The Hon. Michael Kirby

The Hon. Michael Kirby is a former Judge of the High Court of Australia, serving from 1996 and retiring in February 2009. Mr Kirby currently holds the appointments of Editor-in-Chief The Laws of Australia and Commissioner of UN DP Global Commission on HIV and the Law.

Since his retirement, Mr Kirby continues to be active in international human rights and in 2010 received the Gruber Prize for Justice in recognition of his work. In 1982 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for his services to Law. In 1991, he was awarded the Human Rights Medal along with receiving Australia's highest civil honour when he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).

Mr Kirby holds several honorary academic roles at Australian Universities, most notably:

• Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Australian National University
• Honorary Professor, Bond University Law School
• Conjunct Professor, University of Newcastle, Law School
• Visiting Professional Fellow, University of New South Wales, Faculty of Law
• Adjunct Professor, Tasmania University, Faculty of Law.

Mr Kirby is a member of the Eminent Persons Group on the structure of the Commonwealth Nations and member of the Board of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration. Mr Kirby has served on the Australian Law Reform Commission and CSIRO.

Mr Kirby is a strong supporter of the Victoria Law School, having recently received an honorary degree from Victoria University, Doctor of Laws, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the legal profession in Australia and his longstanding championing and advocacy of Human Rights. Mr Kirby recently wrote the foundation article for the law school's journal Dictum and is the patron for the Annual Michael Kirby VLS Contract Law Moot and the Annual VLS Michael Kirby Justice Oration.