Virginia Bell (judge)

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On 26 August 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced that the government had appointed Bell "to lead an inquiry into the appointment of former Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, to administer departments other than the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and related matters". [10] The report was published on 25 November. [11]

Honours

On 26 January 2012, Bell was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for "eminent service to the judiciary and to the law through leadership in criminal law reform and public policy development, to judicial administration, and as an advocate for the economically and socially disadvantaged". [12]

Personal life

Bell lives in inner Sydney with her partner, a barrister. [13] [14] She has long been involved in the LGBT and human rights issues, participating in the first Mardi Gras LGBT rights rally in Sydney in 1978, which was broken up by police. [15] She is the first lesbian to serve on the High Court, and the second openly LGBT person after Michael Kirby, whom she replaced upon his retirement on 3 February 2009.

On her appointment, Australian Law Reform Commission president David Weisbrot opined that Bell will be a "progressive" jurist in the tradition of Michael Kirby. [16]

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References

  1. ↑ "Virginia Margaret Bell". Australian Women's Register. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 McClelland, Robert (15 December 2008). "New Justice of the High Court" (Press release). Attorney General for Australia. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  3. ↑ "High Court gets fourth woman". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. 15 December 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  4. ↑ Hole, Margaret (25 March 1999). "Swearing in Ceremony of The Honourable Virginia Margaret Bell, SC as a Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW". Supreme Court of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  5. 1 2 Stojanovich, Natasha (10 February 2009). "Virginia Bell: bringing more to the bench than gender" . Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "A late-night spot of mental stimulation". The Canberra Times . Vol. 64, no. 20, 029. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 12 February 1990. p. 39. Retrieved 2 March 2021– via National Library of Australia.
  7. 1 2 Hannon, Kate (15 December 2008). "Virginia Bell to be High Court judge". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "Justice Bell to be sworn in as High Court judgeJustice Bell to be sworn in as High Court judge". ABC News. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  9. ↑ Pelly, Michael (31 July 2018). "High Court troika 'the most powerful bloc of judges in history'". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  10. ↑ Dreyfus, Mark (26 August 2022). "Establishment of Inquiry into the appointment of The Hon Scott Morrison MP to multiple departments". Attorney-General. Retrieved 27 August 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ↑ Bell, Virginia (25 November 2022). "Report of the Inquiry into the Appointment of the Former Prime Minister to Administer Multiple Departments" . Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "Bell honoured for life of social justice". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  13. ↑ "NSW Supreme Court farewells High Court appointee Virginia Bell". The Australian. 20 December 2008. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  14. ↑ Marsden, John (c. 2004). "From Belanglo to Bangkok". I am what I am: my life and curious times. Camberwell, Victoria, Australia: Penguin. p. 71. ISBN   0-670-04052-5.
  15. ↑ "New justice a '78er". Sydney Star Observer. 17 December 2008.
  16. ↑ "Virginia Bell rings in new era for High Court". The Australian . 16 December 2008.
The Honourable
Virginia Bell
AC
BellJ.jpg
Justice of the High Court of Australia
In office
3 February 2009 –28 February 2021
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