Robin Cooke Lecture

The Cooke lecture is given in honour of the late Lord Cooke of Thorndon, a Law School alumnus who is widely considered New Zealand’s most eminent jurist.

Lord Cooke, ONZ, KBE, QC, PC (9 May 1926 – 30 August 2006) was born in Wellington, attended Wanganui Collegiate School, and graduated with an LLM degree from Victoria. He subsequently studied at Clare College, Cambridge as a Research Fellow. While on a travelling scholarship, Lord Cooke was awarded a MA degree in 1954 from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and subsequently, a PhD degree in 1955.

He practised law in New Zealand for almost 20 years and was appointed a QC in 1964. In 1972 he was appointed as a Judge of what was then the Supreme Court, now the High Court. In 1976 he was elevated to the New Zealand Court of Appeal, which at that time was the highest court in the country. In 1986 he was appointed as President of that Court, a position he was to hold for the next 10 years. He is the only New Zealand judge to have sat in the House of Lords of the United Kingdom.

Now a firm tradition at the Faculty of Law, the Robin Cooke lecture continues to be the pinnacle of the calendar of events and is generously supported by the Cooke family.

Robin Cooke Lecture 2026

Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon

In 2026, the Faculty of Law are pleased to welcome Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon to deliver the Robin Cooke Lecture. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon has served as Chief Justice of Singapore since 2012. A distinguished graduate of the National University of Singapore and Harvard Law School, he has held leading roles across legal practice, the judiciary, and public service, including Attorney-General of Singapore. Internationally recognised for his contributions to the law, he is President of the Singapore Academy of Law and has received numerous honours, including honorary doctorates and Singapore’s highest civilian award, the Order of Temasek (with Distinction).

His lecture is titled, A Collaborative Approach to the Rule of Law, and explores how the rule of law can remain effective in an era of rapid technological, social and institutional change. Focusing on challenges relating to legal capability, access to justice and public trust in courts, it argues that sustaining the rule of law requires collaboration across the legal profession, government, civil society and international borders. Ultimately, it presents the rule of law as a shared responsibility, achieved through collective efforts to maintain a capable profession, accessible justice system and trusted judiciary.

Past Cooke lectures have been given by: