Maurice Byers
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Sir Maurice Hearne Byers CBE QC |
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|---|---|
| Born | 10 November 1917 |
| Died | 17 January 1999 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | University of Sydney |
| Occupation | Barrister |
Sir Maurice Hearne Byers CBE QC (10 November 1917 – 17 January 1999) was a noted Australian jurist and constitutional expert. He was the Commonwealth Solicitor-General from 1973 to 1983, in which capacity he played a role in the Gair Affair and the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. He had an unmatched record of success in his appearances before the High Court of Australia, and he has been characterised as the finest lawyer never to have been appointed to the High Court.
Maurice Hearn Byers was born on 10 November 1917. He attended St Aloysius' College in Sydney. He studied law at the University of Sydney and was admitted to the Bar in 1944. In 1957 his Sydney practice in Wentworth Chambers joined those of John Kerr and Gough Whitlam. His practice was mainly in the fields of equity, taxation, company and constitutional law. He appeared frequently before the Privy Council. He became a Queen's Counsel in 1960.
He was President of the New South Wales Bar Association from 1965 to 1967. He was also a Member of the Executive Council of the Law Council of Australia from 1966 to 1968.
In 1973 he was appointed Commonwealth Solicitor-General, serving until 1983. He had an unparalleled success rate when appearing before the High Court in that capacity. He was said to have had "mesmeric powers" over the High Court. On entering the law, his ambition had been to become the best constitutional lawyer in the country. His peers considered he achieved his goal.
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