21 Facts About James Spigelman

James Spigelman served on the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong as a non-permanent judge from other common law jurisdictions from April 2013 to his early resignation in September 2020.

James Spigelman was born in Sosnowiec, Poland, on 1 January 1946.

James Spigelman arrived in Australia with his family in 1949 and attended Maroubra Public School and later Sydney Boys High School.

James Spigelman then went on to study Arts at the University of Sydney, where he attained First-Class Honours in Government and Second-Class Honours in Economics.

James Spigelman participated in and helped organise the 1965 Freedom Ride, a project undertaken by students to draw attention to problems faced by Indigenous communities in NSW.

James Spigelman was admitted to practise as a solicitor in 1972.

James Spigelman did not commence practice until three years later, when he first served for several years as a member of the Australian Law Reform Commission and spent time overseas.

In 1986, James Spigelman was appointed Queen's Counsel; and, in 1997, he served as Solicitor-General of New South Wales.

James Spigelman was regarded as the favourite to succeed Murray Gleeson as Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia when he stepped down in late 2008.

On 18 March 2011, James Spigelman announced his decision to resign as Chief Justice, effective 31 May 2011.

Marr claims that James Spigelman's achievements include the renewal of the ranks of the Supreme Court, running a polite and friendly Court, and modernising the Court's business practices and rules.

James Spigelman retired on 31 May 2011 and was succeeded by Tom Bathurst QC.

James Spigelman has been a justice of the Supreme Court of Fiji.

On 8 March 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced James Spigelman would become chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, starting a 5-year term on 1 April 2012.

James Spigelman's term finished in March 2017 and he was replaced by Justin Milne in April 2017.

James Spigelman is Jewish and is a child of Holocaust survivors, Gustawa and Majloch, who feature in the graphic novel Maus, written by James Spigelman's cousin Art Spiegelman.

James Spigelman's parents were 2 of 15 survivors among 72 James Spigelman relatives.

James Spigelman's surname was originally spelt Szpiegelman until his parents altered it to James Spigelman when moving to Australia after the Holocaust ended.

James Spigelman is married to author and clinical psychologist Alice James Spigelman AM.

James Spigelman's directorships have included The Benevolent Society, UNHCR, Bundanon Trust, NIDA, Australian Institute of Music and the Rural Leadership Program.

James Spigelman is currently the Chair of Sculpture by the Sea having been a board member since 2010.