Alec Southwell

{{Short description|Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Alec Southwell | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|QC}} | image = | alt = | caption = | office = Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria | term_start = {{start_date|1979|4|3|df=y}} | term_end = {{end_date|1997|4|11|df=y}} | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1926|11|1}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2018|1|26|1926|11|1}} | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | spouse = | partner =  | relations = | children = | parents =  | mother =  | father =   | education = | alma_mater = University of Melbourne | occupation = | profession = Lawyer | known_for = | awards =   | nickname = | allegiance = | branch = Royal Australian Naval Reserve | service_years = 1944–1945 | rank = | unit = | commands = | battles = | mawards =  }}'''Alec James Southwell''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|QC}} (1 November 1926 – 26 January 2018)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vicbar.com.au/news-events/obituary-honourable-alec-james-southwell-qc|title=Obituary - The Honourable Alec James Southwell QC|publisher=Victorian Bar|accessdate=12 August 2019}}</ref> was a judge from 3 April 1979 until 11 April 1997 in the Supreme Court of Victoria, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of Victoria. At the time of his retirement, Southwell was believed to be Australia's longest-serving judge.<ref name="Shiel">{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/08/21/1029114134191.html |title=Inquiry head no stranger to accusations against clergy |first=Fergus |last=Shiel |date=22 August 2002 |newspaper=The Age |accessdate=9 July 2017}}</ref>

==Early life== Southwell was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne.<ref name=Shiel/>

Southwell served with the Royal Australian Naval Reserve in New Guinea and Morotai in the later part of World War II.<ref name=Shiel/>

==Legal career== He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1968 and a County Court judge in 1969.<ref name=Shiel/>

Southwell was part of the full bench that quashed a conviction of Michael Glennon for charges of paedophilia while he was a Catholic priest. Southwell was the dissenting judge who held that the decision could lead to a situation where adverse media publicity could prevent someone from ever facing trial. The situation had been precipitated by Derryn Hinch had used his radio program to campaign against Glennon.<ref name=Shiel/>

==Following retirement== Following his retirement, he remained a reserve judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria and a member of the Legal Profession Tribunal which considers disciplinary cases against lawyers until 2001.<ref name=Shiel/>

In 2002, Southwell was appointed by the Roman Catholic Church to investigate accusations of sexual abuse against Archbishop George Pell.<ref name="Southwellreport">{{cite report|last=Southwell QC|first= Hon Alex|title=Report of an Inquiry into an allegation of sexual abuse against Archbishop George Pell|url=http://www.catholic.org.au/statements/pell_judgement.htm|publisher=National Committee for Professional Standards (Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference)|archiveurl=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20021020140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/31212/20021021-0000/www.catholic.org.au/statements/pell_judgement.htm|archivedate=20 October 2002|date=14 October 2002}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name="Burke">{{cite news |first=Kelly |last=Burke |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/14/1034561100662.html |title=Exonerated, not forgotten |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=15 October 2002 |accessdate=9 July 2017}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southwell, Alec}} Category:Judges of the Supreme Court of Victoria Category:2018 deaths Category:1926 births Category:Australian King's Counsel