Sir Adrian Knox | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Sir Adrian Knox, November 1923 | |
| Chief Justice of Australia | |
| In office 18 October 1919 – 31 March 1930 | |
| Nominated by | Billy Hughes |
| Appointed by | Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson |
| Preceded by | Sir Samuel Griffith |
| Succeeded by | Sir Isaac Isaacs |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 November 1863 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 27 April 1932 (aged 69) Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia |
| Spouse |
Florence Lawson (m. 1897) |
| Parent |
|
Sir Adrian Knox KCMG PC KC (29 November 1863 – 27 April 1932) was an Australian lawyer and judge who served as the second Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 1919 to 1930.
Knox was born in Sydney, the son of businessman Sir Edward Knox. He studied law at Trinity College, Cambridge, and after returning to Australia established a successful law firm. He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1894, but retired in 1898 after just two terms in office. Knox eventually became one of the best known barristers in New South Wales, taking silk in 1906 and appearing frequently in major constitutional cases. In 1919, he was somewhat unexpectedly nominated by Billy Hughes to succeed the retiring Samuel Griffith as Chief Justice. The most famous decision of his tenure was the Engineers case of 1920.