Page 9 - Luce 2017

N ews a nd Events

Changing Course

Following the release of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s ‘Change
the Course’ report on harassment and assault in Australian universities, Sex
Discrimination Commissioner, Ms Kate Jenkins, was guest of honour at the
College’s 2017 Leadership Dinner. Ms Jenkins stressed the importance of staff
and student collaboration in creating meaningful change at university and college
level, urging the audience to reflect upon ways in which we might all address the
attitudes and behaviours which enable harassment to occur.

A thought-
provoking

Sunday
afternoon

Elizabeth Kennedy
(1972) is General Counsel and Corporate
Secretary at the Peter MacCallum
Cancer Centre and was guest speaker at
our ‘Sunday Afternoon in Conversation’
in September.

Before addressing the question ‘How has
the law influenced medical treatment
and clinicians in their practice?’
Elizabeth shared with her audience some
Clarke Memorial Restoration of her fond recollections of JCH in the
1970s: the dark, wooden dressing-table
In September, Chair of Council Ms Margie Richardson (seen here with the Principal shelves displaying Prue Acton cosmetics
and Clarke family members Ms Andrea Wilkinson, Ms Louise Morris (1972), and purple dried flower arrangements;
Sir Rupert Clarke and Lady Susannah Clarke) spoke on behalf of the College at a the law tutorials at Trinity and Ormond;
reception to celebrate the restoration of the Clarke family monument, sponsored by and the excited anticipation of attending
Trinity College and Janet Clarke Hall. The philanthropic work of Janet, Lady Clarke, the JCH Common Room Dance and the
Ms Richardson noted in gratitude, ‘must have played a similar role in her time as other college balls!
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch played in Victoria in our lifetimes’.
In her very engaging and accessible talk,
Elizabeth went on to illustrate clearly the
meaningful ways in which the law has
assisted in building patient-centred care,
ensuring that patients today must be fully
informed of risks and options before any
procedure or treatment commences.

It was sobering to be reminded that it
was not until 1992 that the law stated
that a doctor (or surgeon) had a legal
duty before proceeding to carry out
an operation or procedure to warn of
material risks, or the patient could not be
said to be adequately informed.

She cited landmark legal cases and some
contemporary examples that reassured
her audience that we have fortunately
come a long way since the old days
when patients were instructed and the
doctor (or surgeon) in the white coat
always knew best.
J anet Clarke Hall 9