# Alex Chernov

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{{short description|Australian jurist|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = {{pre-nominal styles|size=100%|Hon}}
| name             = Alex Chernov
| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=|AC|KC}}
| image            = Alex Chernov Governor of Victoria.png
| image_size       =
| alt              = 
| caption          = Chernov at an [Anzac Day](/source/Anzac_Day) ceremony in 2013
| order            = 28th
| office           = Governor of Victoria
| term_start       = 8 April 2011
| term_end         = 30 June 2015
| lieutenant       = [Marilyn Warren](/source/Marilyn_Warren)
| monarch          = [Elizabeth II](/source/Elizabeth_II)
| premier          = [Ted Baillieu](/source/Ted_Baillieu)<br />[Denis Napthine](/source/Denis_Napthine)<br />[Daniel Andrews](/source/Daniel_Andrews)
| predecessor      = [David de Kretser](/source/David_de_Kretser)
| successor        = [Linda Dessau](/source/Linda_Dessau)
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1938|5|12|df=y}}
| birth_place      = [Vilnius](/source/Vilnius), [Lithuania](/source/Lithuania)
| death_date       = 
| death_place      = 
| resting_place    = 
| spouse           = Elizabeth Hopkins
| relations        = 
| children         = 
| education        = [University of Melbourne](/source/University_of_Melbourne)
| occupation       = 
| profession       = Barrister, judge
| signature        = 
| signature_alt    = 
| website          = 
| footnotes        =  
}}

'''Alex Chernov''' {{small|{{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=|AC|KC}}}} (born 12 May 1938)<ref>[http://www.vicbar.com.au/webdata/VicBarNewsFiles/143_Farewells.pdf Justice Alex Chernov JA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706113126/http://www.vicbar.com.au/webdata/VicBarNewsFiles/143_Farewells.pdf |date=6 July 2011 }}, ''Victorian Bar News'', Autumn 2008.</ref> is an Australian lawyer, judge and barrister who served as the 28th [Governor of Victoria](/source/Governor_of_Victoria), from 2011 to 2015.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121112173308/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/08/3186028.htm?site=melbourne Chernov sworn in as Victoria's new Governor], ''ABC News'', 8 April 2011.</ref> Chernov also served as Vice-President of the [Australian Bar Association](/source/Australian_Bar_Association), from 1986 to 1987, President of the [Law Council of Australia](/source/Law_Council_of_Australia), from 1990 to 1991, and the 20th Chancellor of [Melbourne University](/source/Melbourne_University), from 2009 to 2011.

==Early life==
Chernov was born in [Wilno](/source/Wilno), [Poland](/source/Second_Polish_Republic) (now Vilnius, Lithuania) in 1938 to Russian parents, and migrated with his family to [Salzburg](/source/Salzburg), Austria, after the [Soviet invasion](/source/Soviet_invasion_of_Lithuania), where he commenced his schooling. In 1949 his family migrated to Australia and he completed his education at [Melbourne High School](/source/Melbourne_High_School). He graduated as a [Bachelor of Commerce](/source/Bachelor_of_Commerce) and a [Bachelor of Laws](/source/Bachelor_of_Laws) (with Honours) from the [University of Melbourne](/source/University_of_Melbourne) in 1961 and 1968 respectively as a resident of [Ormond College](/source/Ormond_College).<ref name=age/>

==Career==
Chernov was admitted to practise and signed the Roll of Counsel as a barrister in 1968, practising mostly in [commercial law](/source/commercial_law) and [equity](/source/Equity_(law)).{{cn|date=May 2026}} He was appointed [Queen's Counsel](/source/Queen's_Counsel) in 1980 and later in a majority of other states. He was Chairman of the [Victorian Bar](/source/Victorian_Bar) (1985–86), Vice-President of the [Australian Bar Association](/source/Australian_Bar_Association) (1986–87) and President of the [Law Council of Australia](/source/Law_Council_of_Australia) (1990–91). He was Vice President of [LawAsia](/source/LawAsia) (1995–97). Chernov was the co-author with [Robert Brooking](/source/Robert_Brooking) of ''Tenancy Law and Practice: Victoria'' (1972) and the editor of its second edition (1980).{{cn|date=May 2026}}

In May 1997, Chernov was appointed to the Trial Division of the [Supreme Court of Victoria](/source/Supreme_Court_of_Victoria), and in October 1998 to the Court of Appeal of that Court. He retired from the bench in February 2008.{{cn|date=May 2026}}

Chernov was elected the 20th [Chancellor](/source/Chancellor_(education)) of the [University of Melbourne](/source/University_of_Melbourne) in January 2009, serving in that office until he resigned to take up the office of [Governor of Victoria](/source/Governor_of_Victoria).<ref name=age>{{cite news|first=Sushi|last=Das|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/the-melbourne-man-20090206-7zzz.html|title=The Melbourne man|work=[The Age](/source/The_Age)|date=7 February 2009}}</ref>

==Vice-regal office==
On 21 February 2011, it was announced that Chernov would become the 28th Governor of Victoria. He assumed that office on 8 April 2011.<ref>Rout, Milanda: [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/former-judge-alex-chernov-is-victorias-next-governor/story-e6frgczx-1226009442643 Former judge Alex Chernov is Victoria's next governor], ''The Australian'', 21 February 2011.</ref> On the retirement of [Dame Marie Bashir](/source/Marie_Bashir) as [Governor of New South Wales](/source/Governor_of_New_South_Wales) on 1 October 2014, Chernov became the longest-serving governor of an Australian state and by custom assumed the additional office of [Administrator of the Commonwealth](/source/Administrator_(Australia)), which exercises the powers of the [Governor-General of Australia](/source/Governor-General_of_Australia) in the governor-general's absence or disability.<ref>[http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2014G01602 Oath of Office as Administrator of the Commonwealth], ComLaw, 24 September 2014.</ref> Chernov's term of office ended in June 2015; former judge [Linda Dessau](/source/Linda_Dessau) was appointed as his replacement.

==Personal life==
Chernov is married and has three children.

==Honours==
Chernov was appointed Queen's Counsel in and for the State of Victoria in 1980. He was created an [Officer of the Order of Australia](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_Australia) in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours list for service to the law and education.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1134652 |title=It's an Honour |access-date=24 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181202070627/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1134652 |archive-date=2 December 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 26 January 2012, Chernov was named a [Companion of the Order of Australia](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_Australia).<ref>{{cite news|first=Julie|last=Hare|title=Australia Day honours list goes Melbourne's way|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/australia-day-honours-list-goes-melbournes-way/story-e6frgcjx-1226253772261|newspaper=[The Australian](/source/The_Australian)|publisher=[News Limited](/source/News_Limited)|date=26 January 2012|access-date=26 January 2012}}</ref>

On 14 May 2014, Chernov was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws by [Monash University](/source/Monash_University).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/records-archives/archives/honorarygraduates/c.html | title=Roll of Honorary Graduates - C - Records and Archives - Monash University }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110302121812/http://www.unimelb.edu.au/about/governance/chancellor.html University of Melbourne biography]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130419040221/http://www.governor.vic.gov.au/victorias-governor/biography/the-hon-alex-chernov-ao-qc Governor of Victoria biography]

{{s-start}}
{{s-aca}}
{{s-bef|before=[Ian Renard](/source/Ian_Renard)}}
{{s-ttl|title=[Chancellor](/source/Chancellor_(education)) of the [University of Melbourne](/source/University_of_Melbourne)|years=2009–2011}}
{{s-aft|after=[Elizabeth Alexander](/source/Elizabeth_Alexander_(chancellor))}}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-bef|before=[David de Kretser](/source/David_de_Kretser)}}
{{s-ttl|title=[Governor of Victoria](/source/Governor_of_Victoria)|years=2011–2015}}
{{s-aft|after=[Linda Dessau](/source/Linda_Dessau)}}
{{s-end}}

{{Governors of Victoria}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chernov, Alex}}
Category:1938 births
Category:Living people
Category:Governors of Victoria (Australia)
Category:Judges of the Supreme Court of Victoria
Category:Chancellors of the University of Melbourne
Category:Melbourne Law School alumni
Category:20th-century King's Counsel
Category:Australian King's Counsel
Category:Companions of the Order of Australia
Category:Lithuanian emigrants to Australia
Category:Australian people of Russian descent
Category:Naturalised citizens of Australia
Category:Australian barristers

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alex Chernov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Chernov) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Chernov?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.