ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the narratives presented in the swearing-in speeches of High Court justices. This is the formal process and ritual whereby an individual is transformed into a Justice of the High Court. It presents an opportunity for the new judge to reflect publicly on how they conceive their newly acquired judicial authority. It also offers an opportunity for key stakeholders to reflect on the appointee’s suitability for their new position. These speeches are rare glimpses into the ‘private’ judge, or at least the private judge packaged for public consumption. In many instances much of what we might know about judges’ life narratives is sourced from these speeches. By recognising that a traditional measure of judicial authority has been framed from a masculinist perspective, this chapter provides an insight into how these notions continue to inform understandings of judicial authority.
