ON his first day as the country's top judge, Robert French set an early precedent by acknowledging the land's traditional owners at a ceremony that marked a new era for the nation's highest court.
Chief Justice French, who has helped to shape the nation's native title law, said his recognition of the Ngunnawal people was "no mere platitude" and reflected an awareness that indigenous history was "becoming, if it has not already become, part of our national history".
"The history of Australia's indigenous people dwarfs, in its temporal sweep, the history that gave rise to the constitution under which this court was created," he said.
"A proper perspective reminds all of us who occupy public office … to see ourselves as other Australians see us. This will often be at best with a kind of sceptical respect."
Chief Justice French, 61, who was sworn in yesterday as the 12th chief justice of the High Court and the first from Western Australia, replaces Murray Gleeson, who stepped down after reaching the obligatory retirement age of 70.
The appointment, which has been received warmly by the legal profession, gave an early opportunity for the Rudd Government to appoint a chief justice and influence the future of the court.
The Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, described Justice French - whose articles and judgments have cited The Simpsons, Harry Potter and Judge Dredd - as an outstanding, fair-minded lawyer who has been able to express "complex issues of laws in an accessible form".
"You are renowned for combining your technical legal excellence with a wide interest in broader social and economic issues," Mr McClelland said.
"Your Honour has had first-hand exposure to cultural diversity, and the particular problems facing indigenous Australians. Your career-long involvement in these issues has extended beyond mere intellectual appreciation."
Aside from almost 22-years' worth of judgments on administrative, constitutional and competition law, Chief Justice French has also published a series of tips on a government website for keeping fit in the workplace. A marathon runner and scuba diver, he suggests using the stairs and performing abdominal squeezes while at a desk.
Despite receiving a Jesuit education, he yesterday said he was an "agnostic with a sense of wonder" and chose to be sworn in by affirmation rather than an oath.
After studying science and law at The University of Western Australia, he was appointed to the Federal Court in 1986.
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