- John Winneke
The Honourable John Spence Winneke AC, RFD, QC, RANR is a former judge of the
Supreme Court of Victoria and the President of the Court of Appeals division of theSupreme Court of Victoria , which is the highest ranking court in theAustralia n State of Victoria.Early life
John Spence Winneke was born to Sir
Henry Winneke who was Solicitor-General for the State of Victoria,Chief Justice of Victoria , andGovernor of Victoria . John Winneke's grandfatherHenry Christian Winneke was a judge of theCounty Court of Victoria .Winneke was educated at Scotch College and the
University of Melbourne . When he completed his legal studies, he completed his articles withJosh Shaw of the law offices of Middleton McEarchern Shaw and Birch. He was admitted to practice as asolicitor on 1 March 1962. He was called to theVictorian Bar in 1962. He was appointed a QC in 1976.Winneke was also an outstanding Australian Rules Football player, who was ruckman in Hawthorn's inaugural VFL Premiership side in 1961, playing a total of 50 games for the club [Sheil, Fergus, "Best and Fairest", The Age, Melbourne, June 14 2004] .
Australian Defence Force
Winneke was commissioned as a
commander in theRoyal Australian Navy . He was also appointed a Defence Force Magistrate and held an appointment as a Reviewing Officer under theDefence Force Discipline Act .Noted cases
In 1970, Winneke was counsel assisting
William Kaye in the "abortion graft inquiry", which inquired into allegations of corruption involving members of the Victorian Homicide Squad.In 1981, he was appointed as a
Royal Commissioner by theCommonwealth of Australia and theState of Victoria to inquire into the affairs of theBuilders Labourers Federation .He appeared as senior counsel for Mr and Mrs Chamberlain before Justice Morling in the
Royal Commission into their convictions for the murder of their infant daughter. He appeared as counsel in the Royal Commission into the Westgate Bridge collapse, in the Derwent River Bridge Inquiry, and in theHousing Commission of Victoria Inquiry.Judicial career
Winneke was appointed on 7 June 1995 as a judge of the
Supreme Court of Victoria and as the President of the Court of Appeals division of theSupreme Court of Victoria . He was appointed as the actingChief Justice for a brief period in 2003. He retired from the bench on 15 July 2005.Honours
Winneke was awarded an
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1999, [ [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=882308&search_type=quick&showInd=true It's an Honour] - Officer of the Order of Australia] and in 2004 was upgraded to the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). [ [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1056744&search_type=quick&showInd=true It's an Honour] - Companion of the Order of Australia] Both were awarded for his significant contributions to the judiciary in Victoria.References
* [http://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au Supreme Court of Victoria Website]
* Who's Who Australia 2006.
* [http://www.vicbar.com.au/pdf/133WinterBN.pdf Victorian Bar News, Winter 2005, ISSN 0159-3285.]
* [http://www.vicbar.com.au/pdf/134Farewells.pdf Victorian Bar Farewells.]
* [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/13/1087065030129.html Fergus Shiel, "Best and Fairest","The Age", June 14 2004]ee also
*
Judiciary of Australia
*List of Judges of the Supreme Court of Victoria
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