Sir Ken Keith Lecture

The Sir Ken Keith Lecture is given in honour of Sir Kenneth Keith, one of New Zealand’s preeminent scholars in public and international law.

Sir Ken contributed enormously to the life of the Law Faculty, as an academic earlier in his career and until his passing, as an Emeritus Professor. He also served as Dean several times.

This lecture is held concurrently with the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law (ANZSIL) Annual Conference in Wellington. ANZSIL brings together the region’s leading thinkers and practitioners in all spheres of international law. The conference is an opportunity to build understanding of New Zealand’s interests in international law. The lecture allows the public as well as practitioners and the academic community to be better informed about the important role that international law plays in New Zealand’s legal system. Sir Kenneth gave the lecture on the first occasion in 2015.

ANZSIL Conferences are typically held in Canberra for two years, and then Wellington for the third (the 2021 conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Sir Ken Keith Lecture 2026

The 2026 Sir Ken Keith Lecture will be delivered by Judge Kevin Riordan, Chief Judge of the Court Martial of New Zealand on Wednesday 1 July 2026.

Past lectures have been given by:

• 2023: Professor Timothy McCormack, Professor of Law at the University of Tasmania. This lecture was supported by the Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation.
• 2018: Hon Robert French AC, a former Australian Chief Justice, gave the lecture that year. His attendance was supported by the Law Foundation.
• 2015: Sir Kenneth Keith presented.