SPECIAL SITTING - Welcome to Keane J - Sydney

This matter concerns the formal welcome of Justice Patrick Keane to the High Court of Australia's Sydney sittings. The proceedings involved addresses from Mr P. Boulten, SC, representing the New South Wales Bar Association, and Mr J. Dobson, President of the Law Society of New South Wales, extending congratulations and good wishes to Justice Keane on his appointment. Justice Keane then responded to these welcomes.

The central issue was the formal introduction and acknowledgement of Justice Keane's appointment to the High Court. The addresses highlighted Justice Keane's prior service as Chief Justice of the Federal Court, his reputation for industry and clarity in judgments, and his distinctive use of colourful metaphors in legal discourse. The speakers also touched upon historical precedents and the unique characteristics of the legal profession in New South Wales.

In his response, Justice Keane expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and reflected on his positive experiences practicing and sitting in Sydney. He particularly lauded the "creative symbiosis" within the New South Wales legal profession, where the skills of advocates, instructing solicitors, and academic lawyers are brought together to the advantage of the administration of justice. Justice Keane contrasted this with a perceived tension between academic and practising lawyers in other common law jurisdictions, referencing the views of Justice Felix Frankfurter and affirming the importance of advocacy in exploring truth and enlarging intellectual horizons, a tradition he associated with eminent members of the New South Wales Bar.