MARGARET WHITE AO
Margaret Jean White AO completed a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Adelaide in 1966 and taught in the Law School in the University of Queensland until 1983 when she commenced practice as a barrister and appeared in a number of cases most notably, Mabo v State of Queensland.
In 1990, Margaret was appointed to the Supreme Court as Master, then as a Judge in the Trial Division and to the Court of Appeal in 2010, retiring in June 2013. Margaret was Deputy President of the Defence Force Discipline Appeals Tribunal from 2008 and held commissioned rank in the Royal Australian Navy retiring as Commander in 2006. She was a member of Senate of the University of Queensland from 1993 to 2006 and Deputy Chancellor from 2006 to 2009.
After retirement from the Court she was appointed and continues as an Adjunct Professor in the Law School in the University of Queensland. She has conducted enquiries for several governments since retirement.
She was a member of the Queensland Selection Committee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust from 1992, Chair of that Committee from 2002 and member of the National Board, and National Chair of the Trust from 2011 until June 2017. She is presently Co-Patron (with Professor Tom Calma AO) of the Churchill Trust and a member of the selection committee of the newly formed Policy Impact Program, a joint initiative between the Churchill Trust and the University of Queensland’s Centre for Policy Futures. She is a Life member of the Queensland Churchill Fellows Association and the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.
She is a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and a Fellow and Council member of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has been a member of the Council of the Australian National Maritime Museum since 2014.
She is the independent chair of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission appointed by the Bishops of Queensland in March 2018.
She was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2003 for services to the law and appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia in 2013 for services to law and education. She has received Honorary Doctorates in Law from the Universities of Queensland and Adelaide.
