International human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson on courage in uncertain times

What does courage mean in an increasingly complex and uncertain world?

Jennifer Robinson, one of the most respected human rights lawyers and advocates of our time, will reckon with this question when she delivers State Library Victoria’s 2026 For Future Reference lecture on 14 October.

As a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London and the recipient of the 2026 Sydney Peace Prize, Robinson’s landmark work includes securing the release of Julian Assange, achieving political asylum for West Papuan leader Benny Wenda, representing Amber Heard in Johnny Depp’s unsuccessful defamation claim, and taking climate change to the International Court of Justice.

In this special lecture hosted by the award-winning journalist Natasha Mitchell, Robinson will reflect on the nature of courage – what it looks and feels like for herself and the clients she represents, as well as what courage means for cultural institutions that care for and preserve collections for future generations.

The barrister, author and keynote speaker will also explore whether the notion of courage has taken on new meaning in an era increasingly beset by conflict and crisis.

The lecture follows the 2026 Sundance Film Festival premiere and subsequent Melbourne International Film Festival screenings of Silenced, a new documentary featuring Robinson that exposes gender-based violence and the ways defamation laws have been weaponised to silence survivors.

Quotes attributable to Jennifer Robinson:

‘I believe in the power of individuals, communities and institutions to enact change, but we cannot act if we do not know. Through the 2026 For Future Reference lecture I hope to encourage Victorians to reflect on how they can inspire courage in themselves and those around them to take steps toward the change they’d like to see in the world. It’s only fitting to be having this conversation at State Library Victoria, one of the oldest public libraries in the world, free to access and open to all.’ 

Quotes attributable to State Library Victoria CEO Vicki McDonald AM FALIA:

‘As a trusted public institution, State Library Victoria understands the power of knowledge to change lives. Jennifer Robinson’s For Future Reference lecture on courage is a timely moment for our communities to come together to learn, reflect and engage in meaningful conversations about our society and its future.’

Endowed by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, For Future Reference is an annual lecture series that shines a light on women’s influence on society via the mediums of literature, storytelling and authorship, both historically and into the future, with a focus on the future archives to be held in the State Collection. This series is supported by the Library’s Women Writers Fund, which seeks to redress the historical gender imbalance in the State Collection by acquiring works by under-represented women writers, artists and thinkers.