Castan Centre for Human Rights Law

Same Sex Marriage Forum

Same Sex Marriage is one of the most controversial human rights issues in the developed world.   At a public forum held by the Castan Centre on 26 May 2005 presenters discussed a range of issues including the legal implications of same sex marriage, recent legal developments in Australia and overseas and the philosophical arguments relating to this issue. 

Speakers

Mr Grevis Beard
Grevis has worked in Australia and internationally in the field of equal opportunity law. He is currently Senior Complaints Officer for the Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria.  Grevis also has experience as a barrister and solicitor and has performed policy work at the Law Society of England and Wales, complaint resolution at the United Kingdom's Commission for Racial Equality and communication work for Save the Children (US) in Afghanisthan/Pakistan. Grevis discussed this issue from an Australian law perspective.
Paper available

Associate Professor Kristen Walker
Kristen is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Melbourne and a barrister.  Her areas of teaching and research include constitutional law, international law and human rights law.  She has written extensively on law and sexuality. Associate Professor Walker discussed legal developments in Australia and overseas, particularly in the United States and Canada.
Powerpoint presentation

Professor Raimond Gaita
Raimond is Professor of Moral Philosophy at King's College University of London, Professor of Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Because he believes that it is generally a good thing for philosophers to address an educated and hard-thinking lay audience as well as their colleagues, he has contributed extensively to public discussion on numerous topics.  Professor Gaita discussed this issue from a philosophical point of view.
Paper available