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John Latham (jurist)

The Right Honourable
Sir John Latham
GCMG QC
CJSJohnLatham.jpg
Chief Justice Sir John Latham in 1945
5th Chief Justice of Australia
In office
11 October 1935 – 7 April 1952
Nominated by Joseph Lyons
Appointed by Sir Isaac Isaacs
Preceded by Sir Frank Gavan Duffy
Succeeded by Sir Owen Dixon
9th Leader of the Opposition
In office
22 October 1929 – 7 May 1931
Prime Minister James Scullin
Preceded by James Scullin
Succeeded by Joseph Lyons
3rd Leader of the Nationalist Party
In office
22 October 1929 – 7 May 1931
Preceded by Stanley Bruce
Succeeded by Position Abolished
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Kooyong
In office
16 December 1922 – 15 September 1934
Preceded by Robert Best
Succeeded by Robert Menzies
Personal details
Born (1877-08-26)26 August 1877
Ascot Vale, Victoria
Died 25 July 1964(1964-07-25) (aged 86)
Richmond
Nationality Australian
Political party Liberal Union (1922–1925)
Nationalist (1925–1931)
UAP (1931–1934)
Alma mater University of Melbourne

Sir John Greig Latham GCMG QC (26 August 1877 – 25 July 1964) was an Australian judge and politician who served as fifth Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia for seventeen years, from 1935 to 1952.

Latham was born in Ascot Vale, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. His father was a prominent citizen, whose achievements as secretary for the Society for the Protection of Animals were deeply respected. John Latham won a scholarship and became a successful student at Scotch College and the University of Melbourne, studying logic, philosophy and law. At one point, he was the recipient of the Supreme Court Judges' Prize. In November 1902, Latham became the first secretary of the Boobook Society (named for the southern boobook owl), a group of Melbourne academics and professionals which still meets.

During World War I, he was an intelligence officer in the Royal Australian Navy, holding the rank of lieutenant commander. He was the head of Naval Intelligence from 1917, and was part of the Australian delegation to the Imperial Conference and then the Versailles Peace Conference, for which he was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours. He grew to dislike Prime Minister Billy Hughes.

Latham had a distinguished legal career. He was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1904, and was made a King's Counsel in 1922. In 1920, Latham appeared before the High Court representing the State of Victoria in the famous Engineers' case, alongside such people as Dr H.V. Evatt and Robert Menzies.


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