Published on
26 January 2009
Introduction It is a commonplace that one of the main problems with developing countries is that their societies, starting with their leaders, are corrupt and that until and unless this corruption is eradicated these countries do not have a hope of achieving even a modest level of development. For example, Niall Ferguson in his introduction […]
Published on
14 May 2008
It is sometimes said that the role of the Attorney General is where law and politics meet. Law and politics met also in Sir Thomas More – along with something else of course, that is, faith. Although I share his faith, the precedent is not an altogether comfortable one. Thomas More held the office of […]
Published on
4 December 2007
This is a large topic through which I am going to move with excessive speed. Essentially the problem of freedom is to do with the diversity of what we talk about in using the word ‘freedom’: that is, everything from the property of controlling our own actions when we think of freedom of will, to […]
Published on
4 October 2007
This talk will aim to raise some questions about the relationship between the concept of the Rule of Law, its importance as a constitutional principle and natural law theory. After examining the relationship between these concepts, it will consider recent trends in Government and Parliament which touch on issues of conscience, and discuss what room […]
Published on
9 May 2007
Lecture-cum-booklaunch of the English version of the volume When Might Becomes Human Right: Essays on Democracy and the Crisis of Rationality (Gracewing; Leomister, 2007) Europe has become the major exponent of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law all over the world. This modern ‘trinity’ of values has become the universal standard for good government and […]
Published on
25 April 2007
In the heart of Europe, the troubled world of Franz Kafka seems to be gaining ground over the hopeful world of Vaclav Havel. The historic cities of Prague, Warsaw, Bratislava and Budapest look impressive enough, but economic progress is increasingly overshadowed by political turmoil. Charles Gati and Heather Conley: ‘Backsliding in Central Europe’, International Herald […]
Published on
5 December 2006
Thank you very much for inviting me to address this seminar of the Thomas More Institute. Thomas More is, among many other things, the Patron of my law school in Chile which makes me especially pleased to accept your invitation. I shall describe the problem we have with reasoning in terms of ‘human rights’ and in […]
Published on
21 August 2006
At the age of fifty-six – thirteen months after his resignation as Lord Chancellor of England, ten months before his arrest, and two years before his death – Thomas More wrote the epitaph for his tomb, had it engraved in stone, and sent a written copy to Erasmus for publication. More explained this odd action […]