John Sackar
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John Robertson Sackar | |
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| Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales | |
| In office February 2011 – 16 February 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Education | Sydney Boys High School |
| Alma mater | The University of Sydney |
| Occupation | Lawyer, barrister, judge, mediator |
John Robertson Sackar AM, KC is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Sackar is an Australian King's Counsel who has also appeared in the courts of London and Brunei.[1][2] Retired from the bench in 2024, Sackar is now a mediator.
Education and early legal career
[edit]Sackar attended Sydney Boys High School and then Sydney University, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws in 1972 after initially studying medicine. He would later go on to receive a Master of Laws from the same institution.
Sackar was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1973, beginning his legal career at Hickson Lakeman & Holcombe (now Hicksons Lawyers) as an articled clerk under the guidance of David Kirby and Jim Poulos. Sackar then practised as a solicitor at Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst Australia).[2]
Years as a barrister
[edit]Sackar was called to the New South Wales Bar in 1975 and appointed Queen's Counsel in 1987.[1][2] He was a member of the Sixth Floor of Selborne Chambers in Phillip Street, Sydney for most of his time at the Bar.[3] He specialized in defamation actions.[4] Malcolm Turnbull, later to become an Australian Prime Ministe, read with Justice Sackar in his early years at the NSW Bar.[5] Sackar was called to the Middle Temple in London during 2006, with chambers at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.[1]
Judicial appointment
[edit]Justice Sackar was appointed to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in February 2011. He sits in the Equity Division of the Court and was its Expedition list Judge.[2][1] In 2022-2023, Sakar led the Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes, which was set up to "investigat[e] unsolved suspected hate crime deaths of LGBTIQ people (or people who were presumed to be LGBTIQ) in NSW between 1970 and 2010".[6][7] Sackar retired as a judge in February 2024.[8]
Personal life
[edit]Sackar is a passionate art collector and agriculturalist.[1] He has three children from his first marriage, and one from his second.[4]
He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2025 Australia Day Honours,[9] and, since 2019, served as President of the Arts Law Centre of Australia, a non-profit organisation.
Published works
[edit]- Lord Devlin. Hart Publishing. 2020. p. 256. ISBN 978-1509923700.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "The Hon Justice John Sackar - Appointment". [2011] NSWBarAssocNews 18. 2011.
- ^ a b c d Sackar, Justice J. (2011). "Swearing in ceremony of the Honourable John Sackar QC as a judge of the Supreme Court of NSW". [2011] NSW Judicial Scholarship 2.
- ^ "About - Sixth Floor". Sixth Floor Selborne Wentworth Chambers.
- ^ a b Mayne, Stephen (17 July 2017). "The Turnbull connection: judge in the Amber Harrison case keeps powerful company". Crikey.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Goings On..." Justinian.com.au. 10 July 2009.
- ^ "Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes". Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Burge, Michael (22 December 2023). "The 'ugly', ignored history of LGBTQ+ hate crimes should not be allowed to fade". Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Bathurst CJ, Tom. "Retirement of the Hon John Sackar from the Supreme Court of New South Wales" (PDF). Bar News (Summer 2024). Bar Association of New South Wales: 78. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via AustLII.
- ^ "Member of the Order of Australia". Its an Honour. Australian Government. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
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