Michael Black (judge)

Michael Eric John Black, AC, QC (born 22 March 1940) is a former Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia.

After attending schools in Australia, Egypt and England, he received further education at Wesley College, Melbourne. He graduated in law from the University of Melbourne in 1963 and began practice at the Victorian Bar in 1964. His practice included civil jury actions as well as commercial and public law cases. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel for Victoria in 1980 and for Tasmania in 1984. As Queen's Counsel he specialised in appellate work, including cases in constitutional, commercial and industrial law. One of the constitutional cases was the Tasmanian Dam Case in 1983, where he represented the Tasmanian Wilderness Society.

He was appointed Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia on 1 January 1991. As Chief Justice he had, as well as his judicial duties, statutory responsibility for the administration of the Court.

In 1981 he was appointed the Foundation Chairman of the Victorian Bar’s Readers Course, the Bar’s pioneering course of instruction for new barristers, and later served as the representative of the Victorian Bar on the Board of the Leo Cussen Institute for Continuing Legal Education. As Chief Justice he actively supported the Federal Court’s work in the field of judicial education. He was also Chair of the Advisory Committee for introduction of the Juris Doctor Degree at Melbourne Law School.

On Australia Day 1998, he was made a Companion in the Order of Australia (AC) for service to the law, to the legal profession and to the judiciary. He retired as Chief Justice on 21 March 2010 and was succeeded by the Hon Patrick Keane.

His interests outside the law include architecture, history and maritime matters.

References and external links

• Biographical Information
• Transcripts of Federal Court farewell sittings
• Farewell from Bar Association of Queensland
• Former Justices of the Federal Court of Australia