Ceremonial - Crennan J - Welcome Perth

This proceeding involved a ceremonial welcome to Perth for Justice Susan Crennan of the High Court of Australia. The welcome was extended by Mr K. Martin, QC, President of the Western Australia Bar Association, and Ms M. Saraceni, President of the Law Society of Western Australia. The occasion marked Justice Crennan's first visit to Perth as a Justice of the High Court, approximately eleven months after her appointment.

The legal issues before the court were not substantive legal matters but rather the formal recognition and celebration of Justice Crennan's appointment to the High Court. The speakers addressed the significance of the High Court sitting in Perth, particularly for legal practitioners in Western Australia who are geographically distant from the Court's Canberra base. They also paid tribute to Justice Crennan's extensive legal career, her leadership roles within the legal profession, and her personal achievements.

The speakers highlighted Justice Crennan's distinguished career, including her prior service as a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia and her leadership of the Australian Bar Association. They acknowledged her intellectual contributions to significant High Court judgments and expressed the legal profession's honour in welcoming her to Perth. Justice Crennan, in her response, expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and acknowledged the significant contributions of the Western Australian legal profession to the national legal system. She also reflected on her own past experiences practicing and sitting in Perth, underscoring the importance of the High Court's itinerant sittings for fostering a national perspective.