Nicholson, Robert --- "Sir Ronald Wilson: An Appreciation" [2007] MelbULawRw 20; (2007) 31(2) Melbourne University Law Review 499
[∗] BA, LLB (Hons) (UWA), MA (Georgetown), LLM (Melb); Professorial Fellow, The University of Melbourne; former Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. Portions of this article formed a eulogy to Sir Ronald delivered by the author at the Sir Ronald Wilson Lecture in 2005, the year of his death.
[1] Antonio Buti and Justice Ralph Simmonds, ‘Sir Ronald Wilson — A Brief View of His Life’ (2005) 32(7) Brief 16, 16.
[2] Ron’s life is well told in his own words in ‘From Basement to Bench: An Interview with Sir Ronald Wilson First Published in Brief in February 1994’ (2005) 32(7) Brief 6. See also Buti and Simmonds, above n 1; Antonio Buti, Sir Ronald Wilson: A Matter of Conscience (2007).
[3] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 6. See also Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16.
[4] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 6.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16.
[7] Above n 3.
[8] Ibid.
[9] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 6–7. See also Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16.
[10] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 7.
[11] Ibid. See also Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16.
[12] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 7. See also Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16.
[14] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 15. See also Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16.
[15] Sir Ronald Wilson, ‘Address’ (Speech delivered at the Fifth Annual Remembrance Ceremony, Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform, Canberra, 13 November 2000) <http://www.ffdlr.org.au/memorial/SirRonaldWilson.htm> .
[16] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 13. See also Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16–17.
[17] Tributes Paid to ‘Visionary’ Sir Ronald Wilson (17 July 2005) ABC News Online <http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200507/s1415968.htm> .
[18] Fred Chaney, ‘Sir Ronald Wilson’ (2005) 32(7) Brief 19, 19.
[19] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 7.
[20] Ibid 7–8.
[21] Ibid 8. See also Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16.
[22] Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16.
[23] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 14.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Ibid.
[26] Ibid 10.
[27] Ibid.
[28] Ibid.
[29] T F Percy, ‘The Button and Beamish Cases’ (2006) 33(6) Brief 8, 9.
[30] Ibid.
[31] Button v The Queen [2002] WASCA 35; (2002) 25 WAR 382; Beamish v The Queen [2005] WASCA 62 (Unreported, Steytler, Wheeler and McLure JJ, 1 April 2005).
[32] K H Parker, ‘Dedication to Sir Ronald Wilson’ (1990) 20 University of Western Australia Law Review 205, 205.
[33] Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16.
[34] The office was established by the Solicitor‑General Act 1969 (WA).
[35] [1975] HCA 58; (1975) 135 CLR 337.
[36] Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 17. See also ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 10.
[37] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 10.
[39] P D Durack and R D Wilson, ‘Do We Need a New Constitution for the Commonwealth?’ (1967) 41 Australian Law Journal 231, 231.
[40] Ibid.
[41] A V Dicey, Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution (7th ed, 1908) 167.
[42] Durack and Wilson, above n 39, 232.
[43] Ibid 233.
[44] Companies Act 1962 (ACT); Companies Act 1961 (NSW); Companies Act 1961 (Qld); Companies Act 1962 (SA); Companies Act 1962 (Tas); Companies Act 1961 (Vic); Companies Act 1961 (WA). See generally Rob McQueen, ‘An Examination of Australian Corporate Law and Regulation 1901–1961’ [1992] UNSWLawJl 2; (1992) 15 University of New South Wales Law Journal 1; Geoffrey Sawer, ‘Federal–State Co‑Operation in Law Reform: Lessons of the Australian Uniform Companies Act’ [1963] MelbULawRw 23; (1963) 4 Melbourne University Law Review 238.
[45] Durack and Wilson, above n 39, 234.
[46] Ibid.
[47] Ibid.
[48] Joint Committee on Constitutional Review, Parliament of Australia, Report from the Joint Committee on Constitutional Review (1958). See also ibid 234–6.
[49] Durack and Wilson, above n 39, 234.
[50] Ibid.
[51] Ibid 238.
[52] Ibid 239.
[53] Ibid.
[54] Ibid.
[55] Ibid.
[56] Ibid.
[57] Ibid 239–40.
[58] Ibid 242.
[59] Ibid 243.
[60] Ibid 250.
[61] Ibid.
[62] Ibid.
[63] Ibid.
[64] Frank Brennan, ‘The Law and Politics of Human Rights in An Isolated Country without a Bill of Rights’ (Speech delivered at the 2003 Sir Ronald Wilson Lecture, Alexander Library Theatre, State Library of Western Australia, 12 May 2003). See also ‘The Sir Ronald Wilson Lecture’ (2005) 32(7) Brief 20.
[66] Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 17.
[67] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 9.
[68] Ibid.
[69] [1982] HCA 19; (1982) 149 CLR 79.
[70] Ibid 102 (Wilson J).
[71] [1981] HCA 74; (1981) 151 CLR 170.
[72] Ibid 269–87.
[73] Ibid 281.
[74] See, eg, XYZ v Commonwealth [2006] HCA 25; (2006) 227 ALR 495.
[75] [1982] HCA 27; (1982) 153 CLR 168.
[76] [1983] HCA 21; (1983) 158 CLR 1.
[77] Koowarta [1982] HCA 27; (1982) 153 CLR 168, 244 (Wilson J).
[78] Ibid 248, quoting International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, opened for signature 21 December 1965, 660 UNTS 195, art 5 (entered into force 4 January 1969).
[79] Opened for signature 21 December 1965, 660 UNTS 195 (entered into force 4 January 1969).
[80] Koowarta [1982] HCA 27; (1982) 153 CLR 168, 248.
[81] Ibid.
[82] Ibid.
[83] Ibid.
[84] Ibid.
[85] Ibid 252.
[86] Ibid.
[87] Opened for signature 16 November 1972, 1037 UNTS 151 (entered into force 17 December 1975).
[88] Tasmanian Dam Case [1983] HCA 21; (1983) 158 CLR 1, 187.
[89] Ibid 189.
[90] Ibid 199.
[91] Ibid 193–4.
[92] Ibid.
[93] Ibid.
[94] Ibid.
[95] Ibid 204.
[96] [1985] HCA 11; (1985) 159 CLR 70.
[97] Ibid 113.
[98] Ibid 113–14.
[100] Ibid 200.
[101] Ibid 201.
[102] Ibid 204.
[103] Ibid 206.
[104] [1988] HCA 18; (1988) 165 CLR 360.
[105] Ibid 399 (Mason CJ, Wilson, Brennan, Deane, Dawson, Toohey and Gaudron JJ).
[106] Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 17.
[107] [1981] HCA 46; (1981) 147 CLR 512.
[108] [1988] HCA 56; (1988) 82 ALR 10.
[109] [1987] HCA 26; (1987) 162 CLR 645.
[110] [1980] HCA 48; (1980) 147 CLR 75.
[112] [1986] HCA 88; (1986) 161 CLR 278.
[113] [1985] HCA 30; (1985) 156 CLR 664.
[114] [1987] HCA 1; (1987) 162 CLR 110.
[115] Ibid 129. Gibbs CJ was a lone dissentient: at 111–20.
[116] [1989] HCA 9; (1989) 166 CLR 283.
[117] Ibid 296–306.
[118] [1982] HCA 30; (1982) 149 CLR 1.
[119] Ibid 16–22.
[120] [1985] HCA 43; (1985) 157 CLR 523, 546–63.
[121] Ibid 557.
[122] [1984] HCA 46; (1984) 154 CLR 606.
[123] [1987] HCA 46; (1987) 163 CLR 447.
[124] Ibid 451–2 (Mason CJ, Wilson, Brennan, Toohey and Gaudron JJ).
[125] [1989] HCA 1; (1989) 180 CLR 508.
[126] Ibid 510–11.
[127] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 14.
[128] Ron Merkel, ‘The Death of Legal Principle’ (Speech delivered at the Sir Ronald Wilson Lecture 2007, Alexander Library Theatre, State Library of Western Australia, 10 May 2007).
[129] Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 18.
[130] Ibid.
[131] Ibid.
[132] National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, Commonwealth of Australia, Bringing Them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families (1997).
[133] Ibid 284–94, 302–13, 415–21. See also Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 18.
[134] Opened for signature 9 December 1948, 78 UNTS 277 (entered into force 12 January 1951). See also National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, above n 132, 292–5.
[135] Karen Brown, ‘Judge Farewelled as Man of Rare Courage’, The Australian (Sydney), 23 July 2005, 1, 7.
[136] Alan Ramsey, ‘A Role in the Fall of a Labor Mate Conveniently Omitted from the Eulogies’, The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney), 20 July 2005, 17.
[137] See Western Australia, Royal Commission into Commercial Activities of Government and Other Matters, Report of the Royal Commission into Commercial Activities of Government and Other Matters (1992) vol 6, pt 1 ch 27, 2–6. See also Buti and Simmonds, above n 1, 16.
[138] ‘From Basement to Bench’, above n 2, 8, 14.
[139] National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, above n 132.
[140] Royal Commission into Commercial Activities of Government and Other Matters, above n 137.