The Hon Robert Shenton French AC

• Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia (2008- )

Qualifications | Work History | Other positions held | Relevant judgments | Relevant speeches and publications

Relevant qualifications and honours

• LLB UWA
• LLD (Honorary) Edith Cowan University (1998)
• Admitted as a barrister and solicitor in Western Australia (1972)

• Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) (2010) For eminent service to the law and to the judiciary, to legal education and administration in the areas of constitutional, competition and native title law, and to legal reform
• Awarded Centenary Medal (2001)For service as President of the National Native Title Tribunal and as a Federal Court judge

Relevant work history

• 2008 - current: Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia (appointed 1 September)
• 1986-2008: Judge of the Federal Court of Australia (Perth) (apointed 25 November 1986)
  • 1994-1998 President of the National Native Title Tribunal (1994-1998)
  • Deputy President of the Australian Competition Tribunal
  • Part Time Member of the Australian Law Reform Commission (2006-2008)
• 1983-1986: Barrister
  • Associate Member of the Trade Practices Commission (1983-86)
• 1972-1983: practiced as a barrister and solicitor in WA

Other positions held

• Australian Competition Tribunal - President (appointed 2008, but appointed Chief Justice of the High Court before taking the position)
  
• Administrative Appeals Tribunal – Presidential Member
  
• Supreme Court of Fiji - Non-resident Judge (appointed 2003)
  
• Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory – Additional Judge (appointed 2004)

Relevant judgments

• Australian Gas Light Company (ACN 052 167 405) v Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (No. 3) [2003] FCA 1525
  Mergers - declaration that merger would not SLC - declaration sought after ACCC refused to provide informal clearance
  The decision of Justice French was not appealed.
• Stirling Harbour Services Pty Ltd v Bunbury Port Authority [2000] FCA 38; [2000] FCA 1381

Relevant speeches and publications

• Justice French, 'Expert testimony, opinion argument and the rules of evidence' (FCA) [2008] FedJSchol 4
• Justice RS French, 'Dolores Umbridge and the Concept of Policy as Legal Magic', Australian Law Teachers' Association, National Conference,
  Perth, 24 September 2007 (believe it or not his Honour does discuss the TPA and the Melway and Boral cases here and even the
  'Birdsville Amendment')
• Justice French, 'Declarations - Homer Simpson's remedy - Is there anything they cannot do?' (30 November 2007) University of Western
  Australia - Faculty of Law - Perspectives on Declaratory Relief (includes mention of Part IIIA of the TPA)
• Justice French - Horizontal Arrangements - Competition Law and Cooperative Federalism, Competition Law Conference, Sydney, 5 May 2007
• Justice French, 'Authorisation and Public Benefit - Playing with Categories of Meaningless Reference?' (20-21 October 2006),
  4th Annual University of South Australia Trade Practices Workshop, Barossa Valley Resort
• Justice French - The Role of the Court in Competition Law' (26 February 2005) Workshop on Competition Law for Judges and Lawyers in
  Papua New Guinea
• Justice French, 'Competition Law – Covering a Multitude of Sins ', Competition Law Conference Sydney (15 May 2004)
• Frances Hanks and Philip Williams (eds), Trade Practices Ac: A twenty-five year stocktake (Federation Press, 2001) (contributing author)