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William Gummow
William Montague Charles Gummow AC (born 9 October 1942) is a former Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy. He was appointed to the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong on 8 April 2013 as a non-permanent judge from other common law jurisdictions.
Justice Gummow completed his secondary education at Sydney Grammar School. He went on to study at the University of Sydney, where he graduated as Bachelor of Arts, and later Master of Laws, both with first-class honours. One of his lecturers was Sir Anthony Mason.
Gummow first practiced as a solicitor with law firm Allen Allen and Hemsley. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1966 and became a partner of the firm in 1969. He had a diverse practice, including banking law, trusts and revenue law, intellectual property litigation, commercial transactions and some constitutional law.
After 10 years in practice as a solicitor, Gummow was called to the New South Wales Bar in 1976. At the bar, his practice included equity, commercial, tax and intellectual property matters. It also included large constitutional issues and in several cases he appeared as a junior to then Commonwealth Solicitor-General, Maurice Byers. Gummow was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1986.
In 1986, Justice Gummow was appointed to the Federal Court of Australia. He was appointed to the High Court of Australia in April 1995. He retired from the High Court on 8 October 2012, upon reaching the constitutionally mandatory retirement age of 70.
On 8 April 2013, he was appointed to the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong as a non-permanent judge from other common law jurisdictions. He remains in the position as of July 2025[update], along with other Australian judges Patrick Keane and James Allsop, after British judge Jonathan Sumption resigned, criticising the judiciary of Hong Kong after 14 prominent democratic activists were convicted for subversion.
For 30 years, from the year of his graduation until his appointment as a judge, Gummow taught at the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney. He lectured in equity from 1970 to 1995. Gummow's essay Legal Education (1988) emphasised the importance of statutes and legal history; areas he considers were and are insufficiently taught in Australian law schools. He further advocated the need for practitioners in legal education, who were exposed to 'the law in action'.
Following his retirement from the High Court of Australia, Gummow was appointed a Professor of the Sydney Law School, where he gives guest lectures, and a professor at the Australian National University (ANU) College of Law, where he teaches in the constitutional, equity, conflict of laws and refugee law programs.
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William Gummow
William Montague Charles Gummow AC (born 9 October 1942) is a former Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy. He was appointed to the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong on 8 April 2013 as a non-permanent judge from other common law jurisdictions.
Justice Gummow completed his secondary education at Sydney Grammar School. He went on to study at the University of Sydney, where he graduated as Bachelor of Arts, and later Master of Laws, both with first-class honours. One of his lecturers was Sir Anthony Mason.
Gummow first practiced as a solicitor with law firm Allen Allen and Hemsley. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1966 and became a partner of the firm in 1969. He had a diverse practice, including banking law, trusts and revenue law, intellectual property litigation, commercial transactions and some constitutional law.
After 10 years in practice as a solicitor, Gummow was called to the New South Wales Bar in 1976. At the bar, his practice included equity, commercial, tax and intellectual property matters. It also included large constitutional issues and in several cases he appeared as a junior to then Commonwealth Solicitor-General, Maurice Byers. Gummow was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1986.
In 1986, Justice Gummow was appointed to the Federal Court of Australia. He was appointed to the High Court of Australia in April 1995. He retired from the High Court on 8 October 2012, upon reaching the constitutionally mandatory retirement age of 70.
On 8 April 2013, he was appointed to the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong as a non-permanent judge from other common law jurisdictions. He remains in the position as of July 2025[update], along with other Australian judges Patrick Keane and James Allsop, after British judge Jonathan Sumption resigned, criticising the judiciary of Hong Kong after 14 prominent democratic activists were convicted for subversion.
For 30 years, from the year of his graduation until his appointment as a judge, Gummow taught at the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney. He lectured in equity from 1970 to 1995. Gummow's essay Legal Education (1988) emphasised the importance of statutes and legal history; areas he considers were and are insufficiently taught in Australian law schools. He further advocated the need for practitioners in legal education, who were exposed to 'the law in action'.
Following his retirement from the High Court of Australia, Gummow was appointed a Professor of the Sydney Law School, where he gives guest lectures, and a professor at the Australian National University (ANU) College of Law, where he teaches in the constitutional, equity, conflict of laws and refugee law programs.