The Fitzgerald Biennial Lecture Series is a flagship program that honours the contribution to Queensland made by the Honourable Gerald Edward (Tony) Fitzgerald AC, QC. The first lecture was held on the 20 year anniversary of his landmark report on corruption and good governance in the state.
The Fitzgerald Report marks a watershed in Queensland and Australia’s political history. In addition to the justice and governance reforms, the report and inquiry served as a catalyst and inspiration for many researchers and practitioners working in these fields.
The 2016 Fitzgerald Lecture was held at the State Library of Queensland and presented by The Honourable Margaret McMurdo AC.
In the 2017 Tony Fitzgerald lecture, The Honourable Margaret McMurdo AC explored Queensland’s current executive, judicial and parliamentary governance. She made suggestions on what works, what doesn’t, and how things might be done better in each of the three arms of government.
The Honourable Margaret McMurdo AC was President, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Queensland, for almost 19 years from 1998 until her retirement earlier this year. She was the first woman to hold such a position in Australia and the second person to fill this role, following the inaugural President, the Honourable Tony Fitzgerald AC. Margaret was an Assistant Public Defender for over 13 years before entering private practice as a barrister in 1989. She was appointed a judge of the District Court of Queensland in 1991. In 1993, she additionally held a commission as a Children’s Court Judge. She was the first Queensland woman to fill both those roles. Margaret was a member of Griffith University Council from 2003 until 2013. In her post-judicial life, Margaret has chaired the board of Legal Aid Queensland since May 2017. She is an Adjunct Professor in the TC Bierne School of Law, University of Queensland, and patron of Women’s Legal Service; Caxton Legal Service; and LawRight’s Civil Justice Fund.
