Harry Gibbs

Sir Harry Gibbs
Chief Justice of Australia
In office
12 February 1981 – 5 February 1987
Nominated byMalcolm Fraser
Appointed byZelman Cowen
Preceded bySir Garfield Barwick
Succeeded bySir Anthony Mason
Justice of the High Court of Australia
In office
4 August 1970 – 12 February 1981
Appointed byJohn Gorton
Preceded bySir Frank Kitto
Succeeded bySir Gerard Brennan
Personal details
Born(1917-02-07)7 February 1917
Sydney, Australia
Died25 June 2005(2005-06-25) (aged 88)
Sydney, Australia
RelationsWylie Gibbs (brother)[1]

Sir Harry Talbot Gibbs AC GCMG KBE PC QC (7 February 1917[2][3] – 25 June 2005) was Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1981 to 1987 after serving as a member of the High Court between 1970 and 1981. He was known as one of Australia's leading federalist judges although he presided over the High Court when decisions such as Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen in 1982 and Commonwealth v Tasmania expanded the powers of the Commonwealth at the expense of the states. Gibbs dissented from the majority verdict in both cases. On 3 August 2012, the Supreme Court of Queensland Library opened the Sir Harry Gibbs Legal Heritage Centre. It is the only legal heritage museum of its kind in Queensland and features a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and legacy of Sir Harry Gibbs.[4]

  1. ^ "The man who replaced Barwick". Justinian. 4 March 1981.
  2. ^ "Sir Robert Menzies Lecture Trust". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012.
  3. ^ "Obituary Sir Harry Gibbs". michaelkirby.com.au. July 2005.
  4. ^ "About SCQL". Supreme Court of Queensland Library. Retrieved 3 December 2012.