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| Susan Kiefel | |
|---|---|
| Name | Susan Kiefel |
| Honorific prefix | The Honourable |
| Honorific suffix | AC |
| Birth date | 17 January 1954 |
| Birth place | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Alma mater | University of Queensland |
| Occupation | Judge |
| Office | 14th Chief Justice of Australia |
| Term start | 30 January 2017 |
| Term end | incumbent |
Susan Kiefel
Susan Kiefel is an Australian jurist who serves as the 14th Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. Born in Brisbane, she rose through roles in the Queensland Bar Association and the Federal Court of Australia before appointment to the nation's apex court, becoming the first woman to hold the Chief Justice position. Her tenure has engaged major matters involving the Constitution of Australia, federal statutes such as the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), and significant human rights and administrative law questions.
Kiefel was born in Brisbane and spent childhood years in Cairns, with family ties to communities in Queensland. She attended state schools before entering the University of Queensland Law School, where she completed legal studies and developed connections with figures from the Bar Council of Queensland and alumni who later practiced at the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of Queensland. During university she encountered contemporaries who later served on the Federal Court of Australia, the Family Court of Australia, and in Queensland Parliament, and she completed articling with chambers associated with senior barristers and solicitors active in cases before the High Court of Australia and the Privy Council.
Kiefel was admitted to the Bar in Queensland and became a prominent practitioner appearing in matters before the Supreme Court of Queensland, the Family Court of Australia, and the High Court of Australia. She took silk as a Queen's Counsel and represented clients in high-profile disputes involving parties such as the Commonwealth of Australia, state governments, and statutory bodies including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Her judicial career began with appointment to the Supreme Court of Queensland and later to the Federal Court of Australia sitting on matters that also were appealed to the High Court of Australia. In 2007 she was appointed to the High Court of Australia by the Australian Government, joining colleagues who had served in earlier courts such as the High Court of England and Wales and the House of Lords.
On the High Court of Australia, Kiefel sat with justices who had backgrounds in diverse jurisdictions, including former judges from the Federal Court of Australia, the New South Wales Bar Association, and the Victorian Supreme Court. Her work addressed issues arising under the Constitution of Australia, including constitutional separation of powers disputes and interstate trade and commerce matters, with cases invoking principles from precedents established by former justices like Isaac Isaacs, Henry Bournes Higgins, and Anthony Mason. She participated in panels hearing appeals involving parties such as the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Kiefel authored and contributed to judgments in landmark matters touching on native title under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), administrative law principles tied to reviews by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and statutory interpretation involving the Migration Act 1958 (Cth). Her opinions engaged with earlier High Court decisions by justices including Dame Roma Mitchell, Gareth Evans (as Attorney-General influence), and James McLelland in areas such as criminal law, evidence, and appellate procedure. She wrote on issues involving the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), asylum seekers processed under schemes involving the Department of Home Affairs (Australia), and industrial disputes arbitrated by bodies like the Fair Work Commission. Kiefel's reasoning has been cited in subsequent decisions by state supreme courts such as the Supreme Court of New South Wales and appellate courts including the Court of Appeal of Victoria.
As Chief Justice, Kiefel has overseen administration of the High Court of Australia and engaged with reform discussions involving the Australian Law Reform Commission, the Attorney-General of Australia, and state Attorneys-General on matters including court funding, judicial education with institutions like the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration, and access to justice initiatives involving legal aid commissions such as the Community Legal Centres Australia and the Legal Services Commission. She has represented the court in engagements with international bodies including delegations to the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association and exchanges with the Supreme Court of Canada and the Privy Council. Her leadership has involved dialogue with legal profession regulators such as the Law Council of Australia and the Bar Association of Queensland.
Outside the courtroom, Kiefel has interacted with academic institutions such as the University of Queensland, the Australian National University, and the University of Sydney in events and lectures. She has received honours including appointment as a Companion of the Order of Australia and recognition from professional bodies including the Australian Bar Association. Her career has been profiled by media outlets such as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Sydney Morning Herald, and the Australian Financial Review, and discussed in legal scholarship published by journals like the Melbourne University Law Review and the University of New South Wales Law Journal. She maintains privacy regarding family life while engaging publicly on matters concerning the judiciary and legal institutions.
Category:Chief Justices of Australia Category:High Court of Australia judges Category:Companions of the Order of Australia