The Supreme Court of Tasmania
ITS FIRST CENTURY 1824 - 1924

'The collection is a varied and interesting miscellany. … The essays record important cases heard in the [Supreme] Court which are significant for the light they throw on the general history of Tasmania or which can be regarded as leading cases in the development of the law. They include the first criminal trial heard in the Supreme Court when William Tibbs was convicted of killing a black man; colourful libel actions which were so frequent and aroused such public interest that they could almost qualify as a colonial sport; the landmark decision which defined the role and function of the Judiciary when the Court refused to entertain an application by the Legislative Council for as advisory opinion about the relationship between the Governor and the Parliament, and the great case of D'Emden v Pedder which was the first important federal constitutional case to be heard in Australia and in which the dissenting opinion of [Carrel Inglis] Clark's father, Mr Justice Andrew Inglis Clark, was vindicated on appeal to the High Court. … [Carrel Inglis] Clark's comments about legal and constitutional issues are thoughful and well informed and remarkable for a man who had no legal or indeed any other formal educational qualifications.' The editor, Dr Richard Ely, is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Tasmania. He is the author of several books, including Unto God and Caesar: Religious Issues in the Engineering Commonwealth, 1891 &endash; 1906. He is also joint complier (with Dr Jean Ely) of Lionel Murphy: The Rule of Law.