Dr John Michael Bennett AC (1935-2022)

19/07/2022

Vale

Dr John Bennett AC, legal historian, chronicler of the New South Wales Bar and life member of the Bar Association, died on Sunday.

John Bennett was admitted to the Bar in August 1980 and practised until 2000. In the ensuing years he became Australia's pre-eminent legal historian and was awarded doctorates by the University of Sydney and the Australian National University. He published highly regarded works, such as the Lives of the Australian Chief Justices. He was awarded life membership of the New South Wales Bar Association in April 2002 in recognition of exceptional service to justice, the law and the profession. In 2020 he was awarded the Companion (AC) in the General Division of the Order of Australia.