One of the country's leading critical legal intellectuals, University of Auckland Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey is giving her valedictory lecture this Thursday 28 July.

The lecture, titled Truth to Power: the Legal Academic as Licensed Subversive, delves into the role and responsibilities of legal scholars as active members of societies, focusing on four core areas of Kelsey's activism – decolonisation and te Tiriti o Waitangi; the political economy of public policy; globalisation; and the quasi-constitutional role of universities as public institutions.

Kelsey argues that critical scholars need to take teaching and research beyond lecture theatres, academic conferences and scholarly journals and apply academic skills, knowledge and power to advancing transformative justice. This is something she worked hard to do for four decades, and it's what one of her mentors, Ranginui Walker, termed academic activism.

The valedictory lecture is on Thursday 28 July 2022 and can be viewed online or in person. The event is free and all attendees are encouraged to wear masks.

Read more about Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey's career as one of the country's leading critical legal intellectuals, the academic landscape, speaking out publicly, and her 'retirement'.
 

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