As dawn rose in Port Moresby on 20 June 1904, the sound of a single gunshot rang out from outside Government House.
According to a 1953 special feature report from the Daily Mirror newspaper, this was the moment Queensland lawyer Christopher Robinson, who had been appointed Chief Justice and Acting Governor of New Guinea less than a year before, died by suicide.
As Papua New Guinea marks the 50th anniversary of its independence, the Hon Justice John Logan RFD will be tracing back the story behind Christopher’s death and the conflicts behind it in the third lecture for the Selden Society program for 2025.
In the lecture, titled ‘The origins of contemporary judicial power in Papua New Guinea’, Justice Logan will also address recurring themes in the development of the country’s justice system and how they could offer valuable insights into Australia’s closest neighbour.
Justice Logan is uniquely placed to speak on the subject, having served as a judge of the Supreme and National Courts of Papua New Guinea since 2011.
He holds economics and law degrees from the University of Queensland and was admitted to the Queensland Bar in 1980. He joined the Federal Court in 2007, is currently the President of the Defence Force Discipline Appeals Tribunal and was Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for ten years.
The free event will be held at the Banco Court in the QEII Courts of Law from 5:15pm till 6:30pm on Thursday 16 October 2025.
The Selden Society, which originated in the UK, is a publisher dedicated to the study of English legal history and hosts this lecture series annually across a range of topics.
Attendees can register here.
Share this article