William Patrick Deane

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William Patrick Deane

Sir William Patrick Deane AC , KBE , QC (born January 4, 1931 in Melbourne ) is an Australian legal scholar and former Governor General of Australia .

biography

Studies and professional career as a lecturer and lawyer

After attending school at St. Christopher's Convent in Canberra and St. Josephs College in Sydney , he completed a degree in art and law at the University of Sydney . After completing his studies with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in 1954, for which he also received the Annual Medal of the Faculty of Law, he initially worked in the office of the Commonwealth Attorney-General in Canberra before moving to Europe traveled, where he attended the Hague Academy of International law , a Postgraduate studies of international law graduated, which he in 1955 with a degree cum laude graduated.

After his return to Australia, he was employed by the law firm Minter Simpson & Co. in Sydney from 1956 to 1957 , before becoming a lawyer there in 1957 after being admitted to the bar at the Sydney Bar Association . At the same time he was also a lecturer in international law at the University of Sydney, where he was subsequently a lecturer in equity until 1961 . In 1966 he was appointed Queen's Counsel ( Queen's Counsel ).

Since then he has been active in the Catholic community and at the same time interested in political issues. In 1955 he was briefly a member of the Democratic Labor Party , a predominantly Catholic and anti-communist split from the Australian Labor Party . However, he was soon disappointed with the party and did not take on any further political functions after he soon left the party. However, he continued to be a strong advocate of progressive Catholic doctrines on social justice and an opponent of racial discrimination .

Promotion to Supreme Court Judge

In February 1977 Deane was appointed Justice to the Equity Senate of the New South Wales Supreme Court . In the same year he was on April 1, 1977 judge at the Federal Court of Australia , where he was President of the Tribunal for Commercial Law .

In July 1982, Ninian Stephen's successor , who was appointed Governor General, was appointed judge at the High Court of Australia , where he served until November 10, 1995. During his work at the Supreme Court, due to his longstanding attitude, he was one of the majority of judges who on June 3, 1992 in the landmark judgment of Mabo versus Queensland recognized the land tenure ( Native Title ) of the Australian natives, the Aborigines , and who again recognized violations of this as incompatible the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975. As a result of this decision, Parliament passed the Native Title Act in 1993 . Ultimately, during his tenure as a judge, he campaigned for reconciliation with the indigenous people.

Governor General of Australia

On November 10, 1995 he was proposed by Prime Minister Paul Keating to succeed Sir William George Hayden for the office of Governor General of Australia and appointed by Queen Elizabeth II shortly afterwards. He officially assumed the office of 22nd Governor General after being sworn in on February 16, 1996.

In his capacity as representative of the Queen, he was also the patron of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

On June 29, 2001, he was succeeded by the previous Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane , Peter Hollingworth , in the office of Governor General.

Awards

For his services he was ennobled as Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1982 and thus entitled to use the suffix "Sir". He was also awarded the Order of Australia in 1988 .

In addition to an honorary doctorate in law (LL.D.) from his alma mater in 1990, he was also awarded honorary doctorates (LL.D. hc) from the Australian Catholic University in 1998, the University of Technology Sydney in 2001, the University of Queensland in 2003 and the University of Melbourne Awarded in 2004.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ University of Sydney - Excellent Alumni Law School ( Memento April 4, 2008 on Internet Archive )
  2. ^ Former Judges of the Federal Court of Australia
  3. ↑ Honary Awards of the University of Sydney ( Memento of March 10, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ Honorary Doctorates of the ACU ( Memento from June 10, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ^ University of Technology Sydney ( Memento August 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  6. ^ UQ awards Honorary Doctorate to former Governor-General, UQ News Online, May 28, 2003
  7. ↑ Honoris Causa Degrees of The University of Melbourne ( Memento from December 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive )

Web links

predecessor Office successor
Sir William George Hayden Governor General of Australia
1996–2001 		Peter Hollingworth
personal data
SURNAME Deane, William Patrick
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Deane, Sir William Patrick
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Australian Governor General
DATE OF BIRTH January 4, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Melbourne