Mrs Chester’s lost child: inconsolable psychological injury and Justice Evatt's finest judgment

Gideon Haigh’s latest book The brilliant boy recovers HV ‘Doc’ Evatt as one of our most compelling and dynamic public figures—in law, politics, history and culture, he was the great agitator against the insular complacency of his era.

Central to Haigh’s portrait of Evatt’s remarkable prime is the case of Max Chester, an immigrant child who drowned in 1937. Evatt’s dissenting judgment marks a critical moment in our law and its approach to psychological trauma.

In this lecture chaired by the Hon Justice Peter Applegarth AM, author Gideon Haigh will speak about Evatt and the judge’s empathy for Mrs Chester’s suffering. Associate Professor Kylie Burns of Griffith Law School will follow Gideon Haigh's talk by commenting on the contemporary relevance of Chester’s case to how inconsolable psychological trauma is currently dealt with by our legal system.

This lecture will also be livestreamed.

For more information:

• visit sclqld.org.au/selden
• email events@sclqld.org.au
• phone 1300 SCLQLD (1300 725 753)

SCLQ gratefully acknowledges the Australian Academy of Law for their valuable support of this event.

COVID-19: For your safety, in-person attendance numbers will be limited and social distancing measures will be in place for this event. There will be access to hand sanitisers in the building.