In a first for Australia, an Orthodox rabbi was appointed as a Supreme Court justice last week.
Attorney General John Quigley announced on Thursday that Rabbi Marcus Solomon has been appointed as a judge on the Supreme Court of Western Australia.
Rabbi Solomon established the Beit Midrash of Western Australia in 1993, an Orthodox shul in the city of Perth, and serves a leading role in the city’s Jewish community.
“It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Mr. Solomon to the bench of the Supreme Court,” Western Australia Attorney-General John Quigley said in a statement.
“He is not only an eminently qualified advocate and lawyer but he has also demonstrated his commitment to public service through his roles in the education and mentoring of his fellow practitioners, membership of various boards and committees, and his advisory and honorary positions in a variety of Jewish educational institutions.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
This is amazing! One small comment – the title and article seem a bit confused/confusing. It seems that each of Australia’s seven states have their own Supreme Court, and Western Australia is one of Australia’s seven states. Pretty amazing.
May Rabbi Solomon judge with the wisdom of King Solomon.
Rebbitzen—-PLEASE do not compare Shlomo Hamekech to Rabbi Solomon, AND SURELY don not compare adjudicating JEWISH law–toras hashem with non Jewish law.
1. Solomon has been appointed to the Western Australian Supreme Court, not the Australian Supreme Court, which doesn’t exist. Australia has a High Court, not a Supreme Court. John Quigley is the attorney general of Western Australia, not Australia. The Australian Attorney General is Michaela Cash.
2. There are six states, not seven.
3 Solomon’s father-in-law, Joe Berinson a”h, was Western Australia’s attorney general for ten years. He was offered the premiership, but he declined it because it would be difficult to keep Shabbos as a state premier. This turned out to be a good thing, because the government soon collapsed under the weight of several scandals; he was not involved, but had he been premier when the scandals broke his name would have been tarred by them. Because of his dedication to Shabbos he was saved from that, and left office with a good name.