Gaudron, Mary Genevieve (1943–)
Gaudron, Mary Genevieve (1943–)
Australian lawyer and judge. Name variations: Mary Gaudron, Justice Mary Gaudron. Born Jan 5, 1943 in Moree, New South Wales, Australia; studied at St Ursula's College, Armidale; Sydney University, BA, 1962, Bachelor of Law, 1965.
The youngest ever federal judge and 1st woman to be appointed to the High Court of Australia (1981), passed New South Wales Bar (1968) and was 1st woman appointed to New South Wales Bar Council (1972); argued famed "Equal Pay Case" before Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission and scored major victory for women's rights to fair compensation (1973); served as deputy president of Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission (1974–80); was appointed 1st chair of Legal Services Commission of New South Wales (1979); was appointed solicitor-general and Queen's counsel of New South Wales (1981), 1st woman to hold those positions; a progressive judge, was appointed to High Court (1987), holding judgeship until 2003; was overlooked for appointment as chief justice (1998) despite status as most senior justice on High Court, generating much criticism of John Howard government; was appointed judge of Administrative Tribunal of International Labor Organization of United Nations in Geneva (2003).