Kenneth Bailey (lawyer)

{{Short description|Australian public servant, lawyer and diplomat}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Sir

| name = Kenneth Bailey

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|CBE|QC|size=100%}}

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| office1 = Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department

| term_start1 = 9 May 1946

| term_end1 = 2 February 1964

| predecessor1 = Sir George Knowles

| successor1 = Ted Hook

| birth_name = Kenneth Hamilton Bailey

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1898|11|03|df=y}}

| birth_place = Canterbury, Victoria, Australia

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1972|05|03|1898|11|03|df=y}}

| death_place = Canberra, Australia

| occupation = Public servant, lawyer

| years_active =

| website =

| parents =

| siblings =

| spouse = {{marriage|Editha Olga Bailey|1925}}

| alma_mater = University of Melbourne
Corpus Christi College, Oxford

| children = Peter Bailey

}}

Sir Kenneth Hamilton Bailey {{post-nominals|country=AUS|CBE|QC}} (3 November 1898{{spaced endash}}3 May 1972) was a senior Australian public servant and lawyer, best known for his time as Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department between 1946 and 1964.

Life and career

Kenneth Bailey was born on 3 November 1898 in Canterbury, Victoria.{{citation|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bailey-sir-kenneth-hamilton-9404|title=Bailey, Sir Kenneth Hamilton (1898–1972)|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301175939/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bailey-sir-kenneth-hamilton-9404|archivedate=1 March 2014 |url-status=live|first=Jack E.|last=Richardson|work=Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher=Australian National University}} He was dux of his high school, Wesley College, in 1916.{{citation|url=http://www.law.unimelb.edu.au/melbourne-law-school/community/history/people/deans/kenneth-bailey|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102232724/http://www.law.unimelb.edu.au/melbourne-law-school/community/history/people/deans/kenneth-bailey|archivedate=2 January 2015|title=Kenneth Bailey 1928-1936, 1938-1942|publisher=University of Melbourne|author=Melbourne Law School}} He was Victoria's Rhodes Scholar for 1918, a feat later emulated by his son. Both attended Corpus Christi College, Oxford.[http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189473427 Father and Son Rhodes Scholars], The Age, 7 December 1949.

In 1927, Bailey was appointed professor of jurisprudence at the University of Melbourne; the following year becoming the first Australia-born dean of the law school.{{citation|url=http://legalopinions.ags.gov.au/opinionauthor/bailey-kenneth-hamilton|title=BAILEY Kenneth Hamilton|publisher=Australian Government|work=Legal Opinions Author Biographies}}

Between 1946 and 1964, Bailey was Solicitor-General of Australia and Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department. During his time as Solicitor-General, Bailey officially opened the Australian Police College in Barton on 25 October 1960.{{citation|url=http://www.aipm.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/AIPM-Annual-Report-2012-13-inc-Audited-Statements.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204001753/http://www.aipm.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/AIPM-Annual-Report-2012-13-inc-Audited-Statements.pdf|archivedate=4 February 2014|page=25|url-status=live|publisher=Australian Institute of Police Management|title=Annual Report 2012–13|date=2013}}

Bailey died on 3 May 1972 in Canberra and was cremated. His son, Peter Hamilton Bailey, was also a public servant, as well as a human rights academic.

Awards and honours

Bailey was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 1953 whilst Permanent Head of the Attorney-General's Department.{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1064824|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115081613/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1064824&search_type=quick&showInd=true|archivedate=15 January 2015|title=Search Australian Honours: BAILEY, Kenneth Hamilton, Commander of the Order of the British Empire|publisher=Australian Government|work=itsanhonour.gov.au}} He was knighted in 1958.{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1083324|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026232252/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1083324|archivedate=26 October 2021|title=Search Australian Honours: BAILEY, Kenneth Hamilton, Knight Bachelor|publisher=Australian Government|work=itsanhonour.gov.au}}

In 1972, the University of Melbourne awarded Bailey an honorary doctorate at a special conferring ceremony at Canberra Hospital. The degree was conferred to recognize his distinguished service to the university.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102203597|title=Jurist honoured|page=1|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=18 March 1972}}

References