Charles Powers
Queensland Legislative Assembly for Maryborough | |
|---|---|
| In office 29 April 1893 – 21 March 1896 Serving with John Annear | |
| Preceded by | Richard Hyne |
| Succeeded by | John Bartholomew |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Charles Powers 3 March 1853 Victoria, Australia |
| Resting place | Burwood Cemetery |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Opposition |
| Spouse | Kate Ann Thorburn (m.1878 d.1942) |
| Occupation | High Court judge |
Sir Charles Powers
Early life
Powers was born in 1853 in
Politics
In 1883 Powers became the mayor of Maryborough.
In June 1888, Powers was elected to the
Powers was admitted to practice as a
Legal career
From 1899 to 1903, Powers served as the Crown Solicitor for Queensland, and in 1903, he was appointed as the first
Nevertheless, Hughes was pleased with Powers' work, and Hughes's opinion was undoubtedly influential when the Fisher government appointed Powers to the High Court of Australia in 1913. Powers was the only solicitor to be appointed, and remains the only Justice (with the exception of the initial three) to have not argued a case before the court.[5] He was also the first Justice appointed without a university degree. Powers was one of two justices of the Court to have previously served in the Parliament of Queensland, along with Samuel Griffith.
The appointment of Powers, along with the concurrent appointment of Albert Piddington, was highly controversial. The press considered the two appointees to be insufficiently qualified, and both were criticised for their lack of expertise and experience.[6] There was also controversy arising from Hughes' desire to appoint judges who would be sympathetic to interpreting the power of the Parliament of Australia broadly. Piddington caused the most public outrage for stating his sympathies in a telegram,[6] although Powers had actually prepared many of the arguments Hughes would wish him to uphold on the bench.
While Piddington ultimately resigned, Powers persevered, and remained on the High Court. Later, in 1913, he was made Deputy President of the
Later life
Powers was created a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1929, and on 22 July that year resigned from the High Court. Powers died in Melbourne in 1939 and was buried in Burwood Cemetery.
References
- ^ a b
Forster, Colin. "Powers, Sir Charles (1853–1939)". ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
- ^ a b Mennell, Philip (1892). . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
- ^ "Obituary. Sir Charles Powers". The Argus. Trove. 26 April 1939. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- ^ Sir Charles Powers KCMG Archived 13 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine, High Court of Australia
- ISBN 0-409-31568-0.
- ^ ISBN 0-09-157150-2.
- ^ "The Honourable Sir Charles Powers KCMG". Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2006.
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Powers, Charles". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
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