Dyson Heydon | |
|---|---|
| Justice of the High Court of Australia | |
| In office 1 February 2003 – 28 February 2013 | |
| Nominated by | John Howard |
| Appointed by | Peter Hollingworth |
| Preceded by | Mary Gaudron |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Keane |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 March 1943 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Parent(s) | Muriel Heydon (née Slater) Sir Peter Heydon |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Barrister, Judge, Academic |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Conservatism in Australia |
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John Dyson Heydon KC (born 1 March 1943) is an Australian former judge and barrister who served on the High Court of Australia from 2003 to 2013 and the New South Wales Court of Appeal from 2000 to 2003, and previously served as Dean of the Sydney Law School. He retired from the bench at the constitutionally-mandated age of 70 and went on to chair the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption between 2014 and 2015, an appointment that was politically controversial due to his avowed conservatism and connections with the governing conservative party.
In 2020, an independent investigation conducted for the High Court found that he had sexually harassed six female associates. Further allegations were reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Heydon denied the claims and apologised for any "inadvertent and unintended" offence. He did not apply to renew his practising certificate with the New South Wales Bar Association upon its expiry in 2020. Three of the associates sought compensation from the federal government and Heydon. In 2022 the trio settled with the federal government, reportedly for a "six figure" amount. Later, in 2022, Heydon resigned from the Order of Australia.