William Deane

Sir William Deane

Sir William Patrick Deane (born 4 January 1931), Australian judge and 22nd Governor-General of Australia, was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He was educated at Catholic schools and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in arts and law. After graduation he worked in the federal Attorney-General's Department in Canberra, and travelled in Europe studying international law. He was called to the Sydney Bar in 1957, and also lectured in law at the University.

During this time Deane was active in the Catholic community and was interested in politics. In 1955 he was briefly a member of the Democratic Labor Party, a predominantly Catholic and anti-Communist breakaway from the Australian Labor Party. He soon became disillusioned with the party and played no further part in active politics, but he was strongly influenced by progressive Catholic doctrines of social justice and opposition to racial discrimination.

In 1977 Deane was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and in the same he was apointed to the Federal Court of Australia and as President of the Australian Trade Practices Tribunal. In July 1982 he was appointed to the High Court of Australia, replacing Sir Ninian Stephen on his appointment as Governor-General. On the court he formed part of the activist majority that recognised native title in the landmark Mabo case of 1992.

In August 1995 the Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating, himself a Catholic, appointed Deane as Governor-General. Seven months later Keating's government was defeated by the Liberal Party led by John Howard. Deane and Howard found themselves in the most uncomfortable relationship between a Prime Minister and a Governor-General since Robert Menzies and Sir William McKell in 1949.

During his six-year term of office Deane became increasingly outspoken on social issues. While he never directly criticised the government, the tenor of his comments was clear to most observers. Conversely, Howard and his ministers were careful not to criticise Deane, but conservative press commentators and activists were less restrained. After Deane's term ended in 2001, Deane became openly critical of the Howard Government.

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