THE HONOURABLE JAMES SPIGELMAN AC QC JOINS ONE ESSEX COURT

One Essex Court is pleased to announce that The Honourable James Spigelman, AC QC has joined Chambers as an arbitrator.  James Spigelman was Chief Justice and Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales 1998 - 2011.  During his term of office he delivered judgments on the full range of the Supreme Court’s civil and criminal appellate jurisdiction, including on commercial, corporate, insurance, arbitration  and private international law.  He is the author of three books and co-author of a fourth. Two volumes of his speeches have been published.  He has also published articles in legal journals, principally Australian, but also of England, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, on commercial and corporate law issues including contractual interpretation, venue disputation, international commercial arbitration, the Hague conventions on evidence, service and choice of law, cross border insolvency, freezing orders and proof of foreign law.  During his term of office he developed close relationships with, and organised or participated in numerous exchanges between the judiciary of Australia and, other judiciaries, particularly of China, Singapore, India, Japan, Hong Kong and England and Wales.  In 2009 he was appointed by the Government of Antigua to conduct a Commission of Inquiry into allegations of corruption against members of the previous Government.  Between 1972 and 1976 he served as Senior Advisor and Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of Australia and as Permanent Secretary of  the Commonwealth Government’s Department of the Media.  He commenced practice as a barrister in Sydney in 1980 and was appointed QC in 1986. He practised primarily in commercial, corporate and public law, including constitutional law.  He served as acting Solicitor General of New South Wales in 1997.  He has also been Chair or a member of a number of cultural and educational institutions.  He is presently Chair of the National Library of Australia.