MARK DREYFUS
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
JAMES CRAWFORD
Labor is deeply saddened by the passing of eminent Australian lawyer and jurist James Crawford.
When I was Attorney-General I had the great fortune to work with James Crawford preparing for and arguing Australia's successful case against Japan's unlawful whaling program before the International Court of Justice at the Hague in July 2013.
A truly brilliant international lawyer, James went on to become the first Australian to serve as a judge on that vitally important Court for half a century, upholding the international rule of law by adjudicating disputes between nation states.
Prior to serving on the ICJ, Judge Crawford served as Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission and as a member of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO. At the international level, Judge Crawford’s positions included member of the United Nations International Law Commission and Special Rapporteur on State Responsibility.
James was recognised both here and around the world as one of Australia’s finest ever legal minds.
It was a privilege and an honour to have worked with him.
He will be greatly missed by the global community and by all who knew him.
TUESDAY, 1 JUNE 2021
