Hugh Denis Macrossan
Encyclopedia
Hugh Denis Macrossan was a politician and judge in Queensland
, a State of Australia
. He was elected as a member of the Queensland Parliament, and was later to become a judge and also the Chief Justice of Queensland. He was the son of a prominent Queensland politician, and he was elected as a member of parliament. He served as a judge from 1926, until his appointment as chief justice in 1940 and his death later that year. He is unique in Queensland history as the shortest serving chief justice, serving only one month, and one of only two chief justice to have a brother and nephew served as chief justice.
in Brisbane. He later attended the University of Sydney
and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1902. Before embarking on his career in politics and the law, he worked as a teacher in Nudgee for three years.
in 1904. He was admitted to the Queensland Bar on 22 October 1907 and practiced as a barrister thereafter. His first foray into politics occurred in 1910. He stood as a Liberal candidate for the Senate in the Australian Parliament in that year. He was not successful and he returned to practice in the law.
On 12 June 1912, he married Lydia Cremin Hall Woodhouse at St Patrick's Church in Sydney. He tried again to enter into politics. He was nominated to stand as a Ministerial candidate for the seat of Windsor in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Queensland Parliament. At that time, the parliament was bicameral. This time he was elected. During his time in politics, he became disillusioned with the parliamentary party system and he urged politicians not to vote along party lines. He had little success in doing this. In the 1915 election he refused to be nominated for his former party. Instead, he ran as an Independent Liberal candidate. He lost his seat in that election to the candidate for the Australian Labor Party.
He returned to the Bar and became a leading member of it. He appeared in a number of leading Australian cases, including the constitutional case of Mooraberrie Cattle case At the swearing in of Thomas William McCawley as a judge of the Supreme Court, Macrossan was one of the few judges to argue that McCawley's commission as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland was valid. That issue went to the High Court of Australia
which was eventually overruled by the Privy Council
stating that the appointment was valid. It was during his time at the bar that his first wife Lydia died in 1922.
Macrossan had a "tongue of silver and steel" and was noted for his hard work and speedy judgments. Unfortunately, his wit was not always appreciated. In hearing a divorce suit between two unmarried people who were living together as a married couple, Macrossan remarked "I suppose they will go and get married and spoil it all". Unfortunately for Macrossan, two ministers heard his remark and wrote a letter of complaint to the local paper protesting at the judge's comments about the institution of marriage. Macrossan took the letter as being a contempt of court by the ministers as well as the newspaper, and he duly convicted each of them. An appeal to the Full Court of the Supreme Court overturned the convictions for contempt.
Macrossan was appointed as Chief Justice of Queensland on 17 May 1940. He was unable to make any great changes as he died in office shortly thereafter. He was buried in Nudgee cemetery.
His younger brother Neal William Macrossan
became chief justice in 1946 and his nephew John Murtagh Macrossan
(son of Macrossan's brother Vincent) also became chief justice in 1989.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, a State of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He was elected as a member of the Queensland Parliament, and was later to become a judge and also the Chief Justice of Queensland. He was the son of a prominent Queensland politician, and he was elected as a member of parliament. He served as a judge from 1926, until his appointment as chief justice in 1940 and his death later that year. He is unique in Queensland history as the shortest serving chief justice, serving only one month, and one of only two chief justice to have a brother and nephew served as chief justice.
Early years
Macrossan was born at Lutwyche, now a suburb of Brisbane. His parents, John Murtagh Macrossan and Bridget Macrossan (née Queely), were both Irish émigrés to Australia who had married in Australia. Macrossan's father was a prominent member of the Queensland Parliament. Macrossan was educated at St. Joseph's Nudgee CollegeSt. Joseph's Nudgee College
St Joseph's Nudgee College is a private, Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for boys, located in Boondall, a northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
in Brisbane. He later attended the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1902. Before embarking on his career in politics and the law, he worked as a teacher in Nudgee for three years.
Political career
Macrossan obtained a taste for the law when he worked as an associate for Mr Justice Real of the Supreme Court of QueenslandSupreme Court of Queensland
The Supreme Court of Queensland, which is based at the Law Courts Complex, is the superior court for the Australian State of Queensland and sits around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy...
in 1904. He was admitted to the Queensland Bar on 22 October 1907 and practiced as a barrister thereafter. His first foray into politics occurred in 1910. He stood as a Liberal candidate for the Senate in the Australian Parliament in that year. He was not successful and he returned to practice in the law.
On 12 June 1912, he married Lydia Cremin Hall Woodhouse at St Patrick's Church in Sydney. He tried again to enter into politics. He was nominated to stand as a Ministerial candidate for the seat of Windsor in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Queensland Parliament. At that time, the parliament was bicameral. This time he was elected. During his time in politics, he became disillusioned with the parliamentary party system and he urged politicians not to vote along party lines. He had little success in doing this. In the 1915 election he refused to be nominated for his former party. Instead, he ran as an Independent Liberal candidate. He lost his seat in that election to the candidate for the Australian Labor Party.
He returned to the Bar and became a leading member of it. He appeared in a number of leading Australian cases, including the constitutional case of Mooraberrie Cattle case At the swearing in of Thomas William McCawley as a judge of the Supreme Court, Macrossan was one of the few judges to argue that McCawley's commission as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland was valid. That issue went to the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
which was eventually overruled by the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
stating that the appointment was valid. It was during his time at the bar that his first wife Lydia died in 1922.
Judicial career
Macrossan was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland on 23 July 1926. He became senior puisne judge on 1 December 1926. The following day, he married Gladys Mildred Trenfield at Fortitude Valley. They separated 10 years later. In 1929, Pope Pius XI appointed Macrossan a Knight of St Gregory the Great.Macrossan had a "tongue of silver and steel" and was noted for his hard work and speedy judgments. Unfortunately, his wit was not always appreciated. In hearing a divorce suit between two unmarried people who were living together as a married couple, Macrossan remarked "I suppose they will go and get married and spoil it all". Unfortunately for Macrossan, two ministers heard his remark and wrote a letter of complaint to the local paper protesting at the judge's comments about the institution of marriage. Macrossan took the letter as being a contempt of court by the ministers as well as the newspaper, and he duly convicted each of them. An appeal to the Full Court of the Supreme Court overturned the convictions for contempt.
Macrossan was appointed as Chief Justice of Queensland on 17 May 1940. He was unable to make any great changes as he died in office shortly thereafter. He was buried in Nudgee cemetery.
His younger brother Neal William Macrossan
Neal Macrossan
Neal William Macrossan was a lawyer, judge and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland.-Early years:Macrossan was born on 27 April 1889 at Lutwyche in Queensland. He was the eighth and youngest child of Australian politician John Murtagh Macrossan and Bridget Macrossan . He was educated...
became chief justice in 1946 and his nephew John Murtagh Macrossan
John Murtagh Macrossan
John Murtagh Macrossan was Queensland’s 16th Chief Justice and the third person from the Macrossan family to occupy that position. He was also a distinguished barrister, chancellor and judge...
(son of Macrossan's brother Vincent) also became chief justice in 1989.
Sources
- W. Ross Johnston, Macrossan, Hugh Denis (1881 - 1940), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10, Melbourne University Press, 1986, pp 363–364.
- Serle, Percival, Macrossan, Hugh Denis (1881 - 1940), Dictionary of Australian Biography"
- "Impartiality in the Judiciary" Lee, Stephen J. 14 U. Queensland L.J. 136 (1985–1987)
- Harrison Bryan, Macrossan, John Murtagh (1833 - 1891), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 5, Melbourne University Press, 1974, pp 198–199
- History page – Supreme Court of Queensland.