Sada-e-Watan
Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com
AUBURN
GALLIPOLI MOSQUE OPENING OF LAW TERM SERVICE
REMARKS BY THE HONOURABLE T F BATHURST CHIEF JUSTICE SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH
WALES
7 February 2013
1.
It is a great pleasure to be here this evening. This is only the second year
that the Supreme Court of NSW has attended a Muslim service to mark the opening
of law term and to my knowledge it is still the only such service held in
Australia. I have very fond memories of last year's service, not least amongst
them of the particularly delicious cheese pastries served at dinner afterwards.
It is a privilege to have been invited back to Auburn Gallipoli Mosque this
year- and, I hasten to add, not only because of the pastries.
2.
This opening of law term service is a symbol of the mutual respect and regard
between the Muslim and legal communities in this State .It is an occasion to
celebrate the diversity and multiculturalism that enriches our community. It
also provides a welcome opportunity for the legal profession to meet members of
the Muslim community and to learn more about the Islamic faith. This is
particularly valuable: cross-cultural education is an imperative for all those
involved in the administration of justice.
3.
The Australian Muslim community is a product of relatively recent immigration
and like most, if not all, minority Australian communities, it has at times
faced discrimination and exclusion. As in so many cases, this antagonism is
generally based on a lack of understanding. Events like tonight's, though they
can seem small in the scheme of things, are an important element of the cross¬
cultural dialogue that is so essential to breaking down barriers and building a
stronger multicultural society.
4.
Tonight's service is also an opportunity for us to affirm our shared values. In
this context, it is worth emphasizing the central significance of the law in
Islamic belief. As most of you will know far better than me, Islamic law and
jurisprudence is highly developed and complex. It is the product not only of its
original theological sources but of hundreds of years of interpretation and
refinement by a class of highly educated and fiercely independent scholars. At a
time when much of Europe was embroiled in the Dark Ages, the rule of law largely
prevailed in classical Islamic societies. All individuals, including the ruler,
were subject to the law and a basic separation of powers operated The profound
respect for the law common to the Islamic faith and our diverse Australian
community should be highlighted and celebrated.
5.
That respect is also evident in the contribution of Muslim legal• professionals
in NSW. Across all areas of legal practice, as well as in policy, advocacy,
academia and business, Muslim lawyers are contributing to the administration and
development of the law in Australia and upholding the rights and interests of
their communities through the Australian legal system. This contribution will
only increase in the coming years. The growing number of Muslim legal graduates
admitted to practice each time the Supreme Court sits to admit new lawyers is
evidence enough of that fact.
6.
It is a great pleasure to celebrate the Muslim community's contribution to
Australian civic life and the legal system. Thank you to all who have been
involved in organising this ceremony. I trust that the tradition of Islamic
opening of law term services which has begun over the last two years will
continue long into the future and will serve to further strengthen ties and
mutual understanding between the Islamic and legal communities. Thank you again
for the opportunity to speak and to you all for being here this evening.
************************************************************************************************************
The Honourable
T F BATHURST -Seventeenth Chief Justice of NSW
1 June 2011 – present
Graduating with degrees in Arts and Law from the University of Sydney in 1971, he went on to practise as a solicitor in 1972. He was admitted as a barrister in 1977, specialising in corporate law and litigation and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1987. His considerable experience in corporate law saw his appointment as a member of the Australian Government’s Takeovers Panel (2006-2011).
Prior to his appointment to the bench, the Chief Justice served as President of both the Australian Bar Association (2008-2010) and the New South Wales Bar Association (2009-2011), the Executive Committee of which he has been a member since 2002.
