William Simpson (judge)
Encyclopedia
William Ballantyne Simpson (12 June 1894 – 24 November 1966) was an Australia
n soldier, barrister, Army officer, administrator and Supreme Court
judge.
, a suburb of Sydney
, New South Wales
. He was educated at Fort Street Boys' High School. His father was a barrister and William enrolled in Law at Sydney University.
In December 1916 Simpson deferred his Law studies and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
. In January 1918 he was sent to the Western Front
where he served as a driver. He returned to Australia in April 1919 and was discharged from the A.I.F.
and was admitted to the Bar
in 1920. In his practice as a barrister he specialised in legal actions related to motor-vehicle accidents.
Simpson was a member of the Nationalist Party of Australia
and in the period 1922 – 1925 he nominated for three elections – both State and Federal – but without success.
In 1925 he married Dorothy Margaret Peel Blackley with whom he had two sons.
with the rank of temporary Brigadier. He was sent to the Middle East where he served as deputy judge advocate-general of the 2nd A.I.F. He returned to Australia in June 1942 and was appointed deputy judge advocate-general at Land Headquarters in Melbourne
.
. In this role Simpson reported to the Attorney-General
, Herbert Evatt, who was his contemporary at Fort Street Boys’ High School and Sydney University.
The Commonwealth Security Service investigated organisations and individuals considered likely to be subversive or actively opposed to the nation’s interests. It investigated espionage and sabotage. It vetted defence-force personnel and workers in defence-related industries. It controlled the issue of passports and visas. It was responsible for the security of airports and wharves, and factories engaged in manufacture of munitions and other items necessary for Australia’s war effort. It was responsible for radio security. Simpson was also responsible for identification of enemy aliens, and for their internment and release.
In November 1944 Simpson was discharged from the Army and continued as a civilian in his role as director-general of security. In June 1945 he produced a report warning of the danger of the Communist Party of Australia
.
. Concurrent with his role as Supreme Court judge, Simpson was also the judge advocate-general of the Australian Army
and the Royal Australian Air Force
.
Justice Simpson gave advice on the findings of war crimes tribunals in Australia.
In 1947-48 Justice Simpson chaired an inquiry into the cost of producing wheat
in Australia.
, Papua New Guinea
to Sydney
, the Reynella became stranded on a reef in the Jomard Passage in the Louisiade Archipelago
. There was no injury or loss of life, and the Reynella was refloated on 12 September 1947.
Justice Simpson found the Reynella’s Captain was careless in his navigation and ordered his certificate of competency to be suspended for six months.
, a Sydney suburb, in November 1966.
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 soldier, barrister, Army officer, administrator and Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
The Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory is the superior court for the ACT. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters , and hears the most serious criminal matters...
judge.
Early life
Simpson was born in BalmainBalmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
, a suburb of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, 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...
. He was educated at Fort Street Boys' High School. His father was a barrister and William enrolled in Law at Sydney University.
In December 1916 Simpson deferred his Law studies and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
. In January 1918 he was sent to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
where he served as a driver. He returned to Australia in April 1919 and was discharged from the A.I.F.
Civilian life
Simpson resumed his Law studies at Sydney University in 1919. He graduated with the degree of Bachelor of LawsBachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
and was admitted to the Bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1920. In his practice as a barrister he specialised in legal actions related to motor-vehicle accidents.
Simpson was a member of the Nationalist Party of Australia
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
and in the period 1922 – 1925 he nominated for three elections – both State and Federal – but without success.
In 1925 he married Dorothy Margaret Peel Blackley with whom he had two sons.
Second Australian Imperial Force
In 1922 Simpson joined the Militia as a legal officer. In 1941 he was attached to the Second Australian Imperial ForceSecond Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
with the rank of temporary Brigadier. He was sent to the Middle East where he served as deputy judge advocate-general of the 2nd A.I.F. He returned to Australia in June 1942 and was appointed deputy judge advocate-general at Land Headquarters in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
National security
In September 1942 Simpson was appointed director-general of security in Australia. The director-general of security was Head of the Commonwealth Security Service and was based in CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. In this role Simpson reported to the Attorney-General
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...
, Herbert Evatt, who was his contemporary at Fort Street Boys’ High School and Sydney University.
The Commonwealth Security Service investigated organisations and individuals considered likely to be subversive or actively opposed to the nation’s interests. It investigated espionage and sabotage. It vetted defence-force personnel and workers in defence-related industries. It controlled the issue of passports and visas. It was responsible for the security of airports and wharves, and factories engaged in manufacture of munitions and other items necessary for Australia’s war effort. It was responsible for radio security. Simpson was also responsible for identification of enemy aliens, and for their internment and release.
In November 1944 Simpson was discharged from the Army and continued as a civilian in his role as director-general of security. In June 1945 he produced a report warning of the danger of the Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
.
Supreme Court
In October 1945 Simpson resigned as director-general of security and was appointed the sole judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital TerritorySupreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
The Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory is the superior court for the ACT. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters , and hears the most serious criminal matters...
. Concurrent with his role as Supreme Court judge, Simpson was also the judge advocate-general of the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
and the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
.
Justice Simpson gave advice on the findings of war crimes tribunals in Australia.
In 1947-48 Justice Simpson chaired an inquiry into the cost of producing wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
in Australia.
Air accidents
Justice Simpson chaired Air Courts of Inquiry into three major aviation accidents in Australia:- 1946 Douglas DC-3 crash1946 Australian National Airways DC-3 crashOn 10 March 1946 a Douglas DC-3 aircraft departed from Hobart, Australia for an Australian National Airways flight to Melbourne. The aircraft, with both engines operating, crashed into the sea less than 2 minutes after takeoff....
– In March 1946 a Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
crashed immediately after take-off from HobartHobartHobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, killing all 25 people on board. It was Australia’s worst civil aviation accident.
- 1948 Douglas DC-3 crash1948 Lutana crashThe 1948 Lutana crash occurred on 2 September 1948 near Nundle, New South Wales, Australia, when the Lutana, a Douglas DC-3 operated by Australian National Airways en route to Sydney from Brisbane, crashed into high terrain due to navigation equipment errors, killing all 13 on board.-Flight:On 2...
– In September 1948 a Douglas DC-3 named Lutana crashed en-route from BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
to Sydney, killing all 13 people on board. Justice Simpson's report was critical of Australia's out-dated air navigation systems. As a result, he was subjected to strong criticism from members of the Government.
- 1950 Douglas DC-4 crashANA Skymaster Amana crashThe ANA Skymaster Amana crash was an aircraft crash which occurred near Perth, Western Australia on 26 June 1950. At 9:50pm, a Douglas DC-4 Skymaster aircraft named Amana, operated by Australian National Airways, departed Guildford aerodrome in Perth, Western Australia, heading for Adelaide...
– In June 1950 a Douglas DC-4Douglas DC-4The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
Skymaster named Amana crashed 22 minutes after take-off from PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, killing all 29 people on board. It was Australia’s worst civil aviation accident.
Shipping accident
In November 1947 Justice Simpson chaired the Commonwealth Court of Marine Inquiry into the stranding of the 9,786-ton motor vessel Reynella on a reef. On 18 August 1947, while sailing from LaeLae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, the Reynella became stranded on a reef in the Jomard Passage in the Louisiade Archipelago
Louisiade Archipelago
The Louisiade Archipelago is a string of ten larger volcanic islands frequently fringed by coral reefs, and 90 smaller coral islands located 200 km southeast of New Guinea, stretching over more than and spread over an ocean area of between the Solomon Sea to the north and the Coral Sea to...
. There was no injury or loss of life, and the Reynella was refloated on 12 September 1947.
Justice Simpson found the Reynella’s Captain was careless in his navigation and ordered his certificate of competency to be suspended for six months.
Later life
Mr Justice Simpson retired from the Supreme Court in April 1960 suffering from Parkinson’s disease. He died in MarrickvilleMarrickville, New South Wales
Marrickville, a suburb of Sydney's Inner West is located 7 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the state of New South Wales, Australia and is the largest suburb in the Marrickville Council local government area...
, a Sydney suburb, in November 1966.