Page 919 - Week 03 - Thursday, 21 March 2019
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legal profession. He was an advocate for improvements to the legal system, particularly pre self-government. One such issue related to how consecutive sentences were dealt with in the ACT.
In his retirement, the ACT Magistrates Court lost a strong but fair decision-maker, and at his passing the Canberra community lost an advocate, a teacher of the legal profession, and a committed family man.
On behalf of the opposition, I express my deepest condolences to his wife, Mandy; his four children; and his extended family and friends. I would also like to pass on my admiration to the staff at Clare Holland House for all they do to support people in their last days.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (10.08): On behalf of the ACT Greens, I join my Assembly colleagues in expressing our condolences on the death of Grant Lalor, former ACT magistrate and Commonwealth DPP assistant director. Mr Lalor died peacefully at Clare Holland House on 26 February this year after a long battle with illness.
Mr Lalor moved to Canberra from Wodonga in the late 1960s to study at the ANU. He would spend 20 years as a commonwealth prosecutor after earlier stints as a solicitor in Papua New Guinea and in the Deputy Crown Solicitor’s office here in Canberra.
On 1 February 2004, Mr Lalor was appointed a full-time magistrate in the ACT, a position he would serve in until his retirement in May 2012. Steven Whybrow, President of the ACT Bar Association, described Mr Lalor as having a reputation as a no-nonsense magistrate who had little patience with inefficiency or obfuscation. However, away from the courtroom, Mr Lalor was a kind, loyal and generous man, who had a mischievous sense of humour, according to Mr Whybrow.
Mr Lalor was known to be a mentor to, and advocate for, many young prosecutors during his time at the Commonwealth DPP and the Canberra DPP office before the ACT DPP was established in 1991. He was a strong supporter of, and advocate for, bringing more female lawyers into the profession.
The Canberra community has been extremely lucky to have benefited from Mr Lalor’s years of service. On behalf of the ACT Greens, I convey my thoughts and sympathies to his widow, his children and his grandchildren.
Question resolved in the affirmative, members standing in their places.
Petitions
The following petitions were lodged for presentation:
Violence in schools—petition 5-19
By Ms Lee, from 397 residents:
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