Justice Kirby in Conversation at Suffolk Law School

Justice Michael Kirby is recently retired as one of the seven Justices of the High Court of Australia, Australia’s Supreme Court. He is Australia’s longest serving jurist, having been first appointed in 1975. On the occasion of his retirement last month from the High Court, Australia’s Attorney-General Robert McClelland said of Justice Kirby: “Alongside your  extensive achievements and contributions to the law, to academia and to the community, you will be remembered most for serving justice with a bold heart, a brilliant mind and respect for the fundamental rights of all citizens.” According to the Australian press, it was a lofty goodbye: to his colleagues, the profession, his staff, to the rituals of the Court, to what Justice Kirby called  “the long acts of his drama.” Justice Kirby also thanked his partner of 40 years, Johan van Vloten, and the politicians who made Mr. van Vloten eligible for the pension of a judge’s spouse.

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