Geoffrey Eames

Geoffrey Michael Eames AM, QC (born 26 November 1945)[1] is an Australian jurist, who was a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria. He served on the Trials court from 1992 to 2002, and then on the Court of Appeal until 2007. He subsequently served as an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory,[2] and as Chief Justice of Nauru.[3]

Early life

Eames was born in Melbourne in 1945. He was educated at St. Bernard's College in Essendon, then studied law at the University of Melbourne, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws.[1]

Career

Eames did articles at the firm of Slater and Gordon, and was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1969.[1] In the 1970s he joined the Central Australian Legal Service as its principle Solicitor, and was then seconded to the Central Land Council in Alice Springs where he pioneered all early land claims made under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, Northern Territory, 1976 and the passage of the legislation itself, before heading to the bar in Darwin.

In 1980, he was admitted to the bar in South Australia, joining the independent bar in 1984. Eames was a member of Hanson Chambers from 1987 to 1991, and took silk as a Queen's Counsel in South Australia in 1989 and in Victoria in 1990. During this time he worked as a barrister in two Royal Commissions: the McClelland Royal Commission (1985) into British nuclear testing in Australia, and the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1987–1991).[1]

Supreme Court of Victoria

On 26 May 1992, Eames was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria. On 15 March 2002 he was appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal and served until 2007.[4]

Supreme Court of the Northern Territory

Eames was appointed as an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory between 2007 and 2009.[2][5]

Supreme Court of Nauru

In December 2010, Eames was appointed Chief Justice of the two-member Supreme Court of Nauru. In January 2014, the Chief Magistrate of Nauru, Peter Law, issued an injunction to prevent the deportation of three foreign nationals. Law was fired by Nauru President Baron Waqa and himself deported. Eames, in Australia at the time, issued an injunction to prevent the deportation of Law, however Law was deported. The Nauru government cancelled Eames' visa which prevented his return to Nauru,[6] and he resigned two months later.[3] The incidents involving Law and Eames were criticised by Mathew Batsiua a member of Nauru's Opposition and precipitated a government crackdown on opposition.[7]

Publications

Eames, Geoff; Rubuntja, Wenten; Society of Labor Lawyers (Victoria) (1976), Land rights or a sell out? : an analysis of the Aboriginal land rights (Northern Territory) bill, 1976, [Melbourne] Victorian Fabian Society and Society of Labor Lawyers (Victoria) by arrangement with the Central Australian Land Rights Bulletin, ISBN 978-0909953126

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References
  1. Emerson, John (2006). History of the Independent Bar of South Australia. Papinian Publishing. ISBN 086396835X.
  2. "The Honourable Geoffrey Michael Eames". Supreme Court. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  3. "Nauru Chief Justice, Australian Geoffrey Eames, resigns". ABC News. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  4. "Past judges and associate judges". Supreme Court of Victoria. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  5. "Geoffrey M (The Hon) Eames QC". Meldrum & Hyland list. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013.
  6. "Nauru expels Australian magistrate Peter Law, bars chief justice Geoffrey Eames from returning to country". ABC News. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  7. "Nauru opposition MPs still in limbo over suspensions". Radio New Zealand. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2019.

 

Legal offices
Preceded by
Robin Millhouse		 Chief Justice of Nauru
2010–2014		 Succeeded by
Joni Madraiwiwi
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