On June 1st, 2011, the Hon. Tom Bathurst AC KC was appointed as Chief Justice of New South Wales; a role which he served until his retirement on March 5th, 2022. During his tenure at the bench, Tom presided over cases in the areas of criminal law and commercial law, and have heard numerous cases of public interest.

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​Tom is well recognised for his work at both the Bar and the Bench. He was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2014, and was elected an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple in October 2016. Tom received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Sydney in 2019, and was the Chair of the Judicial Section of LAWASIA from 2015 to 2022.

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Speaking on Australian values, social cohesion, and the Network’s Constitution at the 3rd ASEAN Ltd Community Leaders Summit and the 2nd GAAT (Gathering of ASEAN Ambassador Teams), Mr. Bathurst delivered a keynote address:

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So what are Australian Values. I am going to be so bold as to suggest there are no particular values which define a person as being uniquely Australian. What I think should be encompassed in the expression are values which all citizens should and can aspire to regardless of their race, religion or any other particular attribute. I cannot do much better than adopt the particular characteristics referred to in the constitution of this organisation, namely, respect, inclusion, compassion, courage and transparency.