 Sir Isaac Isaacs Shortest serving Chief Justice: 1930 - 1931 |
This is a list of Australian chief justices by time in office.
| Sir Isaac Isaacs Shortest serving Chief Justice: 1930 - 1931 |
This is a list of Australian chief justices by time in office.
| Rank by length of term | Chief Justice | Appointed by | Date of appointment | Date of retirement | Length of term | Length of retirement | Date of death | Order by date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garfield Barwick | Menzies | 27 April 1964 | 11 February 1981 | 6,134 days | 5,997 days | 14 July 1997 | 7 |
| 2 | John Latham | Lyons | 11 October 1935 | 7 April 1952 | 6,023 days | 4,492 days | 25 July 1964 | 5 |
| 3 | Samuel Griffith | Deakin | 5 October 1903 | 17 October 1919 | 5,856 days | 297 days | 9 August 1920 | 1 |
| 4 | Owen Dixon | Menzies | 18 April 1952 | 13 April 1964 | 4,378 days | 3,007 days | 7 July 1972 | 6 |
| 5 | Adrian Knox | Hughes | 18 October 1919 | 31 March 1930 | 3,817 days | 758 days | 27 April 1932 | 2 |
| 6 | Murray Gleeson | Howard | 22 May 1998 | 29 August 2008 | 3,752 days | 4,912 days | 11 | |
| 7 | Anthony Mason | Hawke | 6 February 1987 | 20 April 1995 | 2,995 days | 9,792 days | 9 | |
| 8 | Robert French | Rudd | 1 September 2008 | 29 January 2017 | 3,072 days | 1,837 days | 12 | |
| 9 | Harry Gibbs | Fraser | 12 February 1981 | 5 February 1987 | 2,184 days | 6,715 days | 25 June 2005 | 8 |
| 10 | Frank Gavan Duffy | Scullin | 22 January 1931 | 1 October 1935 | 1,713 days | 302 days | 29 July 1936 | 4 |
| 11 | Susan Kiefel | Turnbull | 30 January 2017 | Incumbent | 1,836 days | 13 | ||
| 12 | Gerard Brennan | Keating | 21 April 1995 | 21 May 1998 | 1,126 days | 8,665 days | 10 | |
| 13 | Isaac Isaacs | Scullin | 2 April 1930 | 21 January 1931 | 294 days | 6,230 days | 11 February 1948 | 3 |
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or puisne court, elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the same meaning. Depending on the jurisdiction, such justices dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions. Justices of the peace are appointed or elected from the citizens of the jurisdiction in which they serve, and are usually not required to have any formal legal education in order to qualify for the office. Some jurisdictions have varying forms of training for JPs.
The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Australia's Constitution.
Perverting the course of justice is an offence committed when a person prevents justice from being served on him/herself or on another party. In England and Wales it is a common law offence, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Statutory versions of the offence exist in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, and New Zealand. The Scottish equivalent is defeating the ends of justice, while the South African counterpart is defeating or obstructing the course of justice. A similar concept, obstruction of justice, exists in United States law.
High court usually refers to the superior court of a country or state. In some countries, it is the highest court. In others, it is positioned lower in the hierarchy of courts. A person who presides as a judge in such a court may be called a "High Court judge".
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. Whilst the Supreme Court is the highest New South Wales court in the Australian court hierarchy, an appeal by special leave can be made to the High Court of Australia.
The Supreme Court of Queensland is the highest court in the Australian State of Queensland. It was formerly the Brisbane Supreme Court, in the colony of Queensland.
The Supreme Court of Western Australia is the highest state court in the Australian State of Western Australia. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters.
The Supreme Court of South Australia is the superior court of the Australian state of South Australia. The Supreme Court is the highest South Australian court in the Australian court hierarchy. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and as many other judges as may be required.
The Attorney-General of Western Australia is the member of the Government of Western Australia responsible for maintenance and improvement of Western Australia's system of law and justice. Before the advent of representative government in 1870, the title was Advocate-General of Western Australia. The Attorney-General must be a qualified legal practitioner. When there are none in the cabinet, a lay person is sometimes appointed to the office of Minister for Justice.
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law, along with some summary and indictable criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single judges. The court includes an appeal division referred to as the Full Court comprising three judges, the only avenue of appeal from which lies to the High Court of Australia. In the Australian court hierarchy, the Federal Court occupies a position equivalent to the supreme courts of each of the states and territories. In relation to the other courts in the federal stream, it is equal to the Family Court of Australia, and superior to the Federal Circuit Court. It was established in 1976 by the Federal Court of Australia Act.
Susan Mary Kiefel is the chief justice of Australia, in office since 30 January 2017. She has served on the High Court since 2007, having previously been a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the Federal Court. Kiefel is the first woman to serve as Chief Justice.
Justice Crew is an Australian dance and music group consisting of John and Len Pearce, Lukas Bellesini, Paul Merciadez, Samson Smith, Solo Tohi and Ella Doyle. Although the group is Australian, members Samson and Solo are from New Zealand. The group originally formed in 2009 as a dance troupe and rose to fame the following year as winners of the fourth season of Australia's Got Talent. Justice Crew subsequently signed a record deal with Sony Music Australia and became recording artists. As of 2018, they are an independent music group.
The Chief Justice of Australia is the presiding Justice of the High Court of Australia and the highest-ranking judicial officer in the Commonwealth of Australia. The incumbent is Susan Kiefel, who is the first woman to hold the position.
Animal Justice Party (AJP) is a political party in Australia founded in 2009. The party was registered by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on 3 May 2011. The party is also registered in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory. The AJP is the first political party in Australia formed solely to advance animal welfare issues.