The 45th Annual FA Mann Lecture was delivered on 19 November 2024 by Justice of the Supreme Court, the Rt Hon Lord Sales, who provided a thought-provoking exploration on the topic: "Purpose in Law and in Interpretation". The Chair was taken by Professor Timothy Endicott, the Vinerian Professor of English Law at the University of Oxford.
This was the latest in a series of annual lectures in honour of former HSF partner, the late Dr FA Mann QC (Hon) (1907-1991). The lectures are arranged by the Partners of Herbert Smith Freehills, and given under the auspices of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL). Described by the leading legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg as "the intellectual pinnacle", the lecture took place in the splendid surrounds of the Old Hall at Lincoln's Inn with a full house of attendees from the legal community.
In his lecture, Lord Sales drew upon the influential works of Dr Mann as well as those of legal philosophers Lon Fuller and HLA Hart among others, discussing the importance of purpose including in administrative law, contract and tort law and statutory interpretation. He argued that the idea of purpose is fundamental to the nature of law and the legal system as a whole and is essential for the proper application and interpretation of legal rules.
He addressed the tension between the natural meaning of words and the underlying purpose of the law, noting that recourse to purpose is inevitable and necessary for deriving meaning. Overall, Lord Sales highlighted the challenges and complexities that arise when interpreting laws, emphasising the need to identify the purpose of the law and understand its effects.
Global Co-Head of Public International Law Andrew Cannon said: "We were delighted to welcome Lord Sales to deliver this year's FA Mann Lecture and thank him for his enormous contribution to this important area of law. Our thanks too to Professor Endicott and also to BIICL for their continued support of the lecture series, which is a fixture in the London legal calendar."
A copy of the text of Lord Sales' lecture is available on the UK Supreme Court Website.
For more information, please contact Paul McKeating at Paul.McKeating@hsf.com.
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Key contacts
Andrew Cannon
Partner, Global Co-Head of International Arbitration and of Public International Law, London
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