THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
Attorney-General
Minister for Emergency Management
MEDIA RELEASE
APPOINTMENT OF SOLICITOR-GENERAL OF THE COMMONWEALTH
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus today announced the appointment of Justin Thomas Gleeson SC as the Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth.
Mr Gleeson will be Australia's 10th Solicitor-General and has been appointed to the role following a merits selection process. His appointment is for a period of five years and will commence immediately.
Mr Gleeson is a respected member of the New South Wales Bar and his expertise as an advocate in complex matters involving Australian private and public law and constitutional law will serve him well in his role, said Mr Dreyfus.
Mr Gleeson's appointment as Solicitor-General will ensure that the Australian Government is well served to protect the legal interests of all Australians.
I want to thank Mr Justin Gleeson for serving Australia with distinction as Acting Solicitor-General for the past four months and congratulate him on his appointment for the next five years.
Mr Gleeson was admitted as a barrister of the High Court of Australia in 1989. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2000. He is a graduate of the University of Sydney and has post-graduate qualifications from Oxford University.
The Solicitor-General is the Second Law Officer of the Commonwealth. His functions include acting as counsel for the Commonwealth, giving opinions on questions of law to the Attorney-General and carrying out such other functions ordinarily performed by counsel.
Mr Gleeson replaces Mr Stephen Gageler SC who was appointed as a Justice of the High Court of Australia in October 2012.
A short biography for Mr Gleeson is below.
THURSDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Biography Mr Justin Thomas Gleeson SC
Mr Justin Gleeson SC, 51, holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney, as well as a Bachelor of Civil Law from the University of Oxford.
In 1989, Mr Gleeson signed the bar roll and commenced practice as a barrister at the New South Wales Bar.
During this time he has developed a broad-based commercial and equity practice, with a strong focus on administrative and constitutional law.
More recently Mr Gleeson has focused on appellate work, appearing in a number of significant appeals in the High Court of Australia.
He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2000 and has been acting as Solicitor-General since October 2012.
Mr Gleeson is a former member the New South Wales Bar Council.
In 2012 he was appointed the federal government as a member of the Commonwealth Takeovers Panel.
He is also a part-time lecturer of Legal History at the University of Sydney.
