Obituary - John Bernard Gaffney OAM

BAR ROLL NO: 1450

It is with deep regret that the Bar Council informs members of the death on 1 August 2018 of John (universally, “Jack”) Bernard Gaffney OAM. Jack was 88 – just short of his 89th birthday (born 21 August 1929).

Jack came to Melbourne from Broken Hill in 1947. He had been a “lad messenger” with the Railways. He passed the Victorian Public Service Examination and was appointed to the Public Solicitor’s Office in the Crown Law Department and began studying Law part-time. He’d played football for Broken Hill YCW and for South Broken Hill.

Determined to play senior football, he began immediately with the Fitzroy Thirds. He reached the Senior side in 1949 and played 80 games for Fitzroy in the VFL at halfback flank to 1953. He later coached Prahran in the VFA (1958-60). Later still, he was a member of the VFL Tribunal.

He worked in the Titles Office, in the Local Government Department and, from 1962- 67, was Officer-in-Charge of the Country Circuit Section Criminal Branch of the Crown Solicitor’s Office. He was admitted to practice in December 1967.

He was a partner in Le Grand Randles Gaffney & Co from 1967 to 1978. He signed the Bar Roll in December 1978 and read with Chris Canavan (now QC).

He was appointed Supreme Court Registrar of Criminal Appeals in July 1982; a Master of the Supreme Court in July 1993; and Registrar of the Court of Appeal in July 1995 – serving until his retirement in April 2001. In retirement, he completed a Mediator Training Course and worked as a Mediator at the Legal Profession Tribunal.

He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 1998 Queen’s Birthday Honours List “For service to the Victorian Justice System as Registrar of the Court of Appeal, to the Community and to Sport.”

There was a private Funeral on 9 August 2018. The Bar and the Court learned of his passing when the family death notice appeared in The Age yesterday, 14 August 2018.

News Category:

Obituary