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Sir Edward McTiernan - A Centenary Reflection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2025

Michael Kirby
Michael Kirby*
Affiliation:
Court of Appeal of New South Wales
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Extract

Year by eventful year, a century has passed since the birth of Edward Aloysius McTiernan on 16 February 1892 at Glen Innes, New South Wales. The second of two children of Patrick McTiernan, police constable, and Isabella McTiernan (nee Diamond) came into a world on the brink of great political and legal changes. His life virtually spanned the whole history to date of the Commonwealth of Australia. It saw mighty wars, great scientific and social changes and the apogee and fall of the British Empire. Instructive it is to reflect upon the world he entered and the controversies which were agitating Australia and the mother country at a time young Edward was born.

A year before his birth, an event was to take place which affected the course of his life. In 1890, provision was first made for the payment of members of Parliament elected at the next general election in the colony of New South Wales.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Federal Law Review , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , June 1991, pp. 165 - 184
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 The Australian National University

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Footnotes

This essay is based on an address to the St Thomas More Society, Sydney 23 July 1991, and reflects the author's personal views.

References

1 McMullin, R, Th Light on th Hill: TM Australian Labor Party 1891- 1991 (1991)Google Scholar

2 Federal Council of Australasia Act 1885 (Imp).

3 British NorthAmerica Act 1867(Imp).In 1981 this statute was renamed The Constitution Act 1867.

4 Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (Imp).

5 Ibid s 71.

6 Magnus, E, Gladstone (1963) 357.Google Scholar

7 Ibid 358.

8 Ibid 354.

9 lbid 399.

10 lbid 405.

11 Many of the details on Sir Edward McTiernan's life here recorded were told to the writer on the occasion of Sir Edward's 90th birthday in February 1982. See Kirby, M D, “Sir EdwardAloysius McTiernan, 1892-1990-Parliamentarian and Judge”(1990)64 ALJ 320Google Scholar.The author gratefully acknowledges access to the forthcoming biography of Sir Edward McTiernan by KBuckley,to be published by the LawFoundation of NewSouthWales.

12 Bursary Endowment Act 1912 (NSW) (now repealed - Statute Law Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1989 No 89).

13 See eg SouthAustralia v The Commonwealth(UniformTaxcase) (1942) 65CLR373;Victoria v Commonwealth(SecondUniform TaxCase) (1957) 99 CLR 575.See also Victoria, v Commonwealth and Hayden (Australian Assistance Plain case) (1975) 134v CLR 338Google Scholar

14 See (1912) 15 CLR (vii).

15 Noted (1990) 168 CLR (v).

16 See Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Act 1920 (NSW) (now repealed). See alsoIncorporated Law Institute of New South Wales v Meagher (1909) 9 CLR 655.

17 NSW Parl Deb (Legislative Assembly) 10 October 1920, 123. In his maiden speech to the House, lasting 2 hours, McTiernan begged his parliamentary colleagues to “look kindly on my deficiencies”. See NSW Parl Deb (Legislative Assembly) 18 August 1920, 277. He admitted that he had not “acquired the parliamentary laugh or the parliamentary method of saying “hear, hear”. Exceptionally, he was interrupted by an unnamed Hon Member who declared “you are the biggest capitalist in the House!” Ibid 278.

18 McTieman, quoted by Sir George Fuller, NSW Parl Deb (Legislative Assembly) 31 October 1921, 97.

19 NSW Parl Deb(Legislative Assembly),24 July 1934,603.

20 See Buckley, K supra n 11, n 18.Google Scholar

21 Workers' Compensation Act 1926 (NSW).

22 The Act was repealed by the Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW).

23 See Kirby, MD, “Alfred Theodore Conybeare 1902-1979, Compensation Judge” (1992) 66 ALJ 276Google Scholar.

24 JohnFairfax& Sons Ltd v New South Wales (1927) 39CLR139.With McTiernan appeared FlanneryKC, EMMitchellKC and Robert Menzies.

25 Bennett, J M, Keystone of the Federal Arch - A Historical Memoir of the High Court of Australia to 1980 (1980) 51.Google Scholar

26 Ibid.

27 The difference of a day rankled. See(1930) 44CI.R(iv).

28 Bennen, J M, supra n 25, 53.Google Scholar

29 NSW, A-G Trethowan, v (1931) 44 CLR 394Google Scholar. The saga continues to this time. See Bignold v Dickson (1991) 23 NSWI..R 683.

30 A-G NSW v Trethowan (1931) 44 CI..R 394,433.

31 See (1932) 47 CI..R 97.

32 New South Wales v Commonwealth (No 2) (1932) 46 CI..R 235, 240.

33 New South Wales v Commonwealth (1932) 46 Cl..R 155.

34 lbid 221.

35 NewSouth Wales v Commonwealth(No2) (1932) 46 CLR 235.242.Cf McTiernan's deference to English House of Lords authority as late as 1943. See Piro v WFoster& Co Ltd (1943) 68 CLR 313.336.These were not unusual sentiments for the time.See also Griffith CJ's remarks(1919) 26 CLR (vi).

36 New South Wales v Commonwealth (No2) (1932) 46 CLR 235.243 quoting Commonwealth v New South Wales(1923) 32 CLR 200.209.

37 Sawer, G, Australian Federalism in the Courts (1967) 67.Google Scholar

38 H V Evatt to JG lotham,12 October 1939,cited C Lloyd,″Not Peace but a Sword!- The High Court under J.G.Latham″(1987) 11 Adel L Rev 175,181.

39 Lloyd, C, supra n 37, 180.Google Scholar

40 Id.

41 HE Starke to JG Latham, 22 February 1937 and 2 December 1938 quoted C Lloyd, supra n 37, 181.

42 Id, Letter of 2 December 1938.

43 EA McTieman to I G Latham about 1937/8, quoted C Lloyd, supra n 37, 180.

44 Noted K Buckley,supra n 11.The appointment is found in Australian Archives A 432 SP 109/3.

45 Blackshield, A R, “Quantitative Analysis: The HighCourt of Australia 1964-1969” (1972)3 Law Asia 13-21Google Scholar

46 See eg A-G for Victoria v Commonwealth (Pharmaceutical Benefits case) (1945) 71 CLR 237,273; Lord Mayor,Councillors and Citizens of the City of Melbourne vCommonwealth (1947) 74CLR31,8S.

47 Bank of New South Wales v Commonwealth (1948) 76 CLR 1,391.

48 Australian Communist Party v Commonwealth (1951) 83 CLR 1, 205. For earlier cases in which McTieman J had also evidenced a libertarian inclination, see eg The King v Wilson; Ex parte Kisch (1934) 52 CLR 234, 247. But it was not unifonn. See eg The King v Sharkey (1949) 79 CLR 121, 157. See also MD Kirby, “H.V. Evatt, the Anti-Communist Referendum and Liberty in Australia” (1991) 7 Aust Bar Rev 93, 104.

49 See Edwards v The Queen [1973] AC 648(PC).The Australian decision not followed was The Queen v Howe (1958) 100 CLR 448 where McTiernan Jhadconcurred with Dixon J (1958) 100 CLR 448, 464.

50 Kirby, M, “Sir Edward Aloysius McTiernan - Parliamentarian and Judge”(1990)64 ALJ 320Google Scholar

51 Constitution Alteration (Retirement of Judges) 1977(Cth). Amendings 72 of the Constitution.

52 (1990) 168 CLR(v).

53 Clark, C M H, A History of Australia (1987) vol 6, 496Google Scholar.

54 Ibid 500

55 Seeeg remarks (1919) 26 CLR (xi).

56 See eg D Marr, Barwick (1980) 214; M Coper, Encounters with the Australian Constitution (1987) 124.

57 Lord Campbell, The Lives of the Lord Chancellors, (2nd ed 1856) 519. See generally Burbury,Sir Thomas More and the Ruleo f Law (1980) 3.

58 Ludeke, J T, “Thomas More” unpublished address to the St Thomas More Society, Newcastle, (1985) 3.Google Scholar

59 Id.

60 See eg Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Casuarina Ply LId (1971) 127 CLR 62,84-86 and discussion in Federal Commissioner of Taxtion v Gulland (1985) 160CLR55at86.

61 Yeats, W B, “Under Ben Bulben” in U O'Connor, The Yeats Companion, (1990) 216.Google Scholar