Terry Connolly
Encyclopedia
Terrence "Terry" Connolly (14 February 1958 – 25 September 2007) was an Australia
n politician and judge.
Connolly was born in Adelaide
and received a Bachelor of Laws
(hons) and Bachelor of Arts
from the University of Adelaide
and a Masters
in Public Law from the Australian National University
. He was registered to practise as a barrister
and solicitor
in South Australia
in 1982 and worked with Justice John Gallop. He moved to Canberra
in 1983 and worked as a legal adviser in the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department
and Department of Foreign Affairs
. He was registered to practise in the Australian Capital Territory
in 1985.
Connolly became an Australian Labor Party
Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
in 1990 on the resignation of Paul Whalan
and served as Attorney-General from 1991 to 1995. With the creation of electorates in 1995, he became a member for Molonglo
. He resigned from the Assembly in February 1996 and was appointed Master of the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court.
Connolly was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
in January 2003.
Connolly died of a heart attack
while cycling atop Red Hill in Canberra
. He was survived by his wife, Helen Watchirs, the ACT Human Rights Commissioner and two daughters; Lara and Maddy.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and judge.
Connolly was born in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and received a Bachelor of Laws
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...
(hons) and Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
and a Masters
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Public Law from the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
. He was registered to practise as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
in 1982 and worked with Justice John Gallop. He moved to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in 1983 and worked as a legal adviser in the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department
Attorney-General's Department (Australia)
The Attorney-General's Department is an Australian Government Department. Its role is to serve the people of Australia by providing essential expert support to the Government in the maintenance and improvement of Australia's system of law and justice...
and Department of Foreign Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally...
. He was registered to practise in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
in 1985.
Connolly became an Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory...
in 1990 on the resignation of Paul Whalan
Paul Whalan
Paul Whalan is an Australian political lobbyist, former politician and was a member of the multi-member single constituency first Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, representing the Australian Labor Party. Whalan was elected in 1989 and resigned from the Assembly on 30 April 1990...
and served as Attorney-General from 1991 to 1995. With the creation of electorates in 1995, he became a member for Molonglo
Molonglo electorate
The Molonglo electorate is one of the three electorates for the unicameral 17-member Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. It has seven seats, and is the largest of the electorates in terms of population.-History:...
. He resigned from the Assembly in February 1996 and was appointed Master of the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court.
Connolly was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
The Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory is the superior court for the ACT. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters , and hears the most serious criminal matters...
in January 2003.
Connolly died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
while cycling atop Red Hill in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. He was survived by his wife, Helen Watchirs, the ACT Human Rights Commissioner and two daughters; Lara and Maddy.