Chief Justice of the Northern Territory

Last updated July 12, 2023

The title of Chief Justice of the Northern Territory refers to the highest judicial position in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. The position is currently held by Michael Grant.

History of the Chief Justice of the Northern Territory

The Supreme Court of the Northern Territory was established in 1911. From 1911 to 1974 the Northern Territory had only one resident judge. Relief was provided by Commonwealth judges from 1961 to 1976, and by Federal Court judges from 1976 to 1978. The Northern Territory gained Self-Government in 1978 and by that time had four resident judges.

The title given to the judge varied in name, as the laws concerning the position varied. In 1975 the position was renamed to Chief Judge, with Sir William Forster the only person to hold that position, from 1977 to 1979. Forster uniquely held 3 different titles relating to the same position, that of Senior Judge, Chief Judge and Chief Justice, when the position title was changed again in 1979. Since that time there have been 6 Chief Justices of the Court. From 1911 to 1974, there were eight resident judges (not including Forster).

List of resident and senior judges of the Northern Territory

The Hon. Samuel James Mitchell 1911–1912
The Hon. David John Davies Bevan 1912–1920
The Hon. Donald Arthur Roberts 1921–1928
The Hon. Ross Ibbotson Dalton Mallam 1928–1933
The Hon. Thomas Alexander Wells 1933–1952
The Hon. Martin Chemnitz Kriewaldt 1952–1960
The Hon. Alan Bruce Keith Ian Bridge 1961–1966
The Hon. Sir Richard Arthur Blackburn OBE (Mil) 1966–1971
The Hon. Sir William Edward Stanley Forster 1971–1977

List of chief judges of the Northern Territory

The Hon. Sir William Edward Stanley Forster 1977–1979

List of chief justices of the Northern Territory

The Hon. Sir William Edward Stanley Forster 1979–1985
The Hon. Kevin Frederick O'Leary 1985–1987
The Hon. Keith John Austin Asche AC 1987–1993
The Hon. Brian Frank Martin AO MBE 1993–2003
The Hon. Brian Ross Martin 2004–2010
The Hon. Trevor Riley 2010–2016
The Hon. Michael Grant AO 2016–present^[1]

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The Supreme Court of the Northern Territory is the superior court for the Australian Territory of the Northern Territory. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. It is around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy.

Sir William Edward Stanley Forster was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory holding that position from 1979 to 1985. Before that he was the first Chief Judge from 1977 to 1979 and Senior Judge from 1971 to 1977, all positions which were effectively the same.

The following is the Australian Table of Precedence.

The King of Australia: His Majesty King Charles III
The Governor-General of Australia: His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC, DSC, FTSE
Governors of states in order of appointment:
1. Governor of Victoria Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, CVO
2. Governor of New South Wales Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC, KC
3. Governor of Tasmania Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC
4. Governor of South Australia Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC
5. Governor of Queensland Her Excellency the Honourable Jeannette Young AC, PSM
6. Governor of Western Australia His Excellency the Honourable Chris Dawson AC, APM
The Prime Minister: The Honourable Anthony Albanese MP
The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives in order of election:
1. President of the Senate Senator The Honourable Sue Lines
2. Speaker of the House of Representatives The Honourable Milton Dick MP
The Chief Justice of Australia: The Honourable Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC
Senior diplomatic posts:
1. Ambassadors and High Commissioners in order of date of presentation of the Letters of Credence or Commission
2. Chargés d'affaires en pied or en titre in order of date of presentation of the Letters of Credence or Commission
3. Chargés d'affaires and Acting High Commissioners in order of date of assumption of duties
Members of the Federal Executive Council:
1. Ministry List
Administrators of Territories in order of appointment:
1. Administrator of Norfolk Island
2. Administrator of the Australian Indian Ocean Territories
3. Administrator of the Northern Territory
The Leader of the Opposition: The Honourable Peter Dutton MP
Former holders of high offices:
1. Former Governors-General in order of leaving office:
  1. The Hon Bill Hayden AC (1989–1996)
  2. The Hon Sir William Deane AC KBE KC (1996–2001)
  3. The Rt. Rev and Hon Dr Peter Hollingworth AC OBE (2001–2003)
  4. The Hon Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO (2008–2014)
  5. General the Hon Sir Peter Cosgrove AK CVO MC (2014–2019)
2. Former Prime Ministers in order of leaving office:
  1. The Hon Paul Keating (1991–1996)
  2. The Hon John Howard OM AC SSI (1996–2007)
  3. The Hon Kevin Rudd AC
  4. The Hon Julia Gillard AC (2010–2013)
  5. The Hon Tony Abbott AC (2013–2015)
  6. The Hon Malcolm Turnbull AC (2015–2018)
  7. The Hon Scott Morrison (2018–2022)
3. Former Chief Justices in order of leaving office:
  1. The Hon Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE GBM KC (1987–1995)
  2. The Hon Murray Gleeson AC GBS KC (1998–2008)
  3. The Hon Robert French AC (2008–2017)
Premiers of states in order of state populations, then Chief Ministers of the territories in order of territory populations:
1. Premier of New South Wales
2. Premier of Victoria
3. Premier of Queensland
4. Premier of Western Australia
5. Premier of South Australia
6. Premier of Tasmania
7. Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
8. Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
Justices of the High Court in order of appointment:
1. The Hon Stephen Gageler AC
2. The Hon Michelle Gordon AC
3. The Hon James Edelman
4. The Hon Simon Steward
5. The Hon Jacqueline Sarah Gleeson
6. The Hon Jayne Jagot
Senior judges:
1. Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia
2. President of the Fair Work Commission
Chief Justices of States in order of appointment:
1. Chief Justice of New South Wales
2. Chief Justice of South Australia
3. Chief Justice of Tasmania
4. Chief Justice of Victoria
5. Chief Justice of Western Australia
6. Chief Justice of Queensland

Australian members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in order of appointment:
1. The Rt Hon Ian Sinclair
2. The Rt Hon Sir William Heseltine
The Chief of the Defence Force
Chief Judges of Federal and Territory Courts in order of appointment
1. Chief Justice of the Australian Capital Territory
2. Chief Justice of the Northern Territory
3. Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia
Members of Parliament
Judges of the Federal Court of Australia and Family Court of Australia, and Deputy presidents of the Fair Work Commission in order of appointment
Lord Mayors of capital cities in order of city populations:
1. Lord Mayor of Sydney
2. Lord Mayor of Melbourne
3. Lord Mayor of Brisbane
4. Lord Mayor of Perth
5. Lord Mayor of Adelaide
6. Lord Mayor of Hobart
7. Lord Mayor of Darwin
Heads of religious communities according to the date of assuming office in Australia
Presiding officers of State Legislatures in order of appointment, then Presiding Officer of Territory Legislatures in order of appointment:
1. Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
2. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland
3. President of the Victorian Legislative Council
4. Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
5. President of the Tasmanian Legislative Council
6. President of the South Australian Legislative Council
7. Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
8. President of the New South Wales Legislative Council
9. President of the Western Australian Legislative Council
10. Speaker of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
11. Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly
12. Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
13. Speaker of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Members of State Executive Councils in order of state populations, and then members of the Northern Territory Executive Council:
1. Executive Council of New South Wales
2. Executive Council of Victoria
3. Executive Council of Queensland
4. Executive Council of Western Australia
5. Executive Council of South Australia
6. Executive Council of Tasmania
7. Executive Council of the Northern Territory
Leaders of the Opposition of State Legislatures in order of state populations, then Leaders of the Opposition in Territory Legislatures in order of territory populations:
1. Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales
2. Leader of the Opposition of Victoria
3. Leader of the Opposition of Queensland
4. Leader of the Opposition of Western Australia
5. Leader of the Opposition of South Australia
6. Leader of the Opposition of Tasmania
7. Leader of the Opposition of the Australian Capital Territory
8. Leader of the Opposition of the Northern Territory
Judges of State and Territory Supreme Courts in order of appointment:
1. Supreme Court of New South Wales
2. Supreme Court of Victoria
3. Supreme Court of Queensland
4. Supreme Court of Western Australia
5. Supreme Court of South Australia
6. Supreme Court of Tasmania
7. Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
Members of State and Territory Legislatures in order of population:
1. New South Wales Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council
2. Victorian Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council
3. Queensland Legislative Assembly
4. Western Australian Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council
5. South Australian House of Assembly and Legislative Council
6. Tasmanian House of Assembly and Legislative Council
7. Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
8. Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
The Secretaries of Departments of the Australian Public Service and their peers and the Chiefs of the Air Force, Army, and Navy and Vice Chief of the Defence Force in order of first appointment to this group:
1. Vice Chief of the Defence Force
2. Chief of Army
3. Chief of Air Force
4. Chief of Navy
Consuls-General, Consuls and Vice-Consuls according to the date on which recognition was granted
Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
Recipients of Decorations or Honours from the Sovereign
Citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia

Kevin Fredrick O'Leary QC was the second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. He was appointed to that position on 12 September 1985 after James Muirhead had acted in the position following the relocation to Perth of the Territory's first Chief Justice William Forster earlier that year.

James Henry Muirhead AC KStJ QC was an Administrator of the Northern Territory and a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.

William J. Brennan, Jr., who authored the opinion in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, has several awards named in his honor, which are presented to individuals for dedication to public interest and free expression. Awards named after William J. Brennan, Jr. are presented by the following organizations.

Danelle Bergstrom is an Australian visual artist known for landscapes and portraits of significant Australians and International figures.

The Honourable or The Honorable is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain people, usually with official governmental or diplomatic positions.

Michael Patrick Grant is an Australian judge, who has been the Chief Justice of the Northern Territory since 2016.

References

↑ "The Honourable Justice Trevor Michael Grant - the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory". Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.

External links

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[1] "The Honourable Justice Trevor Michael Grant - the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory". Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.

[1]