Garfield Barwick

Sir Garfield Edward John Barwick AK, GCMG, PC ( born June 22, 1903 in Sydney, New South Wales, † 14 July 1997 in Sydney, New South Wales) was an Australian politician and, among others, Foreign Minister of the country. He was also chief judge with the longest service time in Australia's history.

Early life

Barwick was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and attended Fort Street High School. For his degree at Sydney University, he received the University Medal in Law as an award for special efforts as a student. His Methodist family lived in modest circumstances. Although he was a good student and opened his own law firm, he suffered greatly from the Great Depression. After it was not possible for him, a bank loan from a cousin to repay, for he had bailed at the bank, he was bankrupt. This has been tracked him throughout his career. Nevertheless as a barrister he could work out at many dishes a good reputation. In many nationally significant trials he was involved as a defender. He has also served 1973/1974 as an ad hoc judge at the International Court in The Hague. In 1953 he was elevated to knighthood.

One of his greatest successes in court was to rescue of 13 sentenced to death Malaysians twelve, when he found inaccuracies in the formulation of the arrest warrants. The Malaysians, who took a different legal team, was executed because they are not convincing enough expressed their objections ..

Political career

Barwick was elected as a member of the Liberal Party of Australia in the electoral district of Parramatta at a by-election on March 8, 1958 in the Australian House of Representatives and re-elected in the 1958 federal elections, 1961 and 1963. During his time in the Australian Parliament, he served as the Advocate-General and Foreign Minister. As Advocate General, he supported the introduction of the Matrimonial Causes Act and the Crimes Act. At the 15th, 17th and 18th General Assembly of the United Nations, he led the Australian delegation.

On April 27, 1964, he was appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia which is the highest as the first graduate of the University of Sydney judge of the land. At the origin of the building for the High Court in Canberra he was instrumental. In 1966 he became the first president of the Australian Conservation Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of Australian nature.

In 1981 he resigned from his position in the court back - after nearly 17 years ( April 1964 - February 1981). At the age of 94 years Barwick died in 1997 in his hometown of Sydney.