Gregory Garde Explained

Gregory Garde
Birth Date:1 April 1949
Birth Place:Melbourne, Victoria
Allegiance:Australia
Branch:Australian Army Reserve
Serviceyears:1967–2004
Rank:Major General
Commands:Chief of Reserves and Head of Reserve Policy (2001–04)
4th Brigade (1993–94)
4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse (1984–86)
Monash University Regiment (1982–84)
Awards:Officer of the Order of Australia
Reserve Force Decoration

Major General Gregory Howard "Greg" Garde, (born 1 April 1949) is a senior Australian lawyer and Army officer. His positions and appointments have included Queen's Counsel, Supreme Court Justice, President of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and membership of various boards of directors.

Early years

Garde was born on 1 April 1949 and attended Scotch College, Melbourne and the University of Melbourne. His father, John Garde, and uncle, Bruce Garde, were both practicing solicitors "for some 50 years".

Legal career

Garde has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Bachelor of Laws (Hons) (1972) and Master of Laws (1975).[1] He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1989 and a Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria on 29 May 2012.

He was named President of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on 1 June 2012,[2] [3] a position he held until 30 May 2018, when he was succeeded by Justice Michelle Quigley.[4] While President of VCAT, Justice Garde was a member of the Courts Council and the Judicial Commission of Victoria

He has also been elected President of the Council of Australasian Tribunals – Victorian Chapter and a Director of the Judicial College of Victoria.[5]

Justice Garde retired as a Supreme Court justice on 30 March 2019,[6] and was appointed as a reserve judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria on 1 April 2019[7] for a period of five years.

Garde is the fourth general to become a Victorian judge, and the second general to become a Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.[8]

Justice Garde was appointed as the Chair of the Victorian Law Foundation in October 2020.[9]

Military career

Garde joined the Melbourne University Regiment in 1967.[10] After he was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps as a lieutenant, he served on a period of full-time duty with the Pacific Islands Regiment in Papua New Guinea. He was later posted to Monash University Regiment in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he was Commanding Officer of Monash University Regiment and later on transferring from the Royal Australian Infantry Corps to the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, he was appointed by the Chief of the General Staff as the Commanding Officer of the 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse.[2] Following promotion to brigadier he commanded the 4th Brigade and was later appointed as the Director-General Reserves (Army). From 2001 to 2004, as a major general, he served as Chief of Reserves and Head of Reserve Policy, the highest position for a reserve officer in the Australian Defence Force.[10]

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January 1996, for "exceptional service to the Army Reserve",[11] and Officer of the Order of Australia on 26 January 2005 for "distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force Reserves, in particular as the Assistant Chief of the Defence Force (Reserves) and Head Reserve Policy".[12]

Civilian career

Gregory Garde has been a member of Defence Health in various capacities. Since 2004, he was in its board, became its chairman in 2011, and retired as chair and director in 2019.[13]

Family

Garde's daughter Catherine was a barrister in Western Australia.[5] She is now a corporate solicitor practising in Victoria.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alumni achievements . Alumni and Melbourne Law School news . 2012 . 16.
  2. Web site: Welcome to the Honourable Justice Gregory Garde . 13 June 2012 . Law Institute Victoria . Reynah Tang . 4 October 2013 . 18 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140718223644/http://liv.asn.au/Practice-Resources/News-Centre/Speeches/Speeches-2012/Welcome-to-the-Honourable-Justice-Gregory-Garde.aspx?rep=1&glist=0&sdiag=0 . dead .
  3. Web site: 2014 . Board of Directors . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20140929144039/https://www.defencehealth.com.au/about/board-and-management/our-board-members/ . 29 Sep 2014 . 13 Nov 2022 . Defence Health .
  4. Web site: Michelle Quigley first woman to lead VCAT . 26 April 2018 .
  5. Web site: Alumni of the 1960s and 1970s: where are they now? . Alumni and Melbourne Law School news . 2012 . 19.
  6. Web site: Former Judicial Officers.
  7. Web site: Judges.
  8. The other three generals who became judges are: Chief Justice Lieutenant General Edmund Herring; County Court Judge Major General Norman Vickery, and Major General Richard Treacy, Justice of the Federal Court in the Victorian Registry. Source: Tang (2012)
  9. Web site: Welcome to our new Chair, the Hon Justice Greg Garde.
  10. Web site: New Supreme Court judge and VCAT President appointed . 29 May 2012 . Media Release . Attorney-General . Premier's Department, Victoria. (pdf)
  11. Web site: Member of the Order of Australia (AM) . 26 January 1996 . It's an Honour . Australian Government.
  12. Web site: Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) . 26 January 2005 . It's an Honour . Australian Government.
  13. Web site: 2020 . Defence Health Annual Report 2020 . 13 Nov 2022 . Defence Health . 4.