Justin Gleeson

Justin Gleeson
SC
Solicitor-General of Australia
In office
14 February 2012 – 6 November 2016
Appointed byQuentin Bryce
Preceded byStephen Gageler
Succeeded byStephen Donaghue
Personal details
Born
Justin Thomas Gleeson

(1961-04-09) 9 April 1961 (age 63)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
University of Oxford
OccupationBarrister,
Solicitor-General of Australia

Justin Thomas Gleeson SC (born 9 April 1961[1]) is an Australian lawyer and former Solicitor-General of Australia,[2] the Commonwealth's second-ranking law officer.

Early life and education

Gleeson was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield,[1] then the University of Sydney, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (University Medal[3] and First-Class Honours).[4] Gleeson undertook postgraduate studies in the law at the University of Oxford, where he earned a Bachelor of Civil Law.[2]

Career

Gleeson was appointed Solicitor-General in 2012, having acted in that capacity since the departure of Stephen Gageler the previous year. Prior to his appointment, Gleeson was the Head of Banco Chambers.

Following a disagreement with the Commonwealth Attorney-General, George Brandis, about a direction made by the Attorney-General which restricted access to the Solicitor-General, Gleeson announced that he would resign with effect from 7 November 2016. In his resignation letter, Gleeson stated that his relationship with the Attorney-General was "irretrievably broken".[5][6]

Following his resignation, Gleeson rejoined private practice and returned to Banco Chambers, the chambers that he founded.[7] In addition to acting as counsel in domestic courts, Gleeson is also currently working as an international arbitrator.[7]

In September 2017, Gleeson joined the legal team of Tony Windsor, led by Ron Merkel QC, in the High Court case Re: Joyce, one of the seven cases constituting the 2017 Australian constitutional crisis.[8]

Personal life

Justin is married to academic and author Dr Bernadette Brennan. They have two daughters Madeline and Caitlin. His father is Gerald Gleeson AC, a former senior public servant in the Labor Government in New South Wales. One of his brothers, Fabian Gleeson, is a judge on the New South Wales Court of Appeal.[9] His father-in-law is former High Court Chief Justice Sir Gerard Brennan. His elder daughter is author Madeline Gleeson.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ a b "Appointment of Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth" (PDF). nswbar.asn.au. The Hon. Mark Dreyfus QC MP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  3. ^ Ackland, Richard (29 October 2016). "Solicitors-general support Justin Gleeson in argument with George Brandis". The Saturday Paper.
  4. ^ "Federation Press - Author: Justin T Gleeson".
  5. ^ Gleeson, Justin (24 October 2016). "Letter to the Attorney-General" (PDF). Letter to George Brandis, Attorney-General of the Commonwealth. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  6. ^ Tingle, Laura (24 October 2016). "Solicitor-General resigns citing irreconcilable differences with George Brandis". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  7. ^ a b Butler, Ben (21 July 2017). "Subscribe | theaustralian". www.theaustralian.com.au. The Australian. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  8. ^ Koziol, Michael (22 September 2017). "Clash of the Titans: George Brandis' nemesis Justin Gleeson joins citizenship case against Barnaby Joyce". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Swearing In Ceremony of the Honourable Justice Fabian Gleeson SC" (PDF). 29 April 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  10. ^ Gadfly, The Saturday Paper, 14–20 May 2016, p. 17
Government offices
Preceded by Solicitor-General of Australia
2013–2016 		Succeeded by