Qld: Justice Kirby loves the four-letter word

AAP General News (Australia)
12-16-2008
Qld: Justice Kirby loves the four-letter word

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By Angela Harper

BRISBANE, Dec 16 AAP - It's a four-letter word - but it could be the perfect cure.

In what could be one of his last speeches as a serving High Court Judge, Michael Kirby,
has praised the virtues of love.

It has the power to extinguish human rights injustices, racism, and sexual and gender
discrimination, he said.

As the book closes on his 50-year career, Kirby welcomed those just beginning new careers
at the Griffith University Business and Law schools graduation ceremony in Brisbane on
Tuesday.

And rather than give a "scarcely riveting" speech about tax and business law, the judge
instead chose to talk about love.

"I want to identify ... the most important thing that we discover in life. I refer
to love," Kirby said.

"Love for one another. Love for our community. Love for others everywhere in the world.

"I have always thought that the essential underpinning of fundamental human rights is love."

The renowned human rights activist has fought for equality for gays, women, Aborigines
and Asians for many years.

"In Australia, we did not always love our indigenous people. Some still don't," he said.

"We consign them to the outskirts of our civilisation. Many are still there.

"So too with Asian people in the decades of White Australia. We did not love them either.

"So also for women and for gays."

He has also faced the wrath of discrimination.

Justice Kirby has fought for equal rights for his partner of 30 years, Johan van Vloten,
to qualify for the same basic rights as other couples.

He praised the amalgamation of the left and right sides of government that united to
recognise gay couples' equal rights.

"Until last week, my partner, Johan, was a second-class citizen of Australia (as) he
was denied recognition and equal treatment under our law," he said.

"Government and opposition members joined together (at the end of 2008) in rare harmony
to get rid of a lot of legal discrimination, specifically to equalise Johan with the pension
rights of the partners of other judges."

It was the Parliament's responsibility to right the wrongs in society, he said.

The judge also spoke of the value of volunteering and maintaining a good work-life balance.

"I am sure that no one coming to this ceremony expected a High Court judge to use the
occasion to talk about that four-letter word, love. But that's a good thing," he said.

"In life, never be predictable. It's so uncool."

NSW Supreme Court judge Virginia Margaret Bell, 57, will replace justice Kirby on the
High Court bench from February 3 next year.

The appointment of the Sydney University law graduate, described as having grass-roots
legal experience, will reshape the High Court bench, which will feature three women and
four men for the first time.

Justice Kirby and Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley were also honoured with a doctorate
by the university.

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