The Hon. Stephen Charles QC, a former judge of the Victorian Court of Appeal, brings a wealth of experience and an enviable depth of intellectual rigour as he presents the likely impact of the Victorian Charter on issues as diverse as legal aid, cross-examination, jury bias, and laws dealing with terrorism and bikie gangs.

Through this presentation, Stephen Charles QC will address the potential effects of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights on criminal law and procedure from the perspective of the European Convention on Human Rights. This Convention has had a major impact on European criminal law and procedure.

The lecture will begin with the way in which the European Court of Human Rights has impacted the long established inquisitorial criminal procedure in Italy and France, forcing both countries to move much closer to the common law adversarial criminal procedure and causing consternation among judges, prosecutors and lawyers in both countries, and a constitutional crisis in Italy.

Then, turning to Victoria, Stephen Charles QC will present the potential limitations on Parliament and the Courts concerning retrospective judgments, legal aid, the conduct of trials including cross-examination, bias in the tribunal (including juries), legislation affecting groups such as bikie gangs and anti-terrorism legislation. How far will Victorian Courts be allowed to apply decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in relation to these and other matters?

Join us, as Stephen Charles QC presents a fascinating and valuable lecture.

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Since its inception in 2002 at the behest of then Chancellor, Ms Fay Marles, the Chancellor's Lecture has become a feature of the University of Melbourne calendar since its inception in 2002. Previous Chancellor's Lecture attendees include Radhika Coomaraswamy (UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict), the Honourable Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG (Member of the High Court of Australia) and the Right Honourable Malcolm Fraser AC CH (former Prime Minister of Australia).