NSW chief justice called him one of Australia’s greatest judges and public servants
The High Court expressed sadness at the news of the recent death of Sir Anthony Mason – who joined it as a justice in 1972 and was its chief justice from 1987–95 – and offered their sympathies to his family.
“Sir Anthony’s contribution to the jurisprudence of the High Court, and to the legal system and profession more broadly, was profound and is enduring,” the High Court stated.
Mason was 100 years old at the time of his passing. The High Court shared that it would hold a ceremonial sitting in his honour in its June sittings.
“He was a jurist who was and continues to be regarded with deep respect and admiration, and a man who is remembered with affection and appreciation by those who had the privilege of knowing and working with him,” the High Court said in its statement.
Andrew Bell, chief justice of New South Wales, called Mason one of Australia’s greatest judges and public servants.
According to Bell, after completing his undergraduate law degree, he was one of Mason’s associates from 1990–91, alongside Chief Justice of Australia Stephen Gageler, Justice Mark Leeming of the Supreme Court of New South Wales Court of Appeal, and Justices Stephen McLeish and Kris Walker of the Victorian Court of Appeal.
“As with those other now distinguished judges, scholars and practitioners, I counted my year in Sir Anthony's chambers as one of the most important and formative of my professional life,” Bell said in his statement.
The Law Society of New South Wales and the Law Society of South Australia extended their condolences to Mason’s family, friends, and colleagues. The Victorian Bar also expressed sympathy for his loved ones.
“We are immensely proud that the Law Society will continue to play an important role in continuing Sir Anthony’s legacy through our administration of the NSW Young Lawyers’ Sir Anthony Mason Constitutional Law Essay Competition,” stated a media release from the NSW law society.
In its statement, the SA law society called Mason “one of Australia’s most distinguished jurists and a towering figure in the law.” In an announcement, the Judicial College of Victoria considered him “a jurist of great intellect and integrity, and as a figure held in deep respect across the legal profession.
Born in Sydney on 21 April 1925, Mason graduated from the University of Sydney with a BA and LLB with first-class honours and the University Medal.
After serving in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, he earned admission to the NSW bar in 1951 and received an appointment as Queen’s Counsel in 1964.
Mason served as solicitor‑general for the Commonwealth of Australia from 1964–69 and as a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales Court of Appeal from 1969–72.
After retiring from the High Court of Australia in 1995 at the constitutionally mandated age of 70, he held overseas judicial appointments, as well as senior roles with Australian universities and national and international organisations.
Specifically, he served on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal for two decades. He was president of the Court of Appeal of the Solomon Islands and an ad hoc judge of the Supreme Court of Fiji, as well as chancellor of the University of New South Wales and chair of the Council of the National Library of Australia.
To mark his significant legal contributions, Mason became a knight commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1972 and a companion of the Order of Australia in 1988.
