George Palmer (judge)

George Alfred Palmer QC (20 June 1947 - ) is an Australian lawyer and judge. He has served as a judge on the Supreme Court of New South Wales since 2001.

Biography

Palmer was born on 20 June 1947 in a British Military Hospital in Egypt, while his parents, still in the British Army, were waiting to migrate to Australia. He attended a local convent school in Gladesville, a suburb of Sydney and St Ignatius' College, Riverview, where he enjoyed music and the classics, was the school organist, and composed poetry in English and Latin. Father Charles Fraser, SJ, was a greatly admired teacher.

Palmer graduated with a bachelor's degree in law from the University of Sydney, with honours in Latin. He became a solicitor in 1970, a barrister by 1974, and Queen's Counsel in 1986. He was appointed acting judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales's Commercial Division for three months in 1991 and was sworn in as a judge of the court's Equity Division in April 2001.

In March 2005, he was appointed president of the Arts Law Centre of Australia. He is Chairman of Pacific Opera Company, a not-for-profit company dedicated to providing young professional opera singers with training in stage craft and with experience and exposure in professional opera productions. He is a director of Ars Musica Australis, founded by Fr Arthur Bridge AM, which provides financial assistance to young talented performers from underprivileged backgrounds. He is also a director of The Sydney Omega Ensemble, a chamber group of professional players

In addition to his career in law, Palmer is also a composer. He composed a piece for large choir, organ and orchestra for St Ignatius' College on its 125th anniversary, which was recorded by ABC Classic FM. His works for string orchestra were released by ABC Classics on a CD entitled "Attraction of Opposites" and a further CD of choral works performed by Cantillation and Sinfonia Australis is to be released by ABC Classics in 2007.

He has written for orchestra and chamber groups and vocal music for solists and for choir.His commissioned works include: the Mass "A Child is Born", for choir, soloists and orchestra (to be released by ABC Classics in 2007) and "Seascape III", an orchestral piece commissioned for performance in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Discovery Series; it premiered 17 October 2006 in Sydney's City Recital Hall conducted by Richard Gill. (The conductorcommented that Seascapes I and II had not yet been written.)

Palmer was profiled on "Australian Story" on April 5, 2004.

References

* [http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/supreme_court/ll_sc.nsf/pages/SCO_speech_palmer_230401 Swearing-in Ceremony] , Supreme Court of NSW