International Law

On Monday Justice Kirby will retire from the High Court of Australia.  In today's The Australian there are two pieces on Justice Kirby's contribution, one by Michael Pelly and another by Professor Michael Lavarch.  Although only time will tell if the judicial philoposhy evident in Justice Kirby's judgments, many of which were in dissent, will be vindicated, what is not in doubt is his remarkable contribution as a public intellectual.  One feature of this role has been his willingness to be involved in legal education; he has no doubt spoken at almost every Australian law school at one time or another (many on several occasions) and has always given his time, energy and insight generously.  However, he is a hero to so many law students not just because of this generosity but also as a result of his progressive judicial philosophy, his clear and compelling writing style (which students particularly appreciate) and his good humour.  One example of this is in his contributions to the University of Queensland Law Revue over the last decade, as James Tinniswood recounts:

"Hello, I'm Michael Kirby and welcome to the Law Revue. Sit up, pay attention and no messing about in the stalls. That's a unanimous decision of the High Court. No dissents.

Read more here.  As of Monday Justice Kirby will no longer be a judge of the High Court of Australia, but I have a feeling he will continue to be a present and persuasive figure in matters of public importance for a consierable time to come.