Preface to the second edition

• Author: Christopher C. Nicholls
• Profession: Faculty of Law, Western University
• Pages: 27-30

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PREFACE

to the Second Edition

There is a story told of a university professor whose lecture was inter-

rupted by a f‌ire alarm. Students, faculty, and sta calmly gathered up

their belongings and dutifully f‌iled out of the building, all assuming

that this was simply the latest in a series of annoying false alarms. But

on this occasion, they were sadly mistaken. The building housing the

entire university department burned to the ground. Thankfully, there

was no loss of life, but owing to a trag ic administr ative oversight, it was

discovered that the building was uninsured. Temporary arrangements

were made for some personnel to be housed elsewhere in the un iversity,

but so signif‌icant was the damage that much of the department simply

had to be shut down while a capital campaign was conducted to raise

funds for a new building. The process dragged on for more than f‌ifteen

years. At last, the funding targets were achieved. Construction work

began apace and, happily, a beautiful new building eventually arose on

the site of the devastating f‌ire. When the university department was

ready to be re-opened in its new home, that same professor was invited

to deliver an inaugural lectu re as part of the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

The lecture would mark the f‌irst time he had spoken publicly since the

day of the terrible f‌ire.

The lecture hall fell silent as the professor entered. Ignoring the

hushed audience, he walked directly to the podium at the front of the

room, unfolded the very speaking notes he had been using those f‌ifteen

years earlier, raised h is eyes to the crowd and began: “As I was saying . . . .”