Two of Scotland’s greatest legal minds visit the University of Aberdeen today for the inaugural lectures in a landmark new series for Scots Law.
For many years The Hamlyn Lectures have provided an annual opportunity for a major figure in law to give a series of lectures in different locations, largely in England and Wales. However, no comparable series has existed in Scotland.
Now, thanks to funding from The Clark Foundation, the University of Aberdeen Law School is able to redress the balance by hosting the Inaugural Jean Clark Lectures. The 2007 series will be given by the Rt. Hon. Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, a former Lord President of the Court of Session and a Law Lord in the House of Lords. He will discuss how the judiciary handled the constitutional and legal implications of the Disruption in the Church of Scotland during the 19th Century.
The lectures, which take place on May 1, 2 and 3 at 6.30pm in King's College Auditorium, will be chaired by the Rt. Hon. Lord Mackay of Clashfern, a former Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.
"Like Lord Rodger, Lord Mackay is one of the great modern minds on Scots Law, and he is intimately acquainted with the Presbyterian Disruption," said Professor Paul Beaumont, Head of the University of Aberdeen Law School.
"We're delighted to be able to host these inaugural lectures and indebted to the Clark Foundation for funding such a landmark series. Our hope is that the Jean Clark Lectures will become a major event in Scots law and rotate around Scotland's four main cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow."
The lectures will be published and will take account of questions and comments on the day.
Kenneth Pritchard, Chairman of the Clark Foundation, added," The Clark Foundation is delighted that the Rt Hon Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, a House of Lords Judge, is to give the Inaugural Jean Clark Lectures. This will be a fascinating series of lectures given by one of Scotland's pre eminent judges and scholars."