Edward McTiernan

The Right Honourable Sir Edward McTiernan KBE
McTiernan in his chambers, 1954.
Justice of the High Court of Australia
In office 20 December 1930 – 12 September 1976
Nominated by	James Scullin
Appointed by	Lord Stonehaven
Preceded by	Sir Isaac Isaacs
Succeeded by	Sir Keith Aickin
Member of the Australian House of Representatives
In office 12 October 1929 – 19 December 1930
Preceded by	Charles Marr
Succeeded by	Charles Marr
Constituency	Parkes
Attorney General of New South Wales
In office 12 April 1920 – 13 April 1922
Premier	John Storey James Dooley
Preceded by	John Garland
Succeeded by	Thomas Bavin
In office 17 June 1925 – 26 May 1927
Premier	Jack Lang
Preceded by	Thomas Bavin
Succeeded by	Andrew Lysaght
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
In office 20 March 1920 – 7 September 1927
Preceded by	Seat created
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Constituency	Western Suburbs
Personal details
Born	(1892-02-16)16 February 1892 Glen Innes, New South Wales, Australia
Died	9 January 1990(1990-01-09) (aged 97) Turramurra, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Labor (to 1930)
Spouse	Kathleen Lloyd ​ (m. 1948)​

Sir Edward Aloysius McTiernan, KBE (16 February 1892 – 9 January 1990), was an Australian lawyer, politician, and judge. He served on the High Court of Australia from 1930 to 1976, the longest-serving judge in the court's history.

McTiernan was born in Glen Innes, New South Wales. He graduated from the University of Sydney in 1915, and was called to the bar the following year. McTiernan was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1920, representing the Labor Party, and was soon after appointed Attorney-General of New South Wales. He served as attorney-general under John Storey, James Dooley, and Jack Lang, but left state politics in 1927. McTiernan was elected to the House of Representatives in 1929, but served for little over a year before Prime Minister James Scullin nominated him to the High Court. He was 38 at the time; only H. V. Evatt (another Scullin nominee) was appointed at a younger age. On the court, McTiernan was considered a moderate, and was known for the consistency of his decisions. He generally favoured the position of the federal government, upholding the constitutionality of contentious legislation from both sides of politics. McTiernan retired reluctantly at the age of 84, after just under 46 years on the High Court bench. He lived to the age of 97, and was the last surviving MP from the 1920s.