Ceremonial - Gibbs - In Memory

This occasion was a ceremonial sitting of the High Court of Australia to mark the death of the Right Honourable Sir Harry Talbot Gibbs, the eighth Chief Justice of the Court. Present on the Bench were retired Chief Justice Sir Anthony Mason and retired Justice Sir William Deane, along with Chief Justice Terence J. Higgins of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory. The Bar Table was attended by numerous dignitaries representing various courts, legal bodies, and former associates of Sir Harry Gibbs, including the Solicitor-General for the Commonwealth and Solicitors-General for Tasmania and South Australia.

The proceedings did not involve the determination of legal issues in the traditional sense. Instead, the Chief Justice of Australia, the Honourable Anthony Murray Gleeson AC, delivered a tribute to Sir Harry Gibbs, outlining his distinguished career and contributions to the Australian legal landscape. The tribute covered Sir Harry's early life and education in Queensland, his service in the Second World War, and his successful practice at the Queensland Bar before his appointment to the Supreme Court of Queensland.

The Chief Justice detailed Sir Harry's judicial career, including his time on the Federal Court of Bankruptcy and the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory, followed by his appointment as a Justice and later Chief Justice of the High Court. The tribute highlighted significant changes that occurred during Sir Harry's tenure, such as the abolition of Privy Council appeals and the establishment of the High Court's permanent headquarters in Canberra. It also emphasised Sir Harry's personal qualities, including his civility, tact, and decency, and his intellectual contributions to the resolution of civil and criminal cases, particularly during a period of significant constitutional litigation and evolving appellate procedures. The court then adjourned.