Justice Susan Crennan (1 Viewer)

[ManlyChief]

The second lady justice of the High Court ... finally. Ruddock says "gender had nothing to do with it" - do we agree? All very interesting, and exciting.

Media Release 170/2005
20 September 2005
JUSTICE SUSAN CRENNAN TO BE APPOINTED TO THE HIGH COURT

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock today announced he will recommend to the Governor-General the appointment of the Honourable Justice Susan Crennan as a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1 November 2005.

Victorian born Justice Crennan, 60, is currently a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. She was appointed to that Court in 2003. Prior to her appointment to the Federal Court, Justice Crennan practised as a barrister commencing her career at the New South Wales Bar in 1979 where she read with the Commonwealth Solicitor-General, Mr David Bennett QC. Later she returned to practice in Victoria.
Justice Crennan was appointed as a Queen's Counsel in 1989. She was the first woman Chair of the Victorian Bar Council from 1993 to 1994 and the first woman President of the Australian Bar Association from 1994 to 1995.

"I look forward to Justice Crennan’s further contribution to the law," Mr Ruddock said.
“Justice Crennan will be the forty-fifth person appointed to the High Court since federation. For the first time since 1982 the High Court will have two Victorian Justices.

“The Government sought to appoint someone who has demonstrated, through the quality of her jurisprudence and her leadership, that she has the confidence of the legal profession and the broader Australian community.

“The essential criterion for judicial appointment is merit. Merit means legal excellence, a capacity for industry and a temperament suited to the performance of the judicial function,” he said.

Justice Crennan’s appointment arises as a consequence of the retirement of the Honourable Justice Michael McHugh. Justice McHugh's resignation takes effect from midnight on 31 October 2005.

 

[erawamai]

There is a thread in the pols forum. I did a bit of background on her.


http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=84993


She has certainly been going up rather fast. Seems like Ruddock likes her.

R050/2003

19 December 2003
NEW JUDGE APPOINTED TO FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Melbourne barrister Mrs Susan Crennan QC has been appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock announced today.

Mrs Crennan has practised as a barrister since 1979. She commenced her career at the New South Wales Bar, where she read with the present Solicitor-General for the Commonwealth, Mr D M J Bennett QC.

Mrs Crennan currently practises at the Victorian Bar where she specialises in the areas of administrative law, commercial law, constitutional law and intellectual property.

Mrs Crennan was appointed as a Queen's Counsel in 1989. She was Chair of the Victorian Bar Council from 1993 to 1994 and President of the Australian Bar Association from 1994 to 1995.

She takes up her appointment on 3 February 2004 and will be based in Melbourne.

Her appointment follows the retirement of Justice Douglas Drummond from the Brisbane registry of the Federal Court earlier this year.

"I welcome Mrs Crennan to the judiciary and look forward to the further positive contribution to the law I am sure she will make in her new capacity," Mr Ruddock said.

Mr Ruddock said that the appointment of Mrs Crennan in Melbourne reflected the heavy workload of the Court in Melbourne.

"This demonstrates the desire of the Government and the Court to be flexible in making new appointments to ensure that resources are directed to the areas of most need," Mr Ruddock said.

Was a former HREOC comissioner - 1992 to 1997

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/12/08/1038950270361.html

Speeches she has given at umel graduation.

http://www.unimelb.edu.au/speeches/graduations.html

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BA (English lit) Melbourne, LLB Sydney Uni

Brief bio

http://www.trinity.unimelb.edu.au/news/media/2004/20040901-Intro.pdf

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She is catholic.

 

[ManlyChief]

LLB USyd? Didn't realise that. That's a bit disappointing.

 

[erawamai]

LLB USyd? Didn't realise that. That's a bit disappointing.

How so?

...........

 

[erawamai]

LLB USyd? Didn't realise that. That's a bit disappointing.

How so?

................

 

[ManlyChief]

How so?

................

I would have liked a bit more diversity in academic backgrounds - 5/7 produced by USyd's law school doesn't seem too reflective of the legal profession or the judiciary as a whole.

 

[011]

I like the bit about two victorian justices, very effective way to turn the subject matter away from gender!

 

[Frigid]

I would have liked a bit more diversity in academic backgrounds - 5/7 produced by USyd's law school doesn't seem too reflective of the legal profession or the judiciary as a whole.

keep in mind that at the time, Sydney didn't have another law school...

but THREE CHEERS FOR OUR NEW MADAME JUSTICE!!!

 

[erawamai]

keep in mind that at the time, Sydney didn't have another law school...

but THREE CHEERS FOR OUR NEW MADAME JUSTICE!!!

UNSW - MONASH etc didn't start spitting out grads until the 70s.

I think usyd and umelb still dominates?

 

[BillytheFIsh]

“The Government sought to appoint someone who has demonstrated, through the quality of her jurisprudence and her leadership, that she has the confidence of the legal profession and the broader Australian community."

Read:

"The government sought to appoint someone who will uphold the application of the Corporations power to the Howard government's industrial relations reforms."

Also the way that that paragraph is structured seems weird to me... gives the impression they were only looking at females (which I'm sure they weren't)

I wonder if she was one of "McHugh's Angels":

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national...-says-top-judge/2005/08/18/1123958182102.html

EDIT: I think it's fantastic that they've appointed a woman.

 

[erawamai]

I woudn't care less if it was a women or not. As long as they did a good job.

Mason CJ, Gleeson CJ and Kirby J remain my fav aussie judges.

 

[= Jennifer =]

it would be interesting to see the approach she takes and compare it with her previous judgments when she was in the federal court...can't wait to read her first HCA judgment

 

[erawamai]

it would be interesting to see the approach she takes and compare it with her previous judgments when she was in the federal court...can't wait to read her first HCA judgment

Black letter law. Will uphold governments IT legislation. Not very feminist. Catholic. Conservative.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16671567%5E601,00.html

 

[ManlyChief]

it would be interesting to see the approach she takes and compare it with her previous judgments when she was in the federal court...can't wait to read her first HCA judgment

Yes, well that's the interesting thing - having only been on the Fed court for a little bit and only having been exposed to a limited range of matters requiring decisions, there isn't really much in the way of a jurisprudential track record on which to judge (excuse pun) her. It should make for very interesting reading indeed.

She has a sort of mischevious twinkle in this portrait

I hope she turns out to be more of an agitator than The Australian paints her as.

 

[ManlyChief]

Mason CJ, Gleeson CJ and Kirby J remain my fav aussie judges.

Owen Dixon all the way.
Three cheers for Barwick, too.

 

[BillytheFIsh]

Well, she's a centralist with a history in Human Rights and Legal Aid...

We may well have another on the bench who's willing to breathe some life into the rights-protection interpreatations of provisions of the constitution? Mind you, 5-2 isn't that much better than 6-1 now is it?

I will be veerrrryyy interested in her views if (when) we get a CH III argument over a piece of anti-terror legislation.

Without trying to drag the thread off-topic too much:

era: you've twinkled my interest - how are two of your fav judges probably the two most diametrically opposed judges ever to sit on the same bench?

Manly: Barwick? Interesting.

I'm of the opinion that Kirby and McHugh are by far and away the most intelligent on the bench. I wouldn't say Kirby was a favourite of mine, but I appreciate the the role he plays. I think he's great as 1 of 7... but imagine the Country if there were 4 of him? He simple wouldn't be able to write the judgements he does. (Could be interesting if I make the final of the mooting comp I'm in - he's judging it)

I think the Court is about to loose one of its best judges ever in McHugh. It's a great shame they didn't make him Chief Justice when Breanna retired.

Crennan certainly has some big shoes to fill.

 

[ManlyChief]

Manly: Barwick? Interesting.

Oh, yes, I LOVE Barwick - porbably more for the personality rather than the jurisprudence. Has anyone read his autobiog A Radical Tory? Oh, I hear it is tops.

As for Kriby and Gleeson being the intellectual hevyweights of the bench ... I demand Gummow be added to that list! Long live Gummow - King of Equity! I love Gummow, who, according to unsubstantiated rumour at the USyd law school, is fond of the odd pie during Special Leave lunch breaks from Harry Cafe de Wheels under Centrepoint. Pop in there when next he's hearing SL applications in Sydney and you may see him.

As for the Kirby - Gleeson opposition, I think it is so wonderful that two men from the same year at the same university with the same teachers for all the big law subjects can emerge 50 or so years later with opinions that differ in such interesting ways.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

I posted a speech by Kirby a while back. It was given at a function to honour Gleeson's appointment. It is titled "MURRAY GLEESON - LAW STUDENT". An interesting and humorous read

http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=73054


Current high court judges

Regarding Gummow, he is largely regarded as the intellectual heart of the High Court. The old equity specialist who will have his eyes ripped out before he ever sees equity and common law fuse. Personally though I find that his judgments do not read particularly smoothly.

Gleeson on the other hand always writes with clarity, so I take quite a liking to that. Anyone who's ever been in the presence of Kirby just can't help being in awe of the man. A well-read intellectual, Heydon is a hardline legalist in the tradition of Dixon, though he never says a word during procedings. I am curious to actually hear the sound of his voice.

Callinan, who looks a lot like Morty Seinfeld in person, tends to be somewhat verbose and I don't take to that. I have yet to experience one of his saucy books yet though, perhaps I'll change my mind. McHugh evidently really likes women, which is... well fine. I find his judgments have a particularly rational feel to them. I quite like reading his decisions. Hayne... I'm not sure about.

 

[BillytheFIsh]

Well I did say McHugh and Kirby... not sure if you misread or made a typo, but I do respect Gummow for his intellectual property prowess. (being my chosen field)

However, I still don't think he's in the same legue as McHugh and Kirby. Kirby's probably 10 iq points above the rest of the bench and McHugh about 15 I rekon.

*Braces for the onslaught of outrage.

 

[ManlyChief]

On the point of how wonderful Gummow et al are ...

Did anyone else read the opinion piece in the Australian today criticising the compulsory retirement age of 70? I did, and I totally agree that it's an anethema in our anti-discriminatory epoch.

How awful it is to think that Gleeson and Kirby have only a few short years left on the bench - and just as I was starting to get used to them.