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- 18 June 2002
Tribute To Professor Jeremy Webber
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The Hon. JOHN HATZISTERGOS [9.29 p.m.]: Tonight I speak in relation to Professor Jeremy Webber, the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney, who will be leaving to take up an appointment in the research institute of the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. I had the pleasure of attending farewell drinks for Professor Webber at the University of Sydney Law School last Friday. Others in attendance included the Chancellor of the University, Justice Kim Santow, and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gavin Brown. Professor Jeremy Webber was appointed Dean of Law at the University of Sydney in February 1998.
Prior to that appointment Professor Webber had taught for 11 years at McGill University, where he served as associate dean from 1994 to 1997. He holds degrees in political science, with honours, from the University of British Colombia, and in common law and civil law from McGill University. He holds a Master of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in Toronto. He was the Aimé Geoffrion gold medallist and won many prizes at McGill University. He was awarded the Viscount Bennett Fellowship of the Canadian Bar Association at the post-graduate level.
From 1984 to 1986 Professor Webber practised with the Vancouver litigation firm of McAlpine and Hordo. Since then he has consulted with other firms, the Ontario Law Reform Commission, the Canadian Department of Justice and the Canadian Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. He has been a frequent commentator on constitutional, Aboriginal and administration of justice issues in the Canadian context. Professor Webber has published widely in the fields of labour law, Canadian legal history, Aboriginal rights, constitutional law and legal theory. He has been an active participant in Australian legal life. He spent eight months here in 1976-77, during which time he worked with a mining company in central New South Wales.
In 1993-94 Professor Webber spent a sabbatical year as a visiting scholar at the University of New South Wales and has visited Australia to present papers on many occasions. He has also published on Australian topics, especially in the field of Aboriginal rights. His article entitled "The Search for Standards of Justice in Mabo" is a most notable contribution in that field. Whilst a dean at the University of Sydney his accomplishments included establishing the Julius Stone Institute of Jurisprudence, which is currently in its third successful year. He also played a pivotal role in significantly building the university's links with law schools in China.
Professor Webber managed to secure a site that, subject to senate approval, will take the University of Sydney Law School onto the main campus, particularly for its undergraduate work. He has established many links between the school and the legal profession. He has contributed to strengthening the school's status by educating school students on the University of Sydney Law School. Other accomplishments include developing research facilities at the university while not ignoring the teaching role that the university has to play, particularly at the undergraduate level.
Professor Webber is a distinguished person not only in his own right but through the many distinguished contributions he has made in Australia, notwithstanding that he is a Canadian and spent a large part of his early career in Canada. He has been outspoken on important topical issues. Recently when attacks were made on Justice Michael Kirby he was outspoken in his support of the judge. He stated that the case raised important questions about the role of the Federal Attorney-General and the responsibility attached to parliamentary privilege. He said that the actions of Attorney-General Daryl Williams, the chief law officer of the Crown, had been profoundly disappointing and that he had failed in his responsibility to ensure that judges were treated fairly. Professor Webber stated:
The Attorney-General had an obligation to defend the courts and their judges against attack, even against political attack by the party of which he or she is a member.
He does not have to vouch for a judge personally, but does have an obligation to ensure that judges are treated fairly, that allegations are tested before harm occurs, and that the institution of the courts is not undermined by vicious and intemperate political attack.
Professor Webber has made a profound contribution to the University of Sydney Law School, and his contribution was acknowledged last Friday by all present, including Justice Kirby, about whom he had strong words to say. I am sure that I am joined by all members of Parliament in wishing him all the best in his new position at the University of Victoria, Canada, and hope that an occasion will arise on which he will come back to Australia to give us the benefit of his knowledge and commentary on legal issues.
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