Justices of the High Court

There are seven Justices of the High Court of Australia.

Justices are appointed by the Federal Government, on advice to the Governor-General, under Section 72 of the Constitution.

The High Court was established in 1903 with three Justices. Two more were added in 1906, followed by another two in 1913. The number fell back to six between 1931 and 1946.

There have been a total of fifty-six justices who have served since 1903. Thirty-seven justices (66%) have been appointed by non-Labor governments. Labor governments have appointed nineteen justices (34%).

• The longest-serving justice was Sir Edward McTiernan, appointed by the Scullin Labor government, who served for 45 years, 8 months and 23 days between 1930 and 1976, retiring when he was 84.
• The oldest-serving justice was Sir George Rich, appointed by the Fisher Labor government, who served for 37 years and one month between 1913 and 1950, retiring when he was 87.
• The shortest-serving justice was Albert Piddington, appointed by the Fisher Labor government, who served just for just one month in 1913 and never actually sat on the bench. Piddington resigned after controversy over his appointment.
• The second shortest-serving justice was Sir Cyril Walsh, appointed by the Gorton Liberal government, who served for 3 years, 2 months and 9 days between 1969 and 1973. He is one of ten justices who died in office.
• The longest-serving Chief Justice was Sir Garfield Barwick, appointed by the Menzies Liberal government, who served for 16 years, 9 months and 15 days between 1964 and 1981. The second longest-serving Chief Justice was Sir John Latham, appointed by the Lyons United Australia Party government, who served for 16 years, 5 months and 27 days between 1935 and 1952.

Since the constitutional amendment of 1977, Justices are required to retire when they turn 70.

Knighthoods were bestowed upon 30 of the 35 justices appointed between 1903 and 1982. The last was Sir Daryl Dawson, in 1982. The Hawke government abolished imperial honours in the 1980s.

Nine of the thirteen Chief Justices are deceased. Three of Chief Justice Susan Kiefel’s predecessors are still living: Anthony Mason, Murray Gleeson and Robert French.

Thirty-three of the fifty-six justices are deceased. In addition to the current bench of seven, there are fourteen former justices still living. The oldest is 97-year-old former Chief Justice Sir Anthony Mason, who was first appointed by the McMahon Liberal government in 1972.

The tables below show the current court, Chief Justices and a complete list of all Justices since 1903. Each seat on the court has a number (1-7) which is shown for each occupant.

The Current Court

Chief Justices

Justices – Complete List

Seat One – 7 Justices: Griffith, Knox, McTiernan, Aickin, Dawson, Hayne, Gordon.
Seat Two – 7 Justices: Barton, Starke, Fullagar, Owen, Mason, Gummow, Gageler.
Seat Three – 11 Justices: O’Connor, Duffy, Latham, Taylor, Walsh, Jacobs, Wilson, McHugh, Crennan, Nettle, Steward.
Seat Four – 7 Justices: Isaacs, Webb, Menzies, Murphy, Toohey, Callinan, Kiefel.
Seat Five – 7 Justices: Higgins, Dixon, Barwick, Brennan, M.Gleeson, French, Edelman.
Seat Six – 9 Justices: Powers, Evatt, Williams, Windeyer, Stephen, Deane, Kirby, Bell, J.Gleeson.
Seat Seven – 8 Justices: Piddington, Rich, Kitto, Gibbs, Gaudron, Heydon, Keane, Jagot.