Vale Justice Mary Gaudron

We were saddened to hear of the passing of the honourable Justice Mary Gaudron last weekend.

Justice Gaudron was true and major icon of the legal profession – particular with respect to female representation in law.

At a young 44 years of age, in 1987, she was first female appointed to be a Justice of the High Court of Australia. She was the only female judge of that court for its first century.

She was also the first woman to be appointed Solicitor-General for New South Wales in 1981. In addition, in 1981, she was the first woman to be appointed silk in New South Wales (senior barrister appointed as a Senior Counsel (SC), Queen’s Counsel (QC) or King’s Counsel (KC)).

What a trailblazer. It is a truly remarkable record of achievement.

She was a highly influential judge – as one example, her joint judgement in the 1992 case of Mabo alongside Justice Deane was critically important, and aided legal and institutional recognition of the dispossession of indigenous peoples and native title.

Hitting the student textbooks at university, it didn’t take long for us to realise there were many cases that Justice Gaudron presided over and gave judgements for; she had a strong, independent, thoughtful voice in her decisions.

Our sincere condolences to Justice Gaudron’s family. Thank you, Justice Gaudron for helping to pave the way and for being an extraordinary role model for women in the legal profession. Thank you, Justice Gaudron for your unforgettable and lasting contribution.