The release of the Palace Letters by the National Archives ended an era of secrecy over an important time in our political history. With their release, Sir John's actions have again been placed in the public spotlight, as debate rages over the role he and the Queen/or the Palace played in the downfall of the Whitlam Government.  

The NSW Society of Labor Lawyers are bringing you Professor Jenny Hocking FASSA from Monash University, author of the award-winning biography of Gough Whitlam, who revealed the secret role of High Court justice Sir Anthony Mason in the dismissal and was the applicant in the recently successful High Court case to release the Palace letters. Professor Hocking is also a National Committee Member of the Australian Republican Movement and an Inaugural Distinguished Fellow at The Whitlam Institute. She will be joined in conversation by Richard Ackland AM, who has in his career been a columnist for the Australian Financial Review, Fairfax newspapers, and more recently The Saturday Paper. He is now a legal columnist for Guardian Australia. Mr Ackland formed Law Press of Australia in 1986 and founded the online law journal Justinian. 

Professor Hocking and Mr Ackland will look at the contents of the Palace letters and how they change our understanding of the Whitlam Dismissal, the role the National Archives played throughout the dispute over the release of the letters, and importantly, the future - where to for Australian Republicanism following the release of Sir John's secret letters.

The Society is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation, but under present restrictions this event will take place online via Zoom. Registration is essential on our website so that the event link can be sent to registrants.