Christopher John Sumner AM (born 17 April 1943) is a former Australian politician. Sumner, who holds a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

and a

Bachelor of Law 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 ...

and was a barrister and solicitor before entering politics, was elected to the

South Australian Legislative Council The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly. It sits in Parli ...

for the Labor Party in 1975. In May 1979 he was appointed 43rd Attorney-General of South Australia and Minister of Prices and Consumer Affairs. In September he became Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council following the government's defeat. When Labor returned to office in 1982 he resumed his previous offices in addition to Ethnic Affairs. In 1983 he added Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests to his responsibilities, and in 1989 exchanged Ethnic Affairs and Consumer Affairs for Crime Provention. In September 1993 he became Minister for Justice and Correctional Services. Labor was defeated in 1993 and Sumner once again led the Opposition in the Legislative Council, holding the shadow portfolios of Attorney-General, Education, Public Sector Reform and Consumer Affairs until his resignation from the Legislative Council in 1994.

References

1943 births Living people Members of the South Australian Legislative Council Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of South Australia Attorneys-General of South Australia Members of the Order of Australia {{Australia-Labor-politician-stub