Betty King
Betty June King | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria | |
| In office 21 June 2005 – 14 August 2015 | |
| Judge of the County Court of Victoria | |
| In office 1 March 2000 – 21 June 2005 | |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
Betty June King KC (c. 1951-) is an Australian jurist. She is a former judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, in the Australian state of Victoria. She has served as a judge in the County Court of Victoria. She served as a member of the National Crime Authority in the 1990s.
Education[edit]
King started her schooling at Westgarth Central School and then attended high school at University High School.[1] She later studied law at Melbourne University, graduating in 1974.[2][3][4][5]
Early legal career[edit]
After completing her articles, she joined the Victorian Bar in 1975 at the age of 24, becoming only the twenty-fourth female barrister.[3][5]
King was in 1986 the first female Prosecutor in Victoria, later becoming the first female Commonwealth prosecutor.[3][5]
In 1992 King was one of the first Victorian women to be promoted to Queen's Counsel.[6]
During the late 1990s King was a member of the National Crime Authority at one point acting as chair of the authority.[3]
Judicial career[edit]
County Court[edit]
In 2000 King was appointed a judge of the County Court, serving until her appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2005.[1][7][8][9][10]
Supreme Court[edit]
King was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria on 21 June 2005 and served until 14 August 2015.
Melbourne gangland trials[edit]
King presided over the prominent cases involving Melbourne criminal figure Carl Williams and his associates arising from the Melbourne gangland killings.[1][11] In 2008 King ruled that the Underbelly television series could not be shown in the state of Victoria during Williams' murder trial.[12][13][14] During the trial of Evangelos Goussis for the murder of Lewis Moran she banned a proposed television showdown on Today Tonight between Judy Moran and Williams' mother. While instructing the jury during Goussis' trial she referred to herself as the "queen of banning things".[15]
Public statements[edit]
In May 2010 she spoke out against prominent defendants, their family members, and judges being treated as celebrities. King claimed to have had a Wikipedia article about her deleted.[16][17] In 2008 a fake Facebook profile bearing her name was removed after a complaint.[16][18]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Porter, Liz (18 November 2007). "King of her court". The Age. Melbourne. Archived from the original on 7 May 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- ^ Bachelor of Laws (incl. Hons) 1974 Archived 2 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine, The University of Melbourne, 22 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Court moves announced". Law Institute Journal. 79 (8). Law Institute of Victoria: 23. 2005. ISSN 0023-9267. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ Ray QC, Ross. "Justice Betty King" (PDF). Victorian Bar News (134). Victorian Bar Council: 18. ISSN 0159-3285. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2008.
- ^ a b c "Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Annual Luncheon 2010" (PDF). Royal Children's Hospital. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ "The Tides of Change". Victorian Bar. Archived from the original on 2 October 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- ^ "Judges and Registrar as at 30 June 2003" (PDF). 2002–03 Annual Report. County Court of Victoria. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ Brown, Matt (23 February 1997). "Background Briefing – National Crime Authority". Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 14 December 2004. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ "Judges – History". Supreme Court of Victoria. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ "Hulls: Appointments to Court of Appeal, Supreme Court". Office of the Attorney-General. 21 June 2005. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ Silvester, John (8 May 2007). "'You are a killer and a cowardly one'". theage.com.au. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ Butcher, Steve (5 April 2008). "Ban judge King praises Underbelly". The Age. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ Hunt, Elissa (22 April 2008). "I'm the queen of banning things, says Betty King". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ "Murder trial judge bans underworld show". Sydney Morning Herald. 12 February 2008. Archived from the original on 18 November 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ Hunt, Elissa (22 April 2009). "I'm the queen of banning things, says Betty King". heraldsun.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ a b Buttler, Mark (3 May 2010). "Supreme Court Judge Betty King attacks Roberta Williams and Mick Gatto". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- ^ Batsas, Michelle (Autumn 2010). "Interview With Justice Betty King". Young Lawyers Journal (44). Law Institute of Victoria: 10. ISSN 1441-4449.
- ^ Carbone, Suzanne; Money, Lawrence (16 June 2008). "Fake faces on Facebook?". The Age. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
