Page 553 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
backwards by former Chief Minister Kate Carnell for a photo opportunity. Luckily, we are yet to see Mr Barr attempt such a stunt.
His colleague Justice Higgins described him as having a reputation for upholding civil liberties whilst also being a diligent and conscientious upholder of the law and legal process. Also described as a student of the law, Justice Miles was known to be fair, balanced and courteous in all he did. He was renowned for his loyalty to his fellow justices and for his love for Canberra and the community. Even after retirement, Justice Miles continued to be a servant of the community as an acting judge, as well as in a number of other roles.
His time as Chief Justice included the transfer to self-government and the associated complexities. In his retirement speech in September 2002 he said:
There is inevitably tension between the judicial branch and the other branches of government, no less in a small community such as the ACT than in larger communities … Canberrans are first and foremost Australians. I came to office in that frame of mind and thus I leave it.
As a measure of the man, in his humble retirement speech he thanked many, including the janitor of the court, by name—gardeners, personal staff, and many others. He was respected by all. In fact, respect and admiration went even further than you might think, with a person he sent to prison sending him Christmas cards during his term and after his release.
On a topical note, he said in 2002:
I came to Canberra in 1985 with the understanding that plans for a new building to house the Supreme Court, put on hold in 1981, would be revived. The Attorney-General at the time, Mr Bowen, gave me substantial hope in that regard … If I have one word of advice to urge upon my successor it is to get something, some firm undertaking from the Government in writing, in concrete if possible, made known to the world, that this Court will be provided with the premises and facilities that are necessary for the proper discharge of its role in the public interest.
I hope the new building honours him and all the others who have served in the court.
Chief Justice Miles’s commitment to Canberra, including authoring A History of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital in 2009, has been extensive. He received a number of honours for his work as a legal practitioner and as a Supreme Court judge. In 1994 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia, as well as receiving a Centenary Medal in 2003. In 2016 he was honoured with a place on the ACT Honour Walk in Civic.
Of course, being a justice of the Supreme Court is not a simple task, particularly in the role of Chief Justice, and quite often this Assembly does not make it any easier. I would like to again acknowledge the immense contribution to the territory, as well as to the country, that His Honour Chief Justice Miles made throughout his
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video