Sir Garfield Barwick | |
|---|---|
 Barwick in 1959 | |
| Chief Justice of Australia | |
| In office 27 April 1964 – 11 February 1981 | |
| Nominated by | Sir Robert Menzies |
| Appointed by | William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle |
| Preceded by | Sir Owen Dixon |
| Succeeded by | Sir Harry Gibbs |
| Attorney-General of Australia | |
| In office 12 October 1958 – 4 March 1964 | |
| Prime Minister | Robert Menzies |
| Preceded by | Neil O'Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | Billy Snedden |
| Minister for External Affairs | |
| In office 22 December 1961 – 24 April 1964 | |
| Prime Minister | Robert Menzies |
| Preceded by | Robert Menzies |
| Succeeded by | Paul Hasluck |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Parramatta | |
| In office 8 March 1958 – 24 April 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Howard Beale |
| Succeeded by | Nigel Bowen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 June 1903 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 13 July 1997 (aged 94) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Resting place | Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse |
Norma Symons (m. 1929) |
| Education | Fort Street High School |
| Alma mater | University of Sydney |
Sir Garfield Edward John Barwick AK GCMG PC QC (22 June 1903 – 13 July 1997) was an Australian judge who was the seventh and longest serving Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 1964 to 1981. He had earlier been a Liberal Party politician, serving as a minister in the Menzies government from 1958 to 1964.
Barwick was born in Sydney, and attended Fort Street High School before going on to study law at the University of Sydney. He was called to the bar in 1927 and became one of Australia's most prominent barristers, appearing in many high-profile cases and frequently before the High Court. He served terms as president of the NSW Bar Association and the Law Council of Australia. Barwick entered politics only at the age of 54, winning election to the House of Representatives at the 1958 Parramatta by-election. Prime Minister Robert Menzies made him Attorney-General by the end of the year, and in 1961 he was additionally made Minister for External Affairs.
In 1964, Menzies nominated Barwick as his choice to replace the retiring Owen Dixon as Chief Justice. Over the next 17 years, the Barwick court decided many significant constitutional cases, including a significant broadening of the corporations power and several cases regarding the constitutional basis of taxation. Barwick also played a small but significant role in the 1975 constitutional crisis, advising Governor-General John Kerr that it was within his powers to dismiss Prime Minister Gough Whitlam from office. He retired from the court at the age of 77, but remained a public figure until his death at the age of 94. Outside of his professional career, he also served as the inaugural president of the Australian Conservation Foundation.