Barwick, Sir Garfield (1903-1997), an Australian lawyer and Liberal politician, served in the government of Australia from 1958 to 1964 and as chief justice of the High Court of Australia from 1964 to 1981.
In 1958, Barwick won election to Australia’s Federal Parliament as the member for Parramatta, New South Wales. Nine months after his election, he joined the Liberal government of Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies as attorney general, the country’s top legal officer. From 1961, he combined this post with that of minister for external affairs. Barwick sought to strengthen Australia’s links with the United States. He supported Australia’s entry into the Vietnam War (1957-1975) and negotiated with the U.S. government over the building of a naval communications center at North West Cape, Western Australia.
During Barwick’s time as chief justice, the legal decisions handed down by the High Court tended to give supremacy to the federal government over the individual states of Australia. Critics argue that Barwick’s decisions in tax cases encouraged tax avoidance, by which companies and people used legal means to avoid paying large amounts of income tax. In the constitutional crisis of 1975, Barwick advised Governor General Sir John Kerr of his power to dismiss the Labor government of Gough Whitlam. See Australia, Legal system of (History).
Garfield Edward John Barwick was born on June 22, 1903, in Sydney, and educated at the University of Sydney. He was called to the bar in three Australian states—New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria—and went on to practice law in all three states. He was the first chancellor of Macquarie University, Sydney. He was knighted in 1953. Barwick died in Sydney on July 13, 1997.
