Nation’s first Rabbi-turned-Judge delivered 15th Austin Asche Oration

Freedom of political communication was under the spotlight at the 15th annual Austin Asche Oration, after the nation’s first Orthodox rabbi to serve as a Supreme Court justice delivered the prestigious presentation at Charles Darwin University (CDU).

Justice Marcus Solomon, who was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 2021, explored how debates around free speech are reshaping Australia’s legal and political landscape.  

Justice Solomon also reflected on how growing prejudice and declining social cohesion create new challenges for courts and governments, and what these changes mean for the future.

“The tension between freedom of speech and social cohesion is complicated and fraught; but it is a tension we must confront if we are to prevail as a civil society.”

“The constitutional right to political communication is not merely a safeguard for individual expression; it is a precondition for democratic government.  

“But the enduring challenge for civil society is ensuring that this freedom coexists with social cohesion.”  

Justice Solomon is an experienced litigator and arbitrator, having been admitted to practice in 1991.

During his time as a solicitor and partner at two major firms, Justice Solomon worked on complex commercial matters, including property, contracts, insolvency, building and construction, planning and trade practices.  

Justice Solomon joined the Independent Bar in 2006 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2013 and also taught advocacy to junior barristers for the Western Australian Bar Association.

The Austin Asche Oration in Law and Governance is a flagship annual event held in honour of the Hon. Austin Asche AC QC, recognising his outstanding service to the Northern Territory and his contributions to law, education and the community.  

The Oration brings leading thinkers to the Territory to explore some of the most pressing issues at the intersection of law, democracy and society.