Jim Spigelman
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James Jacob Spigelman AC QC (born 1 January 1946) is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the highest court in the State of New South Wales, Australia, which forms part of the Australian court hierarchy.
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[edit] Early Years
Spigelman was born in Sosnowiec, Poland, on 1 January 1946. He arrived in Australia with his family in 1949.
[edit] Education
Spigelman attended Maroubra Public School and Sydney Boys High School. He came to the University of Sydney in 1963. He completed his Arts degree with first class honours in both government and economics in 1967. He then went on to study law and graduated with first class honours and the University Medal in 1971.
Throughout these years, Spigelman was active in student life and community affairs. He was a leader in the Freedom Ride in 1965 by students to highlight the deprivation and discrimination experienced by Aboriginal communities in NSW. He was President of the Students' Representative Council in 1969 and the Student Fellow of the University Senate from 1969 to 1971.
[edit] Career
Spigelman was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1972. At that time he was Senior Adviser and Principal Private Secretary to Gough Whitlam, who was elected Prime Minister in December that year. He served Prime Minister Whitlam until 1975, when he was appointed the Secretary of the Department of Media – the youngest person to be appointed to the highest level of the Commonwealth Public Service.
Spigelman was admitted to the NSW Bar in 1976. He commenced practice three years later, after serving for several years as a Member of the Australian Law Reform Commission and having a period overseas, including the United States, researching for a book on the nuclear industry. This became the The Nuclear Barons which was published in 1981, with Spigelman as co-author.
Spigelman had a swift rise at the NSW Bar practicing in constitutional law, administrative law and appellate work. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1986. He frequently appeared for the Commonwealth Government and the NSW Government in major cases and was acting Solicitor-General of NSW in 1997.
During these years, Spigelman maintained his great interest in the arts, serving as the Chairman of the Australian Film Finance Corporation (1990-92), Deputy Chairman of the Art Gallery of NSW (1983-88) and President of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (1995-98). He is also a member of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia (1995-98), a member of the Board of the Brett Whiteley Foundation (1995-98) and, earlier, as a Councillor of the Australian Film and Television School (1975-78).
Spigelman was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and Lieutenant Governor of NSW, in 1998 by the Carr Australian Labor Party Government.
[edit] Honours
- In 2000 he became a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for services to law and to the community.
- In 2004 Spigelman received an honourary Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) degree from the University of Sydney.
