Louis Waller
Encyclopedia
Professor Louis Peter Waller AO
(b. 1935) is an Australian jurist. He is particularly well known for his work in medical and criminal law. He was Sir Leo Cussen
Professor of Law at Monash University
from 1965 until 2000. He continues to serve as chairman of a number of medical and legal organisations, including the Infertility Treatment Authority. The Emeritus Professor continues to teach a course in Forensic Medicine to Monash University Law students at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine.
, Poland
, on 10 February 1935. The child of Polish Jews, Waller's parents realised that the family was in danger of persecution from the increasingly threatening Nazi regime in Germany
. They managed to flee to Australia
in 1938. The majority of his family which remained in Europe, however, died during the Holocaust.
In Australia, Waller attended University High School
in Melbourne. He then studied law at the University of Melbourne
. When he graduated in 1956, he went to England where he obtained a Bachelor of Civil Law
from the University of Oxford
.
He married Wendy Poyser in 1959 and they together had four children: Michael (dec.), Anthony, Ian and Elly. Anthony and Elly live in Israel. Ian practices as a barrister in Melbourne and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2007.
In 1958, Monash University
was founded and, a few years later, it opened a new law school. Its Foundation Dean, Professor David Derham, was a friend of Waller's who knew of his teaching and intellectual abilities. He invited Waller to help him create the new Monash Law School
. On 1 June 1965, he was appointed Professor. 3 years later, he was appointed Dean of Law, a position he held until 1970, after which he returned to focus on teaching and research. An apparently brilliant teacher, his students included future Justice of the High Court of Australia
Kenneth Hayne
, Chief Justice of Victoria
Marilyn Warren
and human rights lawyer Julian Burnside
QC. Hayne later described Waller as an "electric" law lecturer, while Burnside has described him as "the best teacher I have ever seen".
At Monash, he developed his expertise in the criminal law, and authored the first Australian casebook in that field. Through his teaching and research, he is credited with elevating the status of criminal law in Australia, a field which had often been looked down upon. He continues to author the leading casebook on Australian criminal law, now in its 10th edition.
Waller developed particular interest in medical law
and medical ethics
. He wrote prolifically on in-vitro fertilisation, a practice which was coincidentally pioneered in the Medicine Faculty at Monash. At the Law Reform Commission, Waller chaired a groundbreaking committee which looked at the possible legal framework surrounding IVF for the first time. When the Victorian Government created the first IVF legislation, it largely adopted Waller's model.
As his career progressed, he became recognised as one of Australia's leading scholars. In 1982, he became the first Law Reform Commissioner of Victoria and, two years later, became the inaugural Chair of the Victorian Law Reform Commission. His expertise in the field of medical law has led to appointments on a number of medical and judicial committees. He is Chairman of the Infertility Treatment Authority, the Appeals Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and the Ethics Committee of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
.
Waller formally retired from Monash Law School in 2000 as its most senior academic. However, he has continued his teaching and research as Emeritus Professor of Law. Upon his retirement, the school established the Louis Waller Chair of Law in his honour.
AO
-Science and technology:* .ao, top-level Internet domain code for Angola* Adaptive optics, an astronomical imaging technology* Arctic oscillation, a climate pattern* The AMSAT-OSCAR satellite naming convention...
(b. 1935) is an Australian jurist. He is particularly well known for his work in medical and criminal law. He was Sir Leo Cussen
Leo Cussen
Sir Leo Finn Bernard Cussen , Australian jurist, was a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria.Cussen was born in Portland on the western coast of Victoria in 1859. He was educated at Hamilton College in Hamilton. He studied civil engineering at the University of Melbourne, graduating with a...
Professor of Law at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
from 1965 until 2000. He continues to serve as chairman of a number of medical and legal organisations, including the Infertility Treatment Authority. The Emeritus Professor continues to teach a course in Forensic Medicine to Monash University Law students at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Early life
Waller was born in SiedlceSiedlce
Siedlce ) is a city in eastern Poland with 77,392 inhabitants . Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously the city was the capital of a separate Siedlce Voivodeship ....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, on 10 February 1935. The child of Polish Jews, Waller's parents realised that the family was in danger of persecution from the increasingly threatening Nazi regime in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. They managed to flee to 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...
in 1938. The majority of his family which remained in Europe, however, died during the Holocaust.
In Australia, Waller attended University High School
University High School, Melbourne
The University High School is a public, co-educational high school, located in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville.-History:...
in Melbourne. He then studied law at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
. When he graduated in 1956, he went to England where he obtained a Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
He married Wendy Poyser in 1959 and they together had four children: Michael (dec.), Anthony, Ian and Elly. Anthony and Elly live in Israel. Ian practices as a barrister in Melbourne and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2007.
Professional career
Waller's career in academia began in the late 1950s, when he was appointed tutor and then senior lecturer at Melbourne University.In 1958, Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
was founded and, a few years later, it opened a new law school. Its Foundation Dean, Professor David Derham, was a friend of Waller's who knew of his teaching and intellectual abilities. He invited Waller to help him create the new Monash Law School
Monash University Faculty of Law
Monash University Faculty of Law, or Monash Law School, is the law school of Monash University in Melbourne, Victoria. Established in 1963, it offers the LLB, J.D., LLM, S.J.D., LLD and PhD degrees in law. It has been ranked as one of the top 20 law schools in the world...
. On 1 June 1965, he was appointed Professor. 3 years later, he was appointed Dean of Law, a position he held until 1970, after which he returned to focus on teaching and research. An apparently brilliant teacher, his students included future Justice of the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
Kenneth Hayne
Kenneth Hayne
Kenneth Madison Hayne AC is a Justice of the High Court of Australia which is the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.-Education and professional life:...
, Chief Justice of Victoria
Chief Justice of Victoria
The Chief Justice of Victoria is the senior judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the highest ranking judicial officer in the Australian state of Victoria. The Chief Justice is both the judicial head of the Supreme Court as well as the administrative head...
Marilyn Warren
Marilyn Warren
Marilyn Louise Warren AC, QC is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria and Lieutenant Governor of Victoria.- Early life :...
and human rights lawyer Julian Burnside
Julian Burnside
Julian William Kennedy Burnside AO QC is an Australian barrister, human rights and refugee advocate, and author. He is known for his staunch opposition to the mandatory detention of asylum seekers, and has provided legal counsel in a wide array of high-profile cases...
QC. Hayne later described Waller as an "electric" law lecturer, while Burnside has described him as "the best teacher I have ever seen".
At Monash, he developed his expertise in the criminal law, and authored the first Australian casebook in that field. Through his teaching and research, he is credited with elevating the status of criminal law in Australia, a field which had often been looked down upon. He continues to author the leading casebook on Australian criminal law, now in its 10th edition.
Waller developed particular interest in medical law
Medical law
Medical law is the branch of law which concerns the prerogatives and responsibilities of medical professionals and the rights of the patient. It should not be confused with medical jurisprudence, which is a branch of medicine, rather than a branch of law....
and medical ethics
Medical ethics
Medical ethics is a system of moral principles that apply values and judgments to the practice of medicine. As a scholarly discipline, medical ethics encompasses its practical application in clinical settings as well as work on its history, philosophy, theology, and sociology.-History:Historically,...
. He wrote prolifically on in-vitro fertilisation, a practice which was coincidentally pioneered in the Medicine Faculty at Monash. At the Law Reform Commission, Waller chaired a groundbreaking committee which looked at the possible legal framework surrounding IVF for the first time. When the Victorian Government created the first IVF legislation, it largely adopted Waller's model.
As his career progressed, he became recognised as one of Australia's leading scholars. In 1982, he became the first Law Reform Commissioner of Victoria and, two years later, became the inaugural Chair of the Victorian Law Reform Commission. His expertise in the field of medical law has led to appointments on a number of medical and judicial committees. He is Chairman of the Infertility Treatment Authority, the Appeals Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and the Ethics Committee of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research is Australia's oldest medical research institute.In 2011, the institute is home to more than 650 researchers who are working to understand, prevent and treat diseases including blood, breast and ovarian cancers; inflammatory diseases such as...
.
Waller formally retired from Monash Law School in 2000 as its most senior academic. However, he has continued his teaching and research as Emeritus Professor of Law. Upon his retirement, the school established the Louis Waller Chair of Law in his honour.