John Doyle (lawyer)
Encyclopedia
John Jeremy Doyle, AC
, QC
(born 4 January 1945), Australia
n jurist
, is the current Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of South Australia
, which is the highest ranking court
in the Australia
n State
of South Australia
.
Doyle was educated at Saint Ignatius College, South Australia and was Dux of the College in 1962. He went on to graduate in law
from the University of Adelaide
in 1966 and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship
in 1967, completing his studies in law at Magdalen College
, Oxford in 1969. The following year, 1970, he was admitted to the Bar.
Before being elevated to the position of Chief Justice in 1995, Doyle served as the South Australian Solicitor General, 1986-1995, where he was highly regarded for his skills as an advocate, particularly in complex Constitutional cases. On a number of occasions, most recently in 2008, speculation surfaced that he may become the first South Australian to be appointed to the High Court of Australia
; however, an appointment never eventuated.He was a founding member of Hanson Chambers and, immediately prior to his move to the independent bar, was a Partner at Adelaide law firm, Kelly & Co.
He is also a fervent supporter of the Norwood Football Club
in the South Australian National Football League
.
Chief Justice Doyle was also appointed as an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
in 2000 to hear an appeal concerning the appointment of the then Northern Territory
Chief Magistrate
Hugh Bradley.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born 4 January 1945), 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...
n jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
, is the current Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court of South Australia
Supreme Court of South Australia
The Supreme Court of South Australia is the superior court for the Australian State of South Australia. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. The Supreme Court is the highest South Australian court in the Australian court...
, which is the highest ranking court
Australian court hierarchy
There are two streams within the hierarchy of Australian courts, the federal stream and the state and territory stream. While the federal courts and the court systems in each state and territory are separate, the High Court of Australia remains the ultimate court of appeal for the Australian...
in the 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...
n State
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
Doyle was educated at Saint Ignatius College, South Australia and was Dux of the College in 1962. He went on to graduate in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
from the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
in 1966 and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
in 1967, completing his studies in law at Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, Oxford in 1969. The following year, 1970, he was admitted to the Bar.
Before being elevated to the position of Chief Justice in 1995, Doyle served as the South Australian Solicitor General, 1986-1995, where he was highly regarded for his skills as an advocate, particularly in complex Constitutional cases. On a number of occasions, most recently in 2008, speculation surfaced that he may become the first South Australian to be appointed 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...
; however, an appointment never eventuated.He was a founding member of Hanson Chambers and, immediately prior to his move to the independent bar, was a Partner at Adelaide law firm, Kelly & Co.
He is also a fervent supporter of the Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
in the South Australian National Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
.
Chief Justice Doyle was also appointed as an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
The Supreme Court of the Northern Territory is the superior court for the Australian Territory of the Northern Territory. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters...
in 2000 to hear an appeal concerning the appointment of the then Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
Chief Magistrate
Chief Magistrate
Chief Magistrate is a generic designation for a public official whose office—individual or collegial—is the highest in his or her class, in either of the fundamental meanings of Magistrate : as a major political and administrative office , and/or as a judge Chief Magistrate is a generic designation...
Hugh Bradley.