4AOIST1: ALD. IA1
FOR MEDIA THURSDAY, 29 JANUARY, 1981
NEW APPOINTMENTS MADE TO HIGH COURT
The Right Honourable Sir Harry Talbot Gibbs has been
appointed as the Chief Justice of Australia.
The new Justice to take Sir Harry's place on the High Court
will be Mr. Justice Francis Gerard Brennan, 52, a Judge of
the Federal Court of Australia.
Sir Harry, 62, the present senior Justice of the High Court,
will take up his appointment on Febuary 12, the day after
the present Chief Justice, Sir Garfield Barwick, retires.
Sir Harry Gibbs, who has been on the High Court Bench for over
ten years, is one of Australia's outstanding jurists.
He has the respect of the legal p.: ofession throughout Australia
and of the Governments in Australia. He has served on the
Benches of three of the highest courts for almost 20 years.
Sir Harry has acted as Chief Justice on many occasions du-inc
the absence of Sir Garfield Barwick.
Sir Harry was born in Sydney, educated at the Ipswich Grammar
School and the University of Queensland from where he graduated
0 as a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours and a Master
of Laws with first class honours. 9-
He was! adiitted to the Queensland Bar in 1939, was appointed
a Queen's Counsel in 1957 and a Judge of the Supreme Court o 4
Queensland in 1961. During his term on the Supreme Court in
Queensland he was Chairman of the Committee of Inquiry into the
Expansion of the Sugar Industry and was the Royal Conunissioner
who inquired into the Queensland Police activities associated
with the National Hotel.
Sir Harry became the Judge of the Federal Court of Bankruptcy
and a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital
Territory in 1967 and in 1970 he was appointed to the High Court.
He served with the AkAF and the AIF from 1939 to 1945 and
was mentioned in despatches. 12
-2-
He is married with one son and three daughters.
The new Justice, Mr. Justice Brennan, will bring with him
to the High Court a comprehensive knowledge of the common
law, of constitutional law and a specialised knowledge of
administrative law.
As the first President of the ' Administrative Appeals Tribunal,
Mr. Justice Brennan pioneered the procedures and working of
the Tribunal. He was appointed to the Federal Court at its
inception and for the Last year has sat exclusively on
Federal Court work.
Mr. Justice Brennan was born in Rockhampton, and educated
at the Christian Brothers College, Rockhampton and
Downiands College, Toowoomba. He graduated as a Bachelor of
Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland
and was a dmitted to the Queensland Ba~ r i n 1951. He was. appo . nted
a. Queen ' s-Covnsel in 1965.
Mr. Justice Brennan is a former President of the National Union
of Australian University Students, former President of the
Queensland Bar Association and the Australian Bar Association.
He served as a part-time member of the Australian Law Reform
Commission before his appointment as President of the
Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
He is married with three sons and four daughters.
Mr. Justice Brennan will take up his appointment on
February 12. 000---