Mrs Chester’s lost child: inconsolable psychological injury and Justice Evatt’s finest judgement Artwork

Selden Society lecture series Australia

Join a variety of judicial officers, legal professionals and academics for this informative and provocative series of legal history lectures. Each episode presents a single story uncovering a unique aspect of our common law past. This might be literature or language, a fascinating event or item, a significant person, or the development of a legal idea. These lectures are recorded in the Banco Court, Brisbane, and are now available to the world.

All Episodes

Selden Society lecture series Australia

 Mrs Chester’s lost child: inconsolable psychological injury and Justice Evatt’s finest judgement

September 19, 2021 • Supreme Court Library Queensland (SCLQ) • Season 3 • Episode 25

After her ‘brilliant boy’ drowned in an unfenced trench in 1937, Mrs Chester took legal action against the local council. Although her claim would ultimately be unsuccessful, the dissenting and empathic judgment of Justice Evatt would mark a critical moment in Australian law and its approach to psychological trauma. In our latest podcast author Gideon Haigh and Associate Professor Kylie Burns examine Justice Evatt’s judgment and discuss how inconsolable psychological trauma is viewed by our legal system today.

Gideon Haigh is a well know Australian author and journalist, who has written several books on a wide variety of subjects.

Associate Professor Kylie Burns is a national recognised torts and personal injury researcher and educator. She is a co-author of the leading text Torts: Cases and Commentary.

This lecture is brought to you by the Australian Academy of Law (academyoflaw.org.au/) and the Selden Society (Australia) (legalheritage.sclqld.org.au/selden-society).

Support the show