Alan Richard Abadee

Brief description

Full description

Alan Richard Abadee was born on 21 June 1939 in Sydney, the son of Jack Stanley Abadee and his wife Leah. He was educated at Randwick Boys High School and the University of Sydney (LLB 1961). At the University, he was on the Student Representative Council in 1959-1960. (1)

Abadee served his articles as a law clerk with Hunt and Hunt, Solicitors, Sydney and was admitted as a solicitor on 23 November 1962. He worked out of 15 Bligh Street, Sydney, until being called to the New South Wales Bar on 7 February 1964. He practised at 225 Macquarie Street before moving to 180 Phillip Street by 1966. By 1980 he was also a member of the Bars of the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. He was made a Queen's Counsel in 1984. He was a member of the Legal Aid Review Committee from 1987 to 1990. (2)

Abadee served in the reserve of the Australian Defence Forces. By 1993 he was a Colonel in the Australian Army Legal Corp. He was a Brigadier and Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Australian Defence Force from 1996 to 2000. (3)

Abadee was appointed an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales from 2 April 1990 to 1 June 1990. On 27 August 1990 he was appointed a permanent Judge. He sat primarily in the Common Law and Criminal jurisdictions. He was also an additional Judge of Appeal from 4 October to 31 December 1996. He retired on 3 October 2000. (4)

Since retirement, Abadee has been involved in the development of the legal system. He was foundation Chair of the Expert Witness Institute Australia Ltd. Set up in December 2000, it provides support, education, training and lobbying for experts in all disciplines who give expert evidence in legal cases. Between 2003 and April 2006 he was the foundation Chair of the New South Wales Sentencing Council. The Council draws its members from victim support groups, the law and academia and gives advice to the State Government on sentencing issues. Abadee contributed a chapter on the Council to a publication edited by Arie Freiberg and Karen Gelb, 'Penal Populism, Sentencing Councils and Sentencing Policy' (Annandale, NSW, 2008). (5)

Abadee was awarded a National Medal on 9 February 1981 and a Reserve Force Decoration by 1990. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January 2007 for service to the judiciary and the law, particularly through contributions to the development and reform of sentencing practice, and to the military justice system. (6)

He is married and has a son and a daughter. (7)

Endnotes
1. Who's Who in Australia, Melbourne, Information Australia Group Pty Ltd, 1994, p.105; 1997, p.109; 2007, p.113; 2008, p.107; 'School Family', Randwick Boys High School, http://www.randwickb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/About/school_family.html (cited 22 September 2008); University of Sydney Calendar, 1959, p.1193; 1960, pp.659, 1231; 1963, p.871, http://calendararchive.usyd.edu.au/index.php (cited 21 June and 10 August 2008).
2. Barrister and Solicitors Admission Boards; NRS 13667, Roll of Solicitors, 9 March 1962 - 30 July 1971; Reel 2147, p.5; Barrister and Solicitors Admission Boards; NRS 13665, Roll of Barristers, 29 July 1955 - 28 July 1972; Reel 2147, p.21; New South Wales Law Almanac, Sydney, NSW Government Printer, 1963, p.103; 1964, p.107; 1965, p.91; 1966, p.93; 1967, p.93; 1980, p.109; Australian Law Journal, Vol.67, p.966 (December 1993); Who's Who in Australia, op.cit..
3. Australian Law Journal, op.cit; Who's Who in Australia, op.cit..
4. New South Wales Law Reports, Sydney, Law Book Company Ltd, Vol.20, 1990-1991, p.ix; Vol.41, 1996-1997, p.ix; Vol.50, 2000-2001, p.ix, Australian Law Journal, op.cit..
5. Expert Witness Institute of Australia, http://www.ewia.org.au (cited 22 September 2008); 'Former Members - NSW Sentencing Council: Lawlink NSW', http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/scouncil/ll_scouncil.nsf/pages/scouncil_formermembers (cited 22 September 2008); 'NSW A-G open to scrapping short jail term - ABC News...', http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/06/18/882606.htm (cited 22 September 2008); LibrariesAustralia, http://nla.gov.au (cited 22 September 2008).
6. It's an honour website http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au (cited 23 January 2008); Who's Who in Australia, op.cit..
7. ibid.

 

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