Tom Bathurst
Encyclopedia
Thomas Frederick Bathurst QC (born 17 March 1948) is an Australia
n judge. He was appointed Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
and Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales
from 1 June 2011.
, Chifley's Health minister, when his engagement to tennis champion Joan Marcia Hartigan
was announced. They married at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney on Saturday, 12 April 1947 before flying to Perth to board the Orion for England where they planned to live for a few years while Joan resumed her tennis career at Wimbledon. It was during their three years in Surrey that Tom was born.
In 1950, Tom returned with his parents on the Strathmore after living in Surrey and settled in Sydney.
Bathurst was educated at St. Ignatius' College, Riverview.
In 1969 he was graduated Bachelor of Arts by The University of Sydney and in 1972 the degree of Bachelor of Laws was conferred upon him by the same university.
In 1977 he was called to the NSW Bar, being appointed Queen's Counsel
in 1987. His primary areas of practice at the bar included appellate work in banking law, commercial law and equity. He was president of the Australian Bar Association
from 2008 to 2009, and president of the NSW Bar Association from 2010 until 2011.
Bathurst was briefed by Dyson Heydon
QC in Heydon v NRMA Ltd (2000) 51 NSWLR 1 in a successful appeal against a finding that Heydon was negligent in giving legal advice to the respondent company, an important case concerning a barrister's liability for professional advice.
Bathurst appeared before the High Court of Australia in Peters (WA) Ltd v Petersville Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 126, a case which reviewed the scope of the common law doctrine of restraint of trade.
appointed Bathurst Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
, and Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales
, effective 1 June 2011.
on secondment to a refugee organisation, and Sophie was a PhD student at Oxford.
His social interests are described as rugby, tennis, opera and travel.
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. He was appointed Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
Supreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...
and Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales
Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales
The Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales is a government position in the state of New South Wales, Australia, acting as a deputy to the Governor of New South Wales....
from 1 June 2011.
Early years and education
Thomas Frederick Bathurst was born 17 March 1948 in Richmond, Surrey, England. His father, Hugh Moxon Bathurst had been private secretary to Senator James FraserJames Fraser (Western Australian politician)
James McIntosh Fraser was an Australian trade unionist and politician.Fraser was born in Forres, Morayshire, Scotland and educated locally. He emigrated to Australia and married Ellen Simmons in April 1912 in Perth...
, Chifley's Health minister, when his engagement to tennis champion Joan Marcia Hartigan
Joan Hartigan
Joan Hartigan Bathurst was a female tennis player from Australia.-Early life and education:...
was announced. They married at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney on Saturday, 12 April 1947 before flying to Perth to board the Orion for England where they planned to live for a few years while Joan resumed her tennis career at Wimbledon. It was during their three years in Surrey that Tom was born.
In 1950, Tom returned with his parents on the Strathmore after living in Surrey and settled in Sydney.
Bathurst was educated at St. Ignatius' College, Riverview.
In 1969 he was graduated Bachelor of Arts by The University of Sydney and in 1972 the degree of Bachelor of Laws was conferred upon him by the same university.
Career
Bathurst was admitted as a solicitor in NSW in 1972 and joined the Sydney city firm of E J (Ernest) Kirby & Co. where his mentor was Ann Plotke.In 1977 he was called to the NSW Bar, being appointed 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 1987. His primary areas of practice at the bar included appellate work in banking law, commercial law and equity. He was president of the Australian Bar Association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
from 2008 to 2009, and president of the NSW Bar Association from 2010 until 2011.
Notable cases as counsel
Bathurst appeared for AWA Limited in Daniels v Anderson (1995) 37 NSWLR 438, a leading Australian case on the duties of non-executive directors.Bathurst was briefed by Dyson Heydon
Dyson Heydon
John Dyson Heydon AC QC is a Justice of the High Court of Australia; the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.-Education:...
QC in Heydon v NRMA Ltd (2000) 51 NSWLR 1 in a successful appeal against a finding that Heydon was negligent in giving legal advice to the respondent company, an important case concerning a barrister's liability for professional advice.
Bathurst appeared before the High Court of Australia in Peters (WA) Ltd v Petersville Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 126, a case which reviewed the scope of the common law doctrine of restraint of trade.
Chief Justice
On the recommendation of the NSW government, NSW Governor Marie BashirMarie Bashir
Marie Roslyn Bashir AC, CVO is the present Governor of New South Wales since 2001 and also the Chancellor of the University of Sydney since 2007. Born in Narrandera, New South Wales, Bashir graduated from the University of Sydney in 1956 and held various medical positions, with a particular...
appointed Bathurst Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
Supreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...
, and Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales
Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales
The Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales is a government position in the state of New South Wales, Australia, acting as a deputy to the Governor of New South Wales....
, effective 1 June 2011.
Personal life
Bathurst is married to Robyn, with whom he has two daughters, Emma and Sophie. At the time of his commission as Chief Justice, Emma was a solicitor with Mallesons Stephen JaquesMallesons Stephen Jaques
Mallesons Stephen Jaques is a commercial law firm that operates in the Asia-Pacific region. It is one of the 30 largest law firms in Australia, and is widely regarded as one of the top commercial law firms in Australia.-Offices:...
on secondment to a refugee organisation, and Sophie was a PhD student at Oxford.
His social interests are described as rugby, tennis, opera and travel.
External links
- NSW Attorney-General media release, 13 May 2001 Retrieved 1 June 2011
- NSW Attorney-General, Speech for Swearing In of Tom Bathurst as Chief Justice, 1 June 2011 Retrieved 1 June 2011