Catherine Margaret Branson (born 2 May 1948) is a former Australian judge and public servant. She was a judge of the

Federal Court of Australia The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law (with the exception of family law matters), along with some summary (less serious) and indic ...

from 1994 to 2008, and then President of the

Australian Human Rights Commission The Australian Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution of Australia, established in 1986 as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and renamed in 2008. It is a statutory body funded by, but oper ...

from 2008 to 2012.

Early life and education

Branson is the daughter of Max and Barbara Rayner and grew up on a wheat and sheep property near Hallett, South Australia and learned to drive every vehicle including tractors. She went to school at Presbyterian Girls' College before studying at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on ...

. She initially sought to study psychology, but the pathway to that at the time was law or economics. She graduated with a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of ...

and then a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

Career

In her early twenties, Branson volunteered at a legal aid office near

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

during an extended trip to the United States. On return to South Australia, Branson initially worked in private practice, then at the South Australian Department of Legal Services in 1977 before moving to the Crown Solicitor's Office in 1978. She was Crown Solicitor of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

from 1984-1989, the first woman to be appointed in Australia. Branson had a dual appointment as the Chief Executive officer of the South Australian Attorney-General’s Department, the first woman to be the permanent head of a South Australian government department. Branson practised as a barrister at the South Australian Bar from 1989, practising principally in the areas of administrative and commercial law. Branson was appointed

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...

in 1992.

Federal Court

In 1994 Branson was appointed a judge of the Federal Court in 1994. Branson was a member of the full court considering an appeal by the Yorta Yorta people concerning their

native title Aboriginal title is a common law doctrine that the land rights of indigenous peoples to customary tenure persist after the assumption of sovereignty under settler colonialism. The requirements of proof for the recognition of aboriginal title, t ...

claim. Branson was a member of the majority that upheld Justice Olney's finding that the 'tide of history' had 'washed away' any real acknowledgement of traditional laws and any real observance of traditional customs by the

Yorta Yorta The Yorta Yorta, also known as Jotijota, are an Aboriginal Australian people who have traditionally inhabited the area surrounding the junction of the Goulburn and Murray Rivers in present-day north-eastern Victoria and southern New South Wal ...

community. Another high profile case in which Branson was a judge on the full court that unanimously dismissed an appeal by The Wilderness Society concerning approval of the

Gunns Gunns Limited was a major forestry enterprise located in Tasmania, Australia. It had operations in forest management, woodchipping, sawmilling and veneer production. The company was placed into liquidation in March 2013. History Founded in ...

pulp mill A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fiber sources into a thick fiber board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical, or fu ...

in Tasmania. Branson was the President of the Australian Institute for Judicial Administration from 1998 to 2000. Branson retired from the Federal Court in 2008.

Australian Human Rights Commission

Branson was the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission from 2008 until 2012. During her time as president Branson supported a federal charter of human rights,

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

and opposed mandatory detention for

asylum seekers An asylum seeker is a person who leaves their country of residence, enters another country and applies for asylum (i.e., international protection) in that other country. An asylum seeker is an immigrant who has been forcibly displaced and m ...

. Branson continued to live in Adelaide, however she had to commute regularly to Sydney and decided to resign 15 months early to spend more time with her husband and elderly parents.

Honours

In 2012 Branson was given an honorary Doctor of Laws by

Flinders University Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...

, for her 'long and esteemed career in the law' and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from

Macquarie University Macquarie University ( ) is a Public university, public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third univer ...

for her support and advocacy for human rights. In 2018, she was invested as a Companion of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

(AC) in the Queen's Birthday Honours. In July 2020, Branson was appointed Chancellor of The University of Adelaide.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Branson, Catherine 1948 births Living people Australian King's Counsel Judges of the Federal Court of Australia Australian women judges Adelaide Law School alumni University of Adelaide faculty Companions of the Order of Australia