Alex Chernov, (born 12 May 1938) is an Australian lawyer, judge and barrister who served as the 28th

Governor of Victoria The governor of Victoria is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria. The governor is one of seven viceregal representatives in the country, analogous to the governors of the other states, and the ...

, from 2011 to 2015. Chernov also served as Vice-President of the

Australian Bar Association The Australian Bar Association (ABA) is the peak body representing more than 6,000 barristers throughout Australia. The ABA was established in 1963 to serve, promote and represent its members, and advocate for fair and equal justice for all. ...

, from 1986 to 1987, President of the Law Council of Australia, from 1990 to 1991, and the 20th Chancellor of

Melbourne University The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

, from 2009 to 2011.

Early life

Chernov was born in

Wilno Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

(now Vilnius, Lithuania) in 1938 to Russian parents, and migrated with his family to

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...

, Austria, after the Soviet invasion, where he commenced his schooling. In 1949 his family migrated to Australia and he completed his education at

Melbourne High School Melbourne High School is a government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school for boys, located in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1905, the school caters for boys from Year 9 ...

. He graduated as a

Bachelor of Commerce A Bachelor of Commerce (abbreviated BComm or BCom; also, ''baccalaureates commercii'') is an undergraduate degree in business, usually awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanmar, ...

and a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

(with Honours) from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

in 1961 and 1968 respectively.

Career

Chernov was admitted to practise and signed the Roll of Counsel as a barrister in 1968, practising mostly in commercial law and

equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership * Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the dif ...

. He was appointed

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister o ...

in 1980 and later in a majority of other states. He was Chairman of the

Victorian Bar The Victorian Bar is the bar association of the Australian State of Victoria. The current President of the Bar is Roisin Annesley KC. Its members are barristers registered to practice in Victoria. On 30 June 2020, there were 2,179 counsels ...

(1985–86), Vice-President of the

(1986–87) and President of the Law Council of Australia (1990–91). He was Vice President of LawAsia (1995–97). Chernov was the co-author with

Robert Brooking Career The Honourable Robert Brooking was a judge of the Court of Appeal of Victoria from 1995, having been appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1977. He was also an acting judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Terr ...

of ''Tenancy Law and Practice: Victoria'' (1972) and the editor of its second edition (1980). In May 1997 Chernov was appointed to the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria, and in October 1998 to the Court of Appeal of that Court. He retired from the bench in February 2008. Chernov was elected the 20th

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the

in January 2009, serving in that office until he resigned to take up the office of

Vice-regal office

On 21 February 2011, it was announced that Chernov would become the 28th Governor of Victoria. He assumed that office on 8 April 2011. On the retirement of Dame Marie Bashir as Governor of New South Wales on 1 October 2014, Chernov became the longest-serving governor of an Australian state and by custom assumed the additional office of Administrator of the Commonwealth, which exercises the powers of the Governor-General of Australia in the governor-general's absence or disability. Chernov's term of office ended in June 2015; former judge

Linda Dessau Linda Marion Dessau (born 8 May 1953) is an Australian jurist, barrister, and the 29th and current governor of Victoria since 1 July 2015. She is the first female and the first Jewish holder of the office. She was a judge of the Family Court ...

was appointed as his replacement.

Personal life

Chernov is married and has three children.

Honours

Chernov was appointed Queen's Counsel in and for the State of Victoria in 1980. He was created an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours list for service to the law and education. On 26 January 2012, Chernov was named a

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

. On 14 May 2014, Chernov was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university h ...

References

External links

University of Melbourne biographyGovernor of Victoria biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chernov, Alex 1938 births Living people Governors of Victoria (Australia) Judges of the Supreme Court of Victoria Chancellors of the University of Melbourne Melbourne Law School alumni 20th-century King's Counsel Australian King's Counsel Companions of the Order of Australia Lithuanian emigrants to Australia Australian people of Russian descent Naturalised citizens of Australia