Robert Ellicott
Encyclopedia
Robert James "Bob" Ellicott QC, BA, LLB
(born 15 April 1927) is an Australian lawyer, politician and judge.
Ellicott was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1950 and was Solicitor-General of Australia
from 1969 to 1973. He was elected as the Liberal
member for the Division of Wentworth
in the 1974 election
. He was Attorney-General
in the Fraser Ministry
from 1975 to 1977. Ellicott resigned as Attorney-General as a result of a dispute with Malcolm Fraser
over the payment of costs in the Sankey v Whitlam and Others
case, where he believed that the Commonwealth should have paid the costs of the private individual, Danny Sankey, as well as that of the politicians, Gough Whitlam
, Rex Connor
, Jim Cairns
and Lionel Murphy
, but Fraser disagreed. Ellicott was reappointed in the third Fraser Ministry
(1977 to 1980) as Minister for Home Affairs
and Minister for Capital Territory
. He was Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment
from November 1980 until his resignation on 17 February 1981 to become a judge on the Federal Court of Australia
.
Ellicott is one of only five politicians to have served in both the Parliament of Australia
and the Federal Court of Australia
, along with Nigel Bowen
, Merv Everett, Tony Whitlam
and John Reeves.
Ellicott resigned from the court in February 1983. He is currently an arbitrator on the Court of Arbitration for Sport
. On 20 November 2007, he was named as chair of the tribunal to investigate allegations of misbehaviour against the suspended Chief Justice of Fiji, Daniel Fatiaki
.
His cousin was Sir Garfield Barwick
, also an Attorney-General, and later Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
.
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
(born 15 April 1927) is an Australian lawyer, politician and judge.
Ellicott was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1950 and was Solicitor-General of Australia
Solicitor-General of Australia
The Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the Second Law Officer to the Attorney-General of Australia. The holders of this office are not members of parliament....
from 1969 to 1973. He was elected as the Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member for the Division of Wentworth
Division of Wentworth
The Division of Wentworth is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. The Division is named after William Charles Wentworth , a noted Australian explorer and statesman...
in the 1974 election
Australian federal election, 1974
Federal elections were held in Australia on 18 May 1974. All 127 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, due to a double dissolution...
. He was Attorney-General
Attorney-General of Australia
The Attorney-General of Australia is the first law officer of the Crown, chief law officer of the Commonwealth of Australia and a minister of the Crown. The Attorney-General is usually a member of the Federal Cabinet, but there is no constitutional requirement that this be the case since the...
in the Fraser Ministry
Second Fraser Ministry
The Second Fraser Ministry was the fifty-second Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 22 December 1975 to 20 December 1977.Liberal Party of Australia–National Country Party Coalition-Cabinet:*Rt Hon Malcolm Fraser, MP: Prime Minister...
from 1975 to 1977. Ellicott resigned as Attorney-General as a result of a dispute with Malcolm Fraser
Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
over the payment of costs in the Sankey v Whitlam and Others
Sankey v Whitlam
Sankey v Whitlam was an important court case decided in the High Court of Australia on 9 November 1978.On 20 November 1975, in the middle of the election campaign which followed the dismissal of the Whitlam government, a Sydney solicitor, Danny Sankey, initiated a private prosecution against Gough...
case, where he believed that the Commonwealth should have paid the costs of the private individual, Danny Sankey, as well as that of the politicians, Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
, Rex Connor
Rex Connor
Reginald Francis Xavier "Rex" Connor , Australian politician, was a minister in the Whitlam government and promoted government investment to support national development...
, Jim Cairns
Jim Cairns
James Ford "J. F." Cairns , Australian politician, was prominent in the Labor movement through the 1960s and 1970s, and was briefly Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government...
and Lionel Murphy
Lionel Murphy
Lionel Keith Murphy, QC was an Australian politician and jurist who served as Attorney-General in the government of Gough Whitlam and as a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1975 until his death.- Personal life :...
, but Fraser disagreed. Ellicott was reappointed in the third Fraser Ministry
Third Fraser Ministry
The Third Fraser Ministry was the fifty-third Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 20 December 1977 to 3 November 1980.Liberal Party of Australia–National Country Party Coalition-Cabinet:*Rt Hon Malcolm Fraser, MP: Prime Minister...
(1977 to 1980) as Minister for Home Affairs
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
and Minister for Capital Territory
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
. He was Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts (Australia)
The current Australian Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities is Tony Burke, who took over from Peter Garrett . The Minister and department change took effect in the Second Gillard Ministry on 14 September 2010...
from November 1980 until his resignation on 17 February 1981 to become a judge on the Federal Court of Australia
Federal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
.
Ellicott is one of only five politicians to have served in both the Parliament of Australia
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
and the Federal Court of Australia
Federal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
, along with Nigel Bowen
Nigel Bowen
Sir Nigel Hubert Bowen, AC, KBE was an Australian politician and judge.-Biography:Bowen was born in a log cabin in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada, of Welsh and English parents. He came to Australia as a boy and was educated for two years in England and later at The King's School in Parramatta...
, Merv Everett, Tony Whitlam
Tony Whitlam
Antony Philip Whitlam QC, is an Australian lawyer who has served as a politician and judge. He is the son of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and Margaret Whitlam.-Early life and education:...
and John Reeves.
Ellicott resigned from the court in February 1983. He is currently an arbitrator on the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
. On 20 November 2007, he was named as chair of the tribunal to investigate allegations of misbehaviour against the suspended Chief Justice of Fiji, Daniel Fatiaki
Daniel Fatiaki
Taniela Vafo'ou Fatiaki CF was the Chief Justice of Fiji from 1 August 2002, when he succeeded Sir Timoci Tuivaga, till 5 December 2008. As Chief Justice, he presided over both the High Court and the Supreme Court, but is constitutionally barred from presiding over, or even sitting on, the...
.
His cousin was Sir Garfield Barwick
Garfield Barwick
Sir Garfield Edward John Barwick, was the Attorney-General of Australia , Minister for External Affairs and the seventh and longest serving Chief Justice of Australia...
, also an Attorney-General, and later Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
.