2022 MAYBANKE LECTURE

The Hon Virginia Bell AC

Criminal Justice – Scoring the Feminist Agenda

The Hon Virginia Bell will deliver the 9th Maybanke Lecture in the presence of Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of NSW. Her 2022 Maybanke Lecture will address the achievements and the missteps in implementing a ‘feminist agenda’ in the administration of criminal justice in NSW over the past 40 years.

Maybanke Wolstenholme joined forces with Rose Scott and others in the campaign to raise the age of consent to protect young girls against exploitation. She recognised the link between prostitution and crime and, more generally, she had the enlightened (if optimistic) view that we would be better-off investing in early childhood care and education than in prisons.

Virginia Bell has witnessed notable changes in the treatment of women and children complainants, particularly in sexual cases. At the same time, on the other side of the ledger, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of women in prison, a development that Maybanke would have deplored.

This will be Virginia's first major public speech since her retirement in February 2021.

PLEASE NOTE

The in-person event at Customs House is now sold out.

You can still purchase tickets to watch it via Live Streaming. We will send you the link to the Live Stream closer to the event date.