Page 918 - Week 03 - Thursday, 21 March 2019
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that off the bench his legal brethren found him to be kind, loyal and generous, and a man with a mischievous sense of humour.
During eight years on the bench before his retirement in 2012, His Honour worked tirelessly to serve justice, and had a reputation for being firm but fair. What more could be asked than that?
Madam Speaker, Mr Lalor has left an extraordinary legacy in the Canberra community. This morning, on behalf of the Assembly, I extend our sincerest condolences to Mr Lalor’s wife, Mandy; their children; and their extended family.
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (10.04): Madam Speaker, I, too, rise today to express condolences on behalf of the opposition at the passing of former magistrate Mr Grant Lalor.
Mr Lalor was a long-term Canberran, moving from Wodonga to study law at the ANU in the late 1960s, a path very familiar to many people in Canberra.
Mr Lalor built a distinguished career in the legal sector throughout his working life, spending time as a private solicitor in Papua New Guinea before returning to Australia and working in a number of public legal offices, including the Deputy Crown Solicitor’s office.
Mr Lalor then joined the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions, holding a number of roles, including senior assistant director of ACT prosecutions after the establishment of the ACT DPP in 1991. Mr Lalor spent over 20 years as a prosecutor, during which he also played a prominent role as a mentor and advocate for younger prosecutors.
Mr Lalor was appointed as a full magistrate of the court in February of 2004 by Mr Stanhope, and was known as a no-nonsense magistrate, particularly in instances of serious offences. Cases such as one-punch attacks and assaults on police officers were dealt with by Mr Lalor in this fashion, and he quickly developed a reputation for having little tolerance for inefficiency or ambiguous language.
During his six years in the judiciary, Mr Lalor spent some time as a coroner, before retiring in 2012, months shy of a formal retirement age for magistrates of 65. Even in retirement, Mr Lalor played a prominent role in the ACT legal community and, in particular, he continued his advocacy for the education of young lawyers.
As a prosecutor, as the Chief Minister just said, he was involved in many fascinating cases. As Mr Barr mentioned, he was involved in the first conviction that involved the use of DNA, in June 1989. He was, interestingly, involved in a matter regarding attacks on the Albanian embassy. He also represented an MP in Papua New Guinea who was caught drink-driving.
Mr Lalor was valued by those who knew him as a kind and generous man when off the bench. He was also known to have a mischievous sense of humour, as Mr Barr mentioned. He was a strong advocate for female lawyers throughout his time in the
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