Page 4635 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 31 October 2017
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seen Justice Gallop at a few cricket matches in recent years in the later years of his life, I am well aware of his personal passion for the game.
On behalf of the ACT Greens, I would like to offer my condolences to Mr Gallop’s family, his friends and the Canberra legal community, as we reflect on and celebrate his life and his significant achievements, both in the legal sector and in the broader Canberra community. We are pleased to support the motion today.
MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for Regulatory Services, Minister for the Arts and Community Events and Minister for Veterans and Seniors) (10.14): Today we mourn the loss of one of the ACT Supreme Court’s longest serving judges, a man who made a significant contribution during more than five decades in public life, both in the legal sector and in the wider Canberra community. Justice Gallop’s rise through the ranks of the ACT legal profession is synonymous with the development of the legal profession as a whole. As has been noted, when he became a name partner at the local law firm Snedden Hall & Gallop in January 1962 he was only one of 23 solicitors in private practice in the ACT at the time.
He was called to the bar in 1973; he was appointed Queen’s Counsel only three years later. He served as the president of the ACT Law Society from 1976 to 1978. Justice Gallop became a judge of the ACT Supreme Court in 1982 and also served as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory and the Supreme Court of Christmas Island.
He also served as a presidential member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and President of the Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal. As if those commitments were not enough, His Honour was also heavily involved in the establishment of the Judicial Conference of Australia, which is now an important and flourishing body to represent judges.
Justice Gallop’s direct nature in the courtroom and regard for the dignity and the significance of court proceedings earned him respect from the entire legal community. He insisted on punctuality. I understand he would, on occasion, come onto the bench even if counsel were not present and commence proceedings. He abhorred inappropriate formality. If counsel tried to offer, “Good morning, Your Honour,” he would respond, “This is not a tea party. Get on with the case.” Despite what has been referred to as a gruff exterior, Justice Gallop was sensitive to the problems of people who appeared before him. He was committed to ensuring fair treatment for all. He always agonised over sending young people to prison, especially knowing their vulnerability in the prison system.
Justice Gallop pioneered the use of what is now referred to as a deferred sentence order, under which an offender may spend time in a residential rehabilitation facility before sentencing and may avoid a jail term if progress is made to address, for example, a drug addiction. In the early 1980s this was an innovative approach that ran contrary to a culture of punishing drug addicts. The practice pioneered by His Honour became so widespread that it ultimately came to be included in the Crimes (Sentencing) Act in 2005.
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