Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

The CPL Sir David Williams Lecture Podcast

Education EN ↓ 20 episodes

The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. The lecture series is hosted by the Centre for Public Law (CPL). The Cambridge Faculty of Law has a long tradition of outstanding scholarship in Constitutional and Administrative Law as can be seen from the contributions of E.C.S. Wade, Stanley de Smith and Sir William Wade. Today a significant number of Faculty members continue to have research interests in these fields and in the a...

Author

Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

Episodes

Neither Parliamentary Sovereignty nor Judicial Supremacy: The Rule of Law as the Rule of Common Right and Reason: The 2025 Sir David Williams Lecture 01.12.2025 56:30

On Friday 28 November 2025, The Professor Trevor Allan FBA delivered the 202 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Neither Parliamentary Sovereignty nor Judicial Supremacy: The Rule of Law as the Rule of Common Right and Reason". The lecture begins at: 07:27 The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Profess...

'Judicial review of discretionary decision-making: differences of approach': The 2024 Sir David Williams Lecture 24.10.2024 53:23

On Friday 18 October 2024, The Honourable Susan Mary Kiefel AC KC delivered the 2024 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Judicial review of discretionary decision-making: differences of approach". The lecture begins at: 05:40 The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus...

'The Craft of Constitutional Adjudication': The 2023 Sir David Williams Lecture 05.05.2023 51:09

On Thursday 5 May 2023, Professor Kat O'Regan (University of Oxford) delivered the 2023 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "The Craft of Constitutional Adjudication". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. More information a...

'White water rafting: The UK's constitutions at a time of stress': The 2022 Sir David Williams Lecture 09.05.2022 55:48

On Friday 6 May 2022, Professor David Feldman delivered the 2022 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "White water rafting: The UK's constitutions at a time of stress". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. More information a...

'Principle and Pragmatism in Public Law': The 2019 Sir David Williams Lecture 18.10.2019 44:56

On Friday 18 October 2019, Lady Brenda Hale delivered the 2019 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Principle and Pragmatism in Public Law". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. More information about this lecture, includin...

'Where Are We Going? Reflections on the Rule of Law in a Dangerous World': The 2018 Sir David Williams Lecture 23.10.2018 51:42

On Friday 19 October 2018, The Rt Hon. Beverley McLachlin delivered the 2018 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Where Are We Going? Reflections on the Rule of Law in a Dangerous World". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University...

'Divided by a common language: British and American perspectives on Constitutional Law': The 2017 Sir David Williams Lecture 28.02.2017 1:10:35

On Friday 24 February 2017, The Honourable Mr Justice Singh delivered the 2017 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Divided by a common language: British and American perspectives on Constitutional Law". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Camb...

'The lion beneath the throne: law as history': The 2016 Sir David Williams Lecture 09.03.2016 52:25

On Friday 4 March 2016, Sir Stephen Sedley delivered the 2016 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "The lion beneath the throne: law as history". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. More information about this lecture, incl...

'Devolution. Federation. Constitution. From here to where?': The 2015 Sir David Williams Lecture 27.02.2015 50:27

On Friday 27 February 2015, Laureate Professor Cheryl Saunders of the University of Melbourne delivered the 2014 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Devolution. Federation. Constitution. From here to where?". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor o...

'Not in the Public Interest': The 2014 Sir David Williams Lecture 21.02.2014 49:39

On Friday 21 February 2014, Conor Gearty of LSE and Matrix Chambers, delivered the 2014 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Not in the Public Interest". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. More information about this lect...

'The Relationship Between the European Court of Human Rights and National Constitutional Courts?': The 2013 Sir David Williams Lecture 18.02.2013 59:01

On Friday 15th February 2013, Judge Jean-Paul Costa, former President of the European Court of Human Rights, delivered the 2013 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "The Relationship Between the European Court of Human Rights and National Constitutional Courts?". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Pr...

'The Good Constitution': The 2012 Sir David Williams Lecture 06.06.2012 1:02:30

On Friday 4th May 2012, the Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Laws delivered the 2012 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "The Good Constitution". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. More information about this lecture, including phot...

'The Rule of Law and Human Dignity': The 2011 Sir David Williams Lecture 06.05.2011 1:14:10

On Friday 6th May 2011, Professor Jeremy Waldron delivered the 2011 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled 'The Rule of Law and Human Dignity'. The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. More information about this lecture, includin...

'A View from the Bar': The 2010 Sir David Williams Lecture 28.05.2010 1:00:05

On Friday 21st May 2010, the Honourable Michael Beloff QC delivered the 2010 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "A View from the Bar". Mr Beloff explained his views of development of the barrister's profession over the last forty years. The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law an...

'Abraham Lincoln and the Supreme Court': The 2009 Sir David Williams Lecture 15.05.2009 1:17:29

On Friday 8th May 2009, John G Roberts Jnr (Chief Justice of the United States) delivered the 2009 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Abraham Lincoln and the Supreme Court". Mr Roberts was introduced by Lord Woolf. The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chanc...

'Taking Power Seriously': The 2008 Sir David Williams Lecture 19.05.2008 1:13:41

On Friday 16th May 2008, Dame Sian Elias delivered the 2008 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Taking Power Seriously". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. More information about this lecture, including photographs from...

'The Rule of Law': The 2006 Sir David Williams Lecture 17.11.2006 1:10:19

On Thursday 16th November 2006, The Rt. Hon Lord Bingham of Cornhill KG, House of Lords delivered the 2006 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "The Rule of Law". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. More information about t...

'Looking Beyond our Borders: The Value of a Comparative Perspective in Constitutional Adjudication': The 2005 Sir David Williams Lecture 10.05.2005 56:56

On Monday 9th May 2005, The Hon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States) delivered the 2005 Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Looking Beyond our Borders: The Value of a Comparative Perspective in Constitutional Adjudication". Justice Ginsbury was introduced by Alison Richard, Vice-Chancellor of the University. The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual ad...

'Sovereignty at the Beginning of the 21st Century - Fundamental or Outmoded?': The 2003 Sir David Williams Lecture 07.11.2003 1:01:58

On 7 November 2003, Sir Kenneth Keith (Senior New Zealand Court of Appeal Judge) delivered the third Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Sovereignty at the Beginning of the 21st Century - Fundamental or Outmoded?". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chance...

'Altered States: Federalism and Devolution at the 'Real' Turn of the Millennium': The 2001 Sir David Williams Lecture 15.05.2001 1:04:49

On 15th May 2001, the Hon Justice Sandra Day O'Connor delivered the inaugural Sir David Williams Lecture entitled "Altered States: Federalism and Devolution at the 'Real' Turn of the Millennium". The Sir David Williams Lecture is an annual address delivered by a guest lecturer in honour of Sir David Williams, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of English Law and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge Un...