Dyson Heydon, Conservative NSW Judge, Appointed To High Court
December 17, 2002
John Dyson Heydon, a judge of the NSW Court of Appeal, has been appointed to the High Court vacancy caused by the retirement of Justice Mary Gaudron. The 59-year-old is a Canadian-born judge who has spoken out against judicial activism in recent times. His appointment to the court is the Howard government's fourth since 1996.
There are seven Justices of the High Court. The Howard government has been responsible for the appointment of the Chief Justice, Murray Gleeson, as well as Justices Kenneth Hayne and Ian Callinan. Justice Heydon's appointment means that the High Court again becomes an all-male institution. Despite speculation about possible appointments from other States, the appointment further entrenches the NSW influence.
Heydon was born on March 1, 1943, in Ottawa, Canada. He was educated in London, Wellington and Rio de Janeiro, before attending Shore School and St. Paul's College at the University of Sydney, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts. He won a Rhodes Scholarship to study law at Oxford University in 1964. From 1973, he was professor of law at the University of Sydney, the youngest ever professor of law in the English speaking world. A prolific legal author, writing mainly on Evidence, Equity and Trusts, Heydon became Dean of the University of Sydney Law School in 1978, again the youngest person ever to hold the position.
Heydon commenced active practice at the NSW Bar in 1980, specialising in Trade Practices, Company Law, Equity and Trusts. He became a Queen's Counsel in 1987 and was appointed to the Court of Appeal of New South Wales in February 2000.
Justice Heydon is well-known amongst lawyers for his prodigious work habits. He is said to arrive in chambers at 5am. During the Super League case, he was part of a team led by the former Liberal Attorney-General, Tom Hughes, now one of the highest paid QCs in Australia. It is said that Heydon and Hughes competed with each other to see who arrived in chambers first, often as early as 4am.
The judge is apparently an avid reader, with a passion for history. He played rugby and cricket in his student days.
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