Philip John Jeffrey

Brief description

PER-82

Full description

Philip John Jeffrey was born on 22 May 1930 at Sydney, the son of H Jeffrey. He was educated at Edgecliff Preparatory School, the Sydney Church of England Grammar School, and the University of Sydney (BA 1950, LLB 1st Class Honours 1953). A member of the Board of the Sydney University Union in 1952, he was also President of the Sydney University Students' Representative Council in 1951-52 and Immediate Past-president in 1952-53. From 1951 to 1953, he was a Pilot Officer with the Sydney University Air Squadron attached to the Royal Australian Air Force. (1)

Jeffrey's legal career began before he graduated. Whilst at University, he was a Tipstaff to Justice Martin Hardie in 1951 and an Associate to Justice Charles McLelland in 1952-1953. He was called to the New South Wales Bar on 19 March 1954 and practised out of 174 Phillip Street, Sydney. Made a Queens Counsel in 1967, he had a wide and varied practice in commercial law, equity and appellate work. He appeared before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the High Court of Australia and the New South Wales Court of Appeals. He was junior counsel assisting the Royal Commission on the statements of Lieutenant-Commander Cabban and matters incidental thereto, which from 31 May 1967 to 1 February 1968 was the second inquiry into the collision between the HMAS 'Melbourne' and 'Voyager'. (2)

Jeffrey was active in legal professional development. He was a Council member of the New South Wales Bar Association from 1956/57 to 1959/60 and in 1966/67 and 1971/72. He represented the Bar Association on the New South Wales Law Society's Legal Aid Committee in 1971/72. Deputy editor of the Australian Law Journal from 1958 to 1967, he was editor from 1967 to 1973. (3)

Jeffrey was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales on 26 August 1974. He appears to have heard his last cases in December 1974. (4)

Jeffrey died at St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney, on 24 December 1978, following a four year illness, and was survived by his wife Elizabeth nee O'Donnell, whom he married on 3 January 1957, and one son and three daughters. (5)


Endnotes
1. Who's Who in Australia, Melbourne, The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, 1971, p.521; 1974, p.560; 1977, p.580; Sydney Morning Herald, 28 December 1978, p.8; Australian Law Journal, Vol.53, pp.107-8 (February 1979); University of Sydney Calendar, 1952, pp.467, 475, 833; 1952 Supplement, p.216; 1953, p.533; 1953 Supplement, pp.203-4; 1954 Supplement, p.162, 210, 212-3, 318, 366; 1955, p.1037, http://calendararchive.usyd.edu.au/index.php (cited 19 and 22 June 2008).
2. Australian Law Journal, op.cit.; Barrister and Solicitors Admission Boards; NRS 13665, Roll of Barristers, 17 February 1927 - 10 June 1955; Reel 2147, p.40; New South Wales Law Almanac for 1956, Sydney, NSW Government Printer, 1956, p.77; Sydney Morning Herald, 28 December 1978, p.8.
3. New South Wales Law Almanac, Sydney, NSW Government Printer, 1957, p.68; 1958, p.68; 1959, p.68; 1960, p.69; 1967, p.80; 1972, p.82, Australian Law Journal, op.cit..
4. New South Wales Law Report, Sydney, Law Book Company Ltd, 1974, Vol.1, p.xxi; 1978, Vol.1, p.xvii, Australian Law Journal, Vol.48, p.379 (August 1974).
5. Australian Law Journal, Vol.53, pp.107-8 (February 1979); Who's Who in Australia, op.cit.; Sydney Morning Herald, 28 December 1978, p.8.

Notes

Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, 26/8/1974 - 24/12/1978