Diana Bryant
Diana Bryant | |
|---|---|
| 3rd Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia | |
| In office 5 July 2004 – 12 October 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Alastair Nicholson |
| Succeeded by | John Pascoe |
| 1st Chief Federal Magistrate | |
| In office 11 May 2000 – 4 July 2004 | |
| Preceded by | New title |
| Succeeded by | John Pascoe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 October 1947 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Firbank Girls' Grammar School Melbourne University Monash University |
| Occupation | Judge, Lawyer |
Diana Bryant AO KC (born 13 October 1947[citation needed]) is an Australian jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia from 5 July 2004 to 12 October 2017.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Bryant was born in Perth, Western Australia and attended Firbank Girls' Grammar School in Melbourne.[2] Bryant holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Melbourne University, and a Master of Laws degree from Monash University.[3]
Career
[edit]Bryant was admitted as a legal practitioner in Victoria in 1970. From 1977 to 1990, Chief Justice Bryant was a partner with the firm of Phillips Fox in Perth where she practised as a solicitor and counsel specialising in family law. She was also a Director of Australian Airlines from 1984 to 1989.[4]
From May 2000, she was the inaugural Chief Federal Magistrate of Australia, the head of the Federal Magistrates' Court, thus being the first woman appointed to the position.[5]
Prior to her appointment, Chief Justice Bryant had practised at the Victorian Bar from 1990 where she specialised in family law and de facto property disputes, particularly at the appellate level. She was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1997 and was a founding member of Chancery Chambers, Melbourne.[citation needed]
In February 2009, Chief Justice Bryant was appointed Patron of Australian Women Lawyers, after founding Patron Mary Gaudron QC, in recognition of her support for women lawyers and efforts to promote equality of opportunity for women in the community.[citation needed]
Bryant retired as Chief Justice on 12 October 2017 reaching the constitutional retirement age of 70.[6]
Honours
[edit]In 2012, Bryant was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for "distinguished service to the judiciary and to the law, particularly to family law policy reform and practice, through the establishment of the Federal Magistrates Court, and to the advancement of women in the legal profession".[7] She was inducted into the Western Australian Women's Hall of Fame in 2018.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Chief Justice". Family Court of Australia. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006. Retrieved 8 March 2006.
- ^ Shiel, Fergus (26 June 2004). "Cool head leaps into legal hot seat". The Age. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ "The Honourable Chief Justice Diana Bryant (LLM 1999)". Melbourne: Monash University. 29 June 2010. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
- ^ Silverii, Jason. "Courting respect - New Family Court Chief Justice Diana Bryant". Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. (2004) 78(8) Law Institute Journal 18.
- ^ "Diana Bryant". Australian Women Lawyers. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ Constitution (Cth) s 72 Judges' appointment, tenure, and remuneration.
- ^ "Bryant, Diana". Australian Honours search facility. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ "WA Women's Hall of Fame Inductees - 2018". WA Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
- 1947 births
- Living people
- Judges of the Family Court of Australia
- Monash Law School alumni
- Melbourne Law School alumni
- Australian King's Counsel
- Officers of the Order of Australia
- Judges of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia
- 21st-century Australian judges
- 20th-century Australian women lawyers
- 20th-century Australian lawyers
- 21st-century Australian women judges
- Lawyers from Perth, Western Australia
- People educated at Firbank Girls' Grammar School