William Forster (judge)

Sir William Edward Stanley Forster (15 June 1921 – 31 January 1997) was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory holding that position from 1979 to 1985. Before that he was the first (and only) Chief Judge from 1977 to 1979 and Senior Judge from 1971 to 1977, all positions which were effectively the same.

Sir William was born in Sydney, New South Wales on 15 June 1921 and, after moving to Adelaide in 1929, attended St Peter's College, Adelaide.

Forster graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide. He was in the Royal Australian Air Force from 1940 to 1946 and was a Magistrate at the Adelaide Police Court from 1959 to 1961. He was District Registrar of the High Court of Australia from 1966 to 1971 and before that was District Registrar from 1961 to 1966; and was Master of the Supreme Court of South Australia from 1966 to 1971 and Deputy Master from 1961 to 1966.

A member of the Standing Committee Senate at the Adelaide University from 1967 to 1971,Forster was lecturer of Law and Procedure at the same time and lecturer of Criminal Law from 1957 to 1958.

He was appointed Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory on 28 June 1971 and replaced Justice Blackburn who had taken up appointment with the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory.

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