Robert French
| The Honourable Chief Justice Robert French AC, CitWa, BSc LLB, Hon LLD |
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| 12th Chief Justice of Australia | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 September 2008 |
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| Nominated by | Kevin Rudd |
| Appointed by | Michael Jeffery |
| Preceded by | Murray Gleeson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 March 1947 |
| Nationality | Australian |
Robert Shenton French, AC (born 19 March 1947) is the 12th and current Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.
Although two other Western Australians, Sir Ronald Wilson and John Toohey, have been High Court judges, Robert French is the first Chief Justice from that state.[1]
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[edit] Education
French was educated at St. Louis School (now John XXIII College), in Perth.[2]
He subsequently attended the University of Western Australia in Perth, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws. He was President of the University's Liberal Club[3] and served briefly as treasurer of the University of Western Australia Student Guild.
[edit] Career
In 1969 at the age of 22, French contested the safe Labor Federal seat of Fremantle for the Liberal Party, which he lost to Kim Beazley, Sr..[3] He is a close friend of Kim Beazley, Jr..[1] French served as President of the Fremantle Branch of the Liberal Party, and hence on the State Executive of the Party.
In 1972, French was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in Western Australia.
The Hawke government appointed French to the Federal Court in 1986, at the age of 39.[4]
During the Tampa Affair, he was part of the Full Court of the Federal Court that reversed the order of habeas corpus that had been earlier granted by a single judge.[5]
On 30 July 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that French would succeed Murray Gleeson as Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. He was sworn in on 1 September 2008.[6] He is the first Chief Justice of the High Court not to have taken silk at appointment.
French has served in numerous bodies, including as part-time Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission (2006-08), Additional Judge of the Supreme Court of the ACT (2004-08), a Judge of the Supreme Court of Fiji (2003-08), President of the National Native Title Tribunal (1994-98), Council Member of the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration (1992-08), Chancellor of Edith Cowen University (1991-97), Member of the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia (1986), Chairman of the Town Planning Appeals Tribunal of Western Australia (1986), Associate Member of the Trade Practices Commission (1983-86), member of the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia (1983-86), a member of the Barrister's Board of Western Australia (1979-86), and Chairman of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia (1973-75).[2]
[edit] Beliefs and positions
[edit] On republicanism
French said in a WA Law Society speech in May 2008:[1]
"It is unacceptable in contemporary Australia that the legal head of the Australian state ... can never be chosen by the people or their representatives, cannot be other than a member of the Anglican Church, can never be other than British and can never be an indigenous person."
[edit] Indigenous issues
Justice French is known for working for the rights of Indigenous Australians; in the early 1970s he helped found the WA Aboriginal Legal Service.[1] He was also the first president of the National Native Title Tribunal.
At his swearing in ceremony as Chief Justice, French specifically referred to the long history of indigenous Australia, noting that:
Recognition of their presence is no mere platitude. The history of Australia's indigenous people dwarfs, in its temporal sweep, the history that gave rise to the Constitution under which this court was created.Our awareness and recognition of that history is becoming, if it has not already become, part of our national identity.[7]
[edit] Awards
- Honorary Doctor of Laws, Edith Cowan University, 1998
- Western Australian Citizen of the Year – Professions, 1998
- Centenary Medal, 2001, for service as President of the National Native Title Tribunal and as a Federal Court judge[8]
- Companion of the Order of Australia, 2010, for eminent service to the law and to the judiciary, to legal education and administration in the areas of constitutional, competition and native title law, and to legal reform.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Johnson, Chris (31 July 2008). "Intellectual all-rounder will change court subtly". The West Australian.
- ^ a b Who's Who in Australia
- ^ a b "Robert French new Chief Justice of the High Court". The Australian. 30 July 2008. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24101281-601,00.html.
- ^ "The Hon Robert Shenton FRENCH". Federal Court of Australia. 31 July 2008. http://www.fedcourt.gov.au/aboutct/french.html.
- ^ "Ruddock v Vadarlis". Federal Court of Australia. 28 September 2001. http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/federal_ct/2001/1329.html.
- ^ "Rudd names new chief justice". Sydney Morning Herald. 30 July 2008. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rudd-names-new-chief-justice/2008/07/30/1217097307144.html.
- ^ Pelly, Michael,French sworn in as Chief Justice, The Australian, 2008-09-01. Accessed 2008-09-08.
- ^ It's an Honour: Centenary Medal
- ^ It's an Honour: AC
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| Preceded by Murray Gleeson |
Chief Justice of Australia 2008 – present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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