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by Frank Brennan (Editor)
This rich collection of articles and speeches by Sir Gerard Brennan, spanning over half a century, reveals his humanity, his morality, his perspicacity, but above all else, his commitment to the practical implementation of the rule of law within a democratic state. His essential message was that the rule of law must recognize the individual dignity of every person. Yet in delivering justice according to law, the judicial role required disciplined restraint to avoid breaching the appropriate division of powers. Sir Gerard's extra-judicial writings demonstrate his sophisticated antennae for this delicate balance. Like an engineer attending complex machinery or a surgeon operating, he delivered justice without fracturing the skeleton of our legal system.
- From the Foreword, Gerard Carney, Executive Associate to Sir Gerard Brennan
'To the question of what Sir Gerard Brennan added to Australian public law, the answer can be given with a precision which would have pleased him. I give that answer now. He added its essential unity. He added its guiding principle. He added its moral compass.'
- Chief Justice Stephen Gageler AC
'Putting to one side the strength and scope of his intellect and knowledge and his irrepressible sense of the ridiculous, for me the most important of Ged's qualities was that he cared so profoundly. Not only about (his wife) Pat, their family and many friends. But about people and things generally, particularly injustice and those in need.'
- Sir William Deane AC KBE KC
Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO, a son of Sir Gerard, is Adjunct Professor at the Thomas More Law School at ACU and Adjunct Research Professor at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture. He chaired the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance's Review of the Australian Journalists' Code of Ethics. He chaired the National Human Rights Consultation for the Rudd Government and was a member of the Turnbull Government's expert panel which conducted the Religious Freedom Review. The Morrison Government appointed him to the Voice Co-Design Senior Advisory Group to help guide the Co-Design process to develop options for an Indigenous voice to parliament. His Order of Australia was for services to Aboriginal Australians, particularly as an advocate in the areas of law, social justice and reconciliation. He is the author of 16 books.
