Combining a love of international law with a night at the movies

I am sitting in a lecture theatre at one of the east coast Universities attending my first Australian conference on international law. A melodious male voice hushes the crowd and proceeds to query some of the ideas put forward by the panel. The voice is entrancing, but the ideas are not in accord with my understanding of the development of international law - particularly international human rights law. During a break I seek to engage with this man whose voice I admire but whose ideas I want to contest. Ever calm but resolute Ivan Shearer continues to set out his views. He listens intently to my arguments, displaying that consummate respect for the exchange of ideas that would mark our discussions years later in Adelaide after an evening movie.