Lionel Murphy

The Honourable Lionel Murphy QC
Murphy in 1972
Justice of the High Court of Australia
In office 10 February 1975 – 21 October 1986
Nominated by	Gough Whitlam
Appointed by	Sir John Kerr
Preceded by	Sir Douglas Menzies
Succeeded by	John Toohey
Attorney-General of Australia
In office 19 December 1972 – 9 February 1975
Prime Minister	Gough Whitlam
Preceded by	Gough Whitlam[a]
Succeeded by	Kep Enderby
Leader of the Government in the Senate
In office 2 December 1972 – 9 February 1975 Acting: 2 December — 19 December 1972
Preceded by	Ken Anderson
Succeeded by	Ken Wriedt
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
In office 8 February 1967 – 5 December 1972
Preceded by	Don Willesee
Succeeded by	Reg Withers
Senator for New South Wales
In office 1 July 1962 – 9 February 1975
Preceded by	John McCallum
Succeeded by	Cleaver Bunton
Personal details
Born	Lionel Keith Murphy (1922-08-30)30 August 1922 Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
Died	21 October 1986(1986-10-21) (aged 64) Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouse(s)	Nina Morrow (née Vishegor-odsky; known as Svidersky) Ingrid Gee (née Grzonkowski)
Education	University of Sydney

Lionel Keith Murphy QC (30 August 1922 – 21 October 1986) was an Australian politician, barrister, and judge. He was a Senator for New South Wales from 1962 to 1975, serving as Attorney-General in the Whitlam government, and then sat on the High Court from 1975 until his death.

Murphy was born in Sydney, and attended Sydney Boys High School before matriculating at the University of Sydney. He initially graduated with a degree in chemistry, but then went on to Sydney Law School and eventually became a barrister. He specialised in labour and industrial law, and took silk in 1960. Murphy was elected to the Senate at the 1961 federal election, as a member of the Labor Party. He became Leader of the Opposition in the Senate in 1967.

Following Labor's victory at the 1972 federal election, Gough Whitlam appointed Murphy as Attorney-General and Minister for Customs and Excise. He oversaw a number of reforms, establishing the Family Court of Australia, the Law Reform Commission, and the Australian Institute of Criminology, and developing the Family Law Act 1975, which fully established no-fault divorce. He also authorised the 1973 Murphy raids on ASIO. In 1975, following the death of Douglas Menzies, Murphy was appointed to the High Court. He is the most recent politician to be appointed to the court.

On the court, Murphy was known for his radicalism and judicial activism. However, his final years were marred by persistent allegations of corruption. He was convicted of perverting the course of justice in 1985, but had the conviction overturned on appeal and was acquitted at a second trial. In 1986, a commission was established to determine whether he was fit to remain on the court, but it was abandoned when Murphy announced that he was suffering from terminal cancer.
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