a heart steeped in empathy – michael kirby retires

One of Australia’s most prominent lawyers – and “most colourful judges” –  High Court Justice Michael Kirby retired today. As the Age’s Leonie Wood summarizes Kirby’s approach to law: “Justice  can only be done by following the law as it has been applied and adapted over time, and then bringing to that vast canon a “sense of justice for the individual as the abiding moral force of the judicial vocation”. Kirby was one of the driving forces of Australia’s increased commitment to implement international human rights.