WA: West Australian lawyers welcome Justice Heydon's appointment
By Karen Valenti
PERTH, Dec 18 AAP - The appointment of NSW judge John Dyson Heydon to the High Courtwas an excellent one, a senior West Australian lawyer said today.
Justice Heydon, a NSW Supreme Court judge, has been appointed to the court to replaceretiree Mary Gaudron, the only female Justice in the High Court, amid criticism a womanwas not chosen.
Justice Heydon's appointment came ahead of Brisbane-based Federal Court judge SusanKiefel, and former NSW Supreme Court chief justice Sir Laurence Street said it was unfortunatethe highest court would comprise all males.
But the President of the WA Law Society, Clare Thompson, does not agree with Sir Laurence,saying Judge Heydon's appointment was sound - and that there would be more women in theHigh Court in the future.
"It's an excellent appointment," Ms Thompson said.
"He was one of the people who was on the short-list, as a likely candidate and he iseminently qualified.
"There are very understandable reasons why he was appointed."
Ms Thompson said it would have been lovely if a West Australian woman had won the position,but there had been several highly qualified candidates from across the country.
She had no doubt more women will be sitting on the High Court in the future with oneout of six female West Australian lawyers recently receiving their silks.
"And I was delighted the Victorian Bar announced that 25 per cent of their new silkswere women," she said.
AAP kv/sd/mg/sb
KEYWORD: HEYDON REACTION WA
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