Vale — The Honourable Donnell Michael Ryan KC

The Honourable Donnell Michael Ryan KC passed away on 26 August 2023. Don signed the Bar Roll in July 1965, reading with the Honourable Haddon Storey AM KC.

He quickly built up a significant national practice in industrial law, taking silk in 1980 and becoming a leader of the national industrial bar, appearing in the High Court and in courts across the country. Don combined a rare combination of legal skill, an analytical mind and mastery of principle that brought elegance to the most hard fought and messy industrial dispute. Acting predominantly for unions, including those of a more ‘militant’ bent, Don was renowned for the precision and economy of his arguments which provided an antidote to his clients’ occasional excesses.

Beyond the industrial arena, Don also appeared in the High Court in numerous public law cases and as Counsel assisting the Hope Royal Commission into ASIO and the Combe Ivanov affair.

He had 10 readers, including the Honourable Gareth Evans AC KC. He was a long-time member of Latham Chambers sharing a suite with his friend and later colleague, the late the Hon Peter Heerey AM QC and many others.

He was appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Australia in 1986, where he served with distinction until his retirement from that Court in 2013. His judgments are a model of clarity, in which he summarised Counsel’s arguments with a degree of care and quality that often flattered, and which focused on the areas that mattered to the outcome of the case. His legal analysis was always succinct; drawing on, but not labouring existing authority and saying little more than was necessary to decide the point. He had a mastery of language which produced refined and erudite judgments that did not ignore the humanity of the situation. In court, he was courteous and respectful, listening attentively to arguments and asking questions to elucidate – never to undermine or show off. He was considered a careful and thoughtful judge who wore the responsibility of judicial life heavily.

Away from the law, he was devoted to his family. He was a keen tennis player who played with customary economy.

He is survived by his wife Gabrielle, his daughter Fiona Ryan SC, son Christopher and his three grandchildren.