1. Duncan James Colquhoun Kerr was born on 26 February 1952 and is a barrister.
23 Facts About Duncan Kerr
2.
Duncan Kerr is a former judge of the Federal Court of Australia.
3.
Duncan Kerr served as President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal from 2012 to 2017.
4.
Duncan Kerr was Minister for Justice between 1993 and 1996, and in 1993 briefly Attorney-General of Australia.
5.
Duncan Kerr graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree, and later with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work.
6.
Duncan Kerr was the Labor candidate in the Division of Braddon in the 1977 Australian federal election, losing to future Premier of Tasmania Ray Groom.
7.
Duncan Kerr served in the Australian House of Representatives as Member for Denison from 11 July 1987 to 19 July 2010.
8.
Duncan Kerr served as Minister for Justice from 1993 to 1996, and briefly as Attorney-General in 1993.
9.
Prime Minister Paul Keating's original choice for Attorney-General in 1993 had been Michael Lavarch, but Lavarch's re-election was delayed by the death of an opposing candidate for the seat of Dickson; Duncan Kerr held the portfolio in the interim until Lavarch won the resulting supplementary election.
10.
Duncan Kerr was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry from 1996 to 2001.
11.
Duncan Kerr was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs in the Rudd Ministry in 2007.
12.
On 14 December 2009, Duncan Kerr resigned his appointment as Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs and indicated he intended to return to legal practice.
13.
Duncan Kerr is the author of Annotated Constitution of Papua New Guinea, Essays on the Constitution, Reinventing Socialism and Elect the Ambassador; Building Democracy in a Globalised World.
14.
Duncan Kerr was leading counsel in the High Court of Australia case Plaintiff S157 v The Commonwealth, which concerned a privative clause in the Migration Act 1958 and the availability of judicial review under section 75 of the Constitution of Australia.
15.
Duncan Kerr was appointed a senior counsel in 2004, and as adjunct professor of law, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology in 2007.
16.
Duncan Kerr has acted as counsel in the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia, the Family Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of Tasmania, the District Court of New South Wales, the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea.
17.
In 2010, Duncan Kerr became a founding member of Michael Kirby Chambers in Hobart where he practised as a barrister specialising in public, constitutional, administrative, refugee and human rights law, and appellate work.
18.
Duncan Kerr was Chair of the Council of Australasian Tribunals from 2014 to 2017.
19.
Duncan Kerr is one of six former federal politicians to have served on the Federal Court, along with Robert Ellicott, Nigel Bowen, Tony Whitlam, Merv Everett and John Reeves.
20.
Duncan Kerr ceased to serve as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia on 25 February 2022 upon reaching the statutory retirement age.
21.
On 23 August 2011, Kerr was conferred with the insignia of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the Ambassador of France, M Michel Filhol for defending values dear to France and for his role as Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs in enhancing friendly ties between Australia and France.
22.
Duncan Kerr is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.
23.
Duncan Kerr was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2025 Australia Day Honours.