal System Today1984Sir Gordon BorrieThe Development of Consumer Law and Policy—Bold Spirits and Timorous Souls1985Ralf DahrendorfLaw and Order1986Sir Jack I. H. JacobThe Fabric of English Civil Justice1987P. S. AtiyahPragmatism and Theory in English Law1988J. C. SmithJustification and Excuse in the Criminal Law1989Sir Harry WoolfProtection of the Public—A New Challenge1990Claire PalleyThe United Kingdom and Human Rights1991Sir Gordon SlynnIntroducing a European Legal Order1992Richard AbelSpeech and Respect1993Lord Mackay of ClashfernThe Administration of Justice1994William TwiningBlackstone's Tower: The English Law School1995Dame Brenda HaleFrom the Tube to the Coffin: Choice and Regulation in Private Life1996Lord Cooke of ThorndonTurning Points of the Common Law1997Roy GoodeCommercial Law in the Next Millennium1998Sir Stephen SedleyFreedom, Law and Justice1999Michael ZanderThe State of Justice2000Anthony KingDoes the United Kingdom Still Have a Constitution?2001Andrew AshworthHuman Rights, Serious Crime and Criminal Procedure2002Baroness Kennedy of the ShawsLegal Conundrums in our Brave New World2003Michael KirbyJudicial Activism: Authority, Principle and Policy in the Judicial Method2004Sir Bob HeppleRights at Work: Global, European and British Perspectives2005Conor GeartyCan Human Rights Survive?2006Sir Francis JacobsThe Sovereignty of Law: The European Way2007Nicola LaceyThe Prisoners' Dilemma: Political Economy and Punishment in Contemporary Democracies2008Dame Hazel GennJudging Civil Justice2009Lord Bingham of CornhillWidening Horizons: The Influence of Comparative Law and International Law on Domestic Law2010Alan PatersonLawyers and the Public Good: Democracy in Action?2011Jeremy WaldronThe Rule of Law and the Measure of Property2012Jack StrawAspects of Law Reform: An Insider's Perspective2013Sir John LawsThe Common Law Constitution2014Paul CraigUK, EU and Global Administrative Law: Foundations and Challenges2015Michael FreemanA Magna Carta for Children? Rethinking Children's Rights2016Dame Sian EliasGolden Threads and Pragmatic Patches: Fairness in Criminal Justice2017Andrew BurrowsThinking about Statutes: Interpretation, Interaction, Improvement2018Robin Allen QCWhy does Equality seem so difficult? Three problems in comparison.2019Professor Sir John BakerEnglish Law under two Elizabeths2020Eleanor Sharpston QC (delivered online)The Great Experiment: Constructing a European Union under the Rule of Law from a Group of Diverse Sovereign States2021Lord Pannick QCAdvocacy2022Professor Catherine O’ReganCourts and the Body Politic2023Lord Thomas of CwmgieddLaws for a nation and laws for transnational commerce. Where is the line drawn?2024Professor Richard MoorheadFrail professionalism2025Professor Dame Sarah Worthington DBEThe Paradoxes of Property Law
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