Conversations with the common law: Exposure, privacy, and societal values

Prof Moreham examines what the development of the tort of privacy tells us about the common law and the way it shapes and responds to changing societal values.

Inaugural lecture—Professor Nicole Moreham

March 2021

The protection of privacy has been at the vanguard of common-law development for the last two decades. Courts in New Zealand, England and Wales have developed new privacy torts protecting against the unwanted exposure of private information and activities. These changes have transformed the legal landscape in which the media, government and private individuals operate. They have also significantly influenced society’s understanding of privacy and its importance.

In this lecture, Professor Nicole Moreham examines what the development of the tort of privacy tells us about the common law and the way it shapes and responds to changing societal values. Reflecting on her own experience growing up with the privacy torts, she considers the role of the legal scholar in common law development and shows how conversations between the common law and the society it serves enrich both parties to it.

This is Professor Moreham’s inaugural lecture as Professor in Law at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Our public lecture series gives you the opportunity to engage with the latest thinking on the world’s major issues.

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