John Murtagh Macrossan (12 March 1930 – 5 August 2008) was a distinguished barrister, chancellor and judge in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. He was the 16th

Chief Justice of Queensland The chief justice of Queensland is the senior judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the highest ranking judicial officer in the Australian state of Queensland. The chief justice is both the judicial head of the Supreme Court, as well as ...

and the third person from the Macrossan family to occupy that position. His grandfather

John Murtagh Macrossan John Murtagh Macrossan (1832 – 30 March 1891) was an Australian politician of the late 19th century in the parliament of Queensland. Early and parliamentary life Macrossan was born in Donegal, Ireland. He moved to the colony of Victoria a ...

was Colonial Secretary for Queensland and his two uncles

Hugh Denis Macrossan Hugh Denis Macrossan (20 February 1881 – 23 June 1940) was a politician and judge in Queensland, a State of Australia. He was elected as a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, and was later to become a judge and also the Chief Ju ...

and Neal William Macrossan were also Chief Justice of Queensland.

Early years

Macrossan was born on 12 March 1930 to Vincent and Dorothy Macrossan (née Brown). He was named after his grandfather of the same name who was member of the

Queensland Parliament The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. As provided under the Constitution of Queensland, the Parliament consists of the Monarch of Australia and the Legislative Assembly. It has been the only unicameral st ...

. He was educated at St Columban’s College in Brisbane by the Christian Brothers. After high school, he went on to study at the University of Queensland where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a LLB. His mother is said to have wanted Macrossan to be a doctor whilst his father wanted him to be solicitor like himself. It was said that Macrossan was widely read, elegantly dressed and immaculately mannered.

Professional life

He was admitted to the Queensland Bar in 1951 but appeared in Court only once before going to the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. It was at this appearance where he announced appearing for the wrong party. He attended Exeter College and obtained a

Bachelor of Civil Laws Bachelor of Civil Law (abbreviated BCL, or B.C.L.; la, Baccalaureus Civilis Legis) is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. The BCL originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Camb ...

. He returned to Queensland in 1954 to resume his career at the Bar. He shared chambers with James Archibald Douglas. He took Silk in 1967. He became the Queensland Government’s favoured senior counsel in industrial cases against the Australian Government. He was fortunate to have the privilege of appearing in the Privy Council. He was appointed to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a judge in 1980. His appointment was merited. His courtesy on the bench is said to have been "legendary" and he never seemed to lose his temper. Macrossan was deputy chancellor of

Griffith University Griffith University is a public research university in South East Queensland on the east coast of Australia. Formally founded in 1971, Griffith opened its doors in 1975, introducing Australia's first degrees in environmental science and Asian ...

from 1985. In 1988 he was appointed chancellor and continued as chancellor until 2000. He was made an honorary doctor of the university in 2001. In 1989 he was appointed Chief Justice of Queensland following the retirement of Sir Dormer Andrews. Whilst he was not the most senior judge at the time, Justices Kelly and Connolly were near retirement, and were happy for Macrossan's elevation. In 1991 the Queensland Government created a separate Court of Appeal with a President. The court was created with opposition from the Supreme Court and without consultation of the Queensland legal profession. Macrossan was opposed to this course as a similar Court of Appeal set up in New South Wales led to many years of bitter feelings as judges' seniority was interfered with. The legislation setting up this court also removed some of the chief justice's jurisdiction over that court. The work, which the new court performed, was work which the Supreme Court sitting as a Full Court traditionally undertook. Macrossan sustained a discreet battle with the Government to rectify this, which finally occurred in 1997 after the election of a new Government. Macrossan is said to have seen this as his most significant achievement. Another reform achieved was the termination of the creation of new Queens Counsel. Instead of the Crown appointing the leaders of the Queensland Bar, senior practitioners would be recognised by the title of Senior Counsel. In 1993 he was made a Companion in the Order of Australia (AC) in recognition of his services to law, education and the arts. In the same year he awarded honorary Doctorate of Laws by the University of Queensland. He was to be knighted in the 1990 New Years Honours List, but the new Queensland State Government blocked this. He was president of the Queensland Art Gallery Society from 1978 to 1982 and was deputy chancellor of

from 1985. He was chancellor of that university from 1988 to 2000. He was also involved with the Churchill Trust. In 1997 he opposed the establishment of a Supreme Court in Cairns as he felt that there was a greater need in Brisbane for a new judge. He retired in 1998 two years before the statutory retirement age for judges."Wind of change hits bench. "OBERHARDT MARK. 14 February 1998. Courier Mail At Macrossan's retirement ceremony, he said that courts "must always be open to new ideas but not be driven by every wind that blows" and that the community expected stability from the judiciary. In 2001 he was made an honorary doctor of Griffith University in recognition for his service to the university. He married Margery Newton in 1961. Their son Mark is a barrister and playwright. He died in Brisbane on 5 August 2008 aged 78."Former Qld Chief Justice Macrossan dies" Maree Hawthorne. ABC News. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/08/2328173.htm in Brisbane."Led period of court reform" Mark McGinness. 16 August 2008. The Courier-Mail Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine said of Macrossan "He was a very highly talented and respected judicial officer and barrister" and that he had "served Queensland well"."Tributes for former Qld chief justice ". 8 August 2008. Australian Associated Press General News Macrossan's funeral was held at Our Lady of Help of Christians church and he was buried in Nudgee Cemetery.Burial records
— Nudgee Cemetery. Retrieved 21 December 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macrossan, John Murtagh 1930 births 2008 deaths Chief Justices of Queensland Companions of the Order of Australia Burials at Nudgee Cemetery