Susan Crennan
Encyclopedia
Susan Maree Crennan AC
(born 1 July 1945), is an Australia
n judge
, a Justice of the High Court of Australia
, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy
.
and the University of Melbourne
, where she received a Bachelor of Arts. She later received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney
. Crennan also completed a post-graduate diploma at the University of Melbourne on the constitutional history of the state of Victoria
.
She was a teacher of English literature, and was employed by various patent attorneys in New South Wales and Victoria between 1967-1978. She was admitted as a barrister
in New South Wales in 1979 and Victoria in 1980. She was made Queen's Counsel
in Victoria in 1989 and New South Wales in 1990. From 1992-1997, Crennan served as a commissioner of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
, the peak human rights
body in Australia. In 1993, Crennan was the first woman to be appointed chair of the Victorian Bar Council, and the following year the first female president of the Australian Bar Association. Between 2003-2005, she was a member of the Council of the University of Melbourne. Crennan was appointed to the Federal Court
in 2003 and took her seat on the bench on 3 February 2004.
On 20 September 2005 it was announced that she would replace Justice Michael McHugh
in the High Court. Attorney-General of Australia
Philip Ruddock
, on announcing Crennan's appointment, said that Crennan "demonstrated, through the quality of her jurisprudence and her leadership, that she has the confidence of the legal profession and the broader Australian community". She was sworn in to the High Court by Chief Justice Murray Gleeson
on 8 November 2005 http://theage.com.au/news/NATIONAL/Crennan-sworn-in-as-High-Court-judge/2005/11/08/1131212016163.html. The appointment made her the second female Justice to sit on the bench of the High Court of Australia
, the first being Justice Mary Gaudron
.
In January 2008 she was awarded the highest honour in the Australia Day List, an Order of Australia: Companion (AC) in the general division. The citation is as follows: The Honourable Justice Susan Maree CRENNAN Vic "For outstanding service to the law and the judiciary, particularly through leadership and mentoring roles with legal and professional associations, as a contributor to reform, and to the community."
Crennan is due to retire in 2015 when she will be seventy years old.
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"...
(born 1 July 1945), is an 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...
n judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, a 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...
, the highest court in 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...
.
Biography
Crennan was born in Victoria, one of six children born to John Maurice Walsh and Marie Therese (née Henley), Roman Catholics of Irish descent. She attended Our Lady of Mercy College, HeidelbergOur Lady of Mercy College
Our Lady of Mercy College , is a Roman Catholic, secondary day school for girls, situated in Heidelberg, a north-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
and 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...
, where she received a Bachelor of Arts. She later received a Bachelor of Laws from 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...
. Crennan also completed a post-graduate diploma at the University of Melbourne on the constitutional history of the state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
She was a teacher of English literature, and was employed by various patent attorneys in New South Wales and Victoria between 1967-1978. She was admitted as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
in New South Wales in 1979 and Victoria in 1980. She was made 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...
in Victoria in 1989 and New South Wales in 1990. From 1992-1997, Crennan served as a commissioner of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation...
, the peak human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
body in Australia. In 1993, Crennan was the first woman to be appointed chair of the Victorian Bar Council, and the following year the first female president of the Australian Bar Association. Between 2003-2005, she was a member of the Council of the University of Melbourne. Crennan was appointed to the Federal Court
Federal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
in 2003 and took her seat on the bench on 3 February 2004.
On 20 September 2005 it was announced that she would replace Justice Michael McHugh
Michael McHugh
Michael Hudson McHugh, AC, QC is a former justice of the High Court of Australia; the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.-Judicial Activity:...
in the High Court. Attorney-General of Australia
Attorney-General of Australia
The Attorney-General of Australia is the first law officer of the Crown, chief law officer of the Commonwealth of Australia and a minister of the Crown. The Attorney-General is usually a member of the Federal Cabinet, but there is no constitutional requirement that this be the case since the...
Philip Ruddock
Philip Ruddock
Philip Maxwell Ruddock is an Australian politician who is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the Division of Berowra, New South Wales, for the Liberal Party of Australia...
, on announcing Crennan's appointment, said that Crennan "demonstrated, through the quality of her jurisprudence and her leadership, that she has the confidence of the legal profession and the broader Australian community". She was sworn in to the High Court by Chief Justice Murray Gleeson
Murray Gleeson
Anthony Murray Gleeson AC QC is a former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.-Biography:Gleeson was born in Wingham, New South Wales, the eldest of four children...
on 8 November 2005 http://theage.com.au/news/NATIONAL/Crennan-sworn-in-as-High-Court-judge/2005/11/08/1131212016163.html. The appointment made her the second female Justice to sit on the bench 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...
, the first being Justice Mary Gaudron
Mary Gaudron
Mary Genevieve Gaudron, AC, QC , Australian lawyer and judge, was the first female Justice of the High Court of Australia.-Youth:...
.
In January 2008 she was awarded the highest honour in the Australia Day List, an Order of Australia: Companion (AC) in the general division. The citation is as follows: The Honourable Justice Susan Maree CRENNAN Vic "For outstanding service to the law and the judiciary, particularly through leadership and mentoring roles with legal and professional associations, as a contributor to reform, and to the community."
Crennan is due to retire in 2015 when she will be seventy years old.