Trevor Riley
Encyclopedia
Trevor John Riley QC
(29 January 1948 - ) is the Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
. He was appointed a judge
of the Supreme Court
on 1 February 1999 and Chief Justice on 27 September 2010.
Justice Riley was born in Bruce Rock
in Western Australia
and was educated at the Merredin Senior High School and the University of Western Australia
.
Ater graduating with a Bachelor of Laws
, he was admitted to practice in 1970. He relocated to Darwin
in 1974. He worked with Ian Barker in the firm Withnall & Barker until 1974 when Cyclone Tracy
destroyed Darwin. After the cyclone he joined the firm Ward Keller.
Justice Riley joined the Northern Territory Bar in 1985 and was appointed as a Queen's Counsel
in 1988. From 1988 - 1991 he was counsel in the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
.
On 22 July 2010 it was announced that Justice Riley would become the Northern Territory's sixth Chief Justice after the retirement of Brian Ross Martin.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(29 January 1948 - ) is the Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
The Supreme Court of the Northern Territory is the superior court for the Australian Territory of the Northern Territory. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters...
. He was appointed a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
on 1 February 1999 and Chief Justice on 27 September 2010.
Justice Riley was born in Bruce Rock
Bruce Rock, Western Australia
Bruce Rock is a town located in the Eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately east of Perth and southwest of Merredin. It is the main town in the Shire of Bruce Rock....
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and was educated at the Merredin Senior High School and the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
.
Ater graduating with 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...
, he was admitted to practice in 1970. He relocated to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
in 1974. He worked with Ian Barker in the firm Withnall & Barker until 1974 when Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974...
destroyed Darwin. After the cyclone he joined the firm Ward Keller.
Justice Riley joined the Northern Territory Bar in 1985 and was appointed as a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1988. From 1988 - 1991 he was counsel in the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody studied and reported on the high level of deaths of Aboriginal people whilst in custody after being arrested or convicted of committing crimes. This included suicide, natural causes, medical conditions and injuries caused by police...
.
On 22 July 2010 it was announced that Justice Riley would become the Northern Territory's sixth Chief Justice after the retirement of Brian Ross Martin.