Julian Burnside facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julian Burnside
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| Born |
Julian William Kennedy Burnside
9 June 1949 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Monash University |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | Commercial law 1998 Australian waterfront dispute Refugee rights |
| Political party | Greens (since 2019) |
| Relatives | Edith Burnside (grandmother) |
Julian William Kennedy Burnside is a well-known Australian lawyer, born on June 9, 1949. He is famous for his work helping people, especially those seeking safety in Australia. He also writes books and supports the arts. Julian Burnside is a King's Counsel (KC), which means he is a very experienced and respected lawyer.
He is best known for speaking up against the rule that forces people seeking asylum to be held in detention centers. He has helped many people in important legal cases. In 2009, he received the Order of Australia award for his work helping human rights and refugees. He also got it for supporting art and for his legal career. In 2019, he ran for a political position with the Australian Greens party.
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Julian Burnside's Early Life
Julian Burnside was born in Melbourne, Victoria. His father was a surgeon, and his grandmother, Dame Edith Burnside, was known for her charity work. Julian went to Melbourne Grammar School and earned many awards.
He then studied law and economics at Monash University. He was very good at law and won mock court competitions. He even represented his university in an international competition in New Zealand, where he was named the best speaker. After talking with a judge there, he decided to become a barrister, which is a type of lawyer who argues cases in court. He finished his studies in 1973.
Julian Burnside is married to Kate, and they have a daughter named Katherine and a foster son named Mosa.
Julian Burnside's Legal Career
Julian Burnside became a barrister in Victoria in 1976. He was made a King's Counsel in 1989. Most of his work has been in commercial law, which deals with business and trade.
He has worked on many big business cases. He represented some of Australia's richest people. Because of these important cases, he became very well known as a commercial lawyer. He often says that he used to "act for the big end of town," meaning he worked for large companies and wealthy individuals.
Helping Workers and Refugees
In 1998, Julian Burnside surprised many people. He decided to help the Maritime Union of Australia in a big dispute with a company called Patrick Corporation. This was a very serious and long-lasting disagreement about workers' rights. The case went all the way to Australia's highest court, the High Court of Australia. The court eventually sided with the Union. Julian Burnside says this case taught him how important it is for workers to have strong unions to ensure fairness in the workplace.
From the late 1990s, Julian Burnside started doing more and more `pro bono` legal work. `Pro bono` means doing legal work for free, usually to help people who cannot afford it. He focused on human rights issues. He helped a group fighting against the Australian Government's actions during the Tampa affair. He strongly criticized the government for holding people seeking asylum in mandatory detention.
With his wife, Kate Durham, he started programs called "Spare Rooms for Refugees" and "Spare Lawyers for Refugees." These programs offer free places to stay and free legal help for refugees in Australia. Even with all this human rights work, he still continued his commercial law practice.
Supporting Indigenous Australians
Julian Burnside has also helped Indigenous Australians in several important cases. One of his most notable cases was for Bruce Trevorrow. Bruce was a member of the Stolen Generation, which refers to Indigenous children who were taken from their families by past governments. Bruce sued the South Australian Government for taking him from his parents. For the first time in Australian history, a government was found responsible for such actions. The court awarded Mr. Trevorrow a large amount of money as compensation.
Awards and Recognition
Julian Burnside has received many awards for his work:
- In 2004, he won the Human Rights Law Award for his free legal work for asylum seekers.
- Also in 2004, he was named an Australian Living Treasure.
- In 2007, he received the Australian Peace Prize.
- In 2014, he was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize.
Besides his legal work, Julian Burnside also supports the arts. He helps fund new classical music and sculptures. He is also the head of two arts organizations.
Important Cases Julian Burnside Has Worked On
- Defending businessman Alan Bond.
- Helping the Maritime Union of Australia win against Patrick Stevedores in the High Court of Australia.
- Representing the community near the Ok Tedi Mine against a large mining company.
- Helping Liberty Victoria in the Tampa legal case.
- Representing people in a group lawsuit against Esso after a big fire at Longford, Victoria.
- Successfully helping Bruce Trevorrow get compensation for being part of the Stolen Generation.
- Representing Mary Kostakidis in a case against SBS.
Julian Burnside's Political Involvement
Julian Burnside has been involved in politics. Since 2017, he has been an ambassador for the National Secular Lobby.
In March 2019, he announced he had joined the Australian Greens party. He ran for a political seat called Kooyong in the federal election that year. Although he did not win, he received the highest number of votes for the Greens in that area in a federal election.
In May 2020, Julian Burnside tried to become a Greens Senator for Victoria. He lost the selection to Lidia Thorpe, who became the first Aboriginal woman Senator for Victoria.
