Keith Mason (judge)
Encyclopedia
Keith Mason, AC
, QC
(born 18 February 1947) is a former President
of the Court of Appeal of New South Wales
, the highest civil court in the State of New South Wales
, Australia
, which forms part of the Australian court hierarchy
.
with degrees in Arts (1967) and law (1970).
The University of Sydney
awarded him an honorary doctorate of laws in 2005.
in 1970 and to the New South Wales Bar in 1972. He was appointed as a Queen's Counsel
(QC) in 1981. He became President of the Court of Appeal in 1997. Mason was Chairman of the New South Wales Law Reform Commission from 1985-1987 and 1989-1990. He was Solicitor-General of NSW from 1987-1997. Mason became President of the Children's Medical Research Foundation in 1995.
Mason was sworn out of office on 30 May 2008.
In 2006, he joined the Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales
as a Professorial Visiting Fellow.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born 18 February 1947) is a former President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Court of Appeal of New South Wales
Court of Appeal of New South Wales
The New South Wales Court of Appeal is the highest civil state court for the Australian State of New South Wales. It forms part of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.-History:...
, the highest civil court in the State of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, which forms part of the Australian court hierarchy
Australian court hierarchy
There are two streams within the hierarchy of Australian courts, the federal stream and the state and territory stream. While the federal courts and the court systems in each state and territory are separate, the High Court of Australia remains the ultimate court of appeal for the Australian...
.
Education
Mason graduated from the University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
with degrees in Arts (1967) and law (1970).
The University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
awarded him an honorary doctorate of laws in 2005.
Career
Mason was admitted as a solicitorSolicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in 1970 and to the New South Wales Bar in 1972. He was appointed as a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(QC) in 1981. He became President of the Court of Appeal in 1997. Mason was Chairman of the New South Wales Law Reform Commission from 1985-1987 and 1989-1990. He was Solicitor-General of NSW from 1987-1997. Mason became President of the Children's Medical Research Foundation in 1995.
Mason was sworn out of office on 30 May 2008.
In 2006, he joined the Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
as a Professorial Visiting Fellow.