Three Law Deans — and what they Teach of Deanship

Abstract

In this article, the author honours three former Deans of Law of The Australian National University: Jack Richardson, Harry Whitmore, and Michael Coper. His remarks are derived from three speeches he gave in 2012: the 2012 Harry Whitmore Memorial Lecture,¹ the 2012 Jack Richardson Memorial Lecture,² and an address to The Australian National University's 2012 Law Alumni Dinner on the occasion of the retirement from the Deanship of Michael Coper.³ Jack Richardson and Harry Whitmore were pioneers of Australian administrative law. Michael Coper, a constitutional lawyer whose views were shaped by his family's direct experience of Nazism, served as Dean for a record term of 15 years. The author reflects on the life stories of these three Law Deans, and derives some conclusions on the nature of the office of Dean of Law in a modern Australian University.⁴