‘Savoured every moment of a long and productive life’: Remembering the Honourable William Gummow AC

Born in Sydney in 1942, Justice Gummow attended Sydney Grammar School before receiving an arts and law degree from the University of Sydney and gaining admission as an NSW solicitor in 1966.

He joined the NSW Bar 10 years later in 1976, and in 1986, he was appointed Queen’s counsel.

Before serving as justice of the High Court of Australia from 1995 to 2012, Justice Gummow served as justice of the Federal Court of Australia from 1986.

Furthermore, in 1992, Justice Gummow was conferred an honorary doctor of laws by the University of Sydney, and in recognition of his service to law, he was made a companion of the Order of Australia in 1997.

In addition to his legal practice and judicial career, Justice Gummow made significant contributions as an educator and legal scholar.

Between 1966 and 1995, he taught equity and intellectual property at the University of Sydney Law School.

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He was also a well-known legal author, co-authoring four editions of Jacobs’ Law of Trusts in Australia alongside Roddy Meagher from 1971 to 1997, and partnering with Roddy Meagher and John Lehane to write Equity: Doctrines and Remedies, which was originally published in 1975.

In a statement, Justice Mark Leeming – a judge of appeal at the Supreme Court of NSW – recognised Justice Gummow’s contributions across several industries.

“He was fond of emphasising that an important aspect of teaching undergraduates was to ensure that legal principle was properly understood when they became judges around three decades later,” Justice Leeming said.

“He wrote swiftly and easily, and despite his sudden death, he left behind no reserved judgments.”

Justice Leeming highlighted Gummow’s commitment to his craft, as he continued to attend events despite recent health battles.

“He suffered a heart attack on 16 September 2026, from which he could not be revived; a fortnight ago, he participated in an all-day conference of invited academics and practitioners on the law of equity at the University of Sydney, before attending the inaugural Sugerman Lecture that evening in the Banco court,” Justice Leeming said.

“He and his walking frame ascended and descended that court’s forbidding stairs with the tenacity of a man who savoured every moment of a long and productive life.”

Governor-General Sam Mostyn extended her deepest sympathies to Justice Gummow’s family, friends, and colleagues, stating that she was “saddened to learn of the passing of former justice of the High Court of Australia, the Honourable William Gummow AC, whose distinguished career left an enduring mark on Australia’s legal and academic life”.

An article from Justinian captured a humorous remark from Justice Gummow on his first day as a justice of the High Court, reflected in an anecdote by Justice Gummow at a lunch, referring to fellow judges as “vegetables”.

He had asked for a sirloin steak, to which the waiter asked, “What about the vegetables?”

Justice Gummow responded, “They can order for themselves.”

Having an impact beyond Australia, the Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA) “expressed deep sorrow” over the passing of Justice Gummow, who served as a non-permanent judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal since 2013.

“Mr Justice Gummow had contributed immensely to the jurisprudence of Hong Kong in almost all areas of the law, including constitutional and administrative law, criminal law, trust law, as well as tax law,” HKBA said in a statement.

The High Court of Australia also released a statement on the recent passing:

“Justice Gummow was a deeply learned, rigorously analytical and highly collegiate member of the High Court who contributed greatly in that capacity and throughout his professional life to the content and trajectory of Australian law.

“The justices of the court extend their sincere sympathies to Justice Gummow’s family.

“A ceremonial sitting of the court to honour him will be held on a date to be advised by the court.”