Wednesday, 20 March 2019

 Mr FOWLES (Burwood) (09:55): I rise today to offer my condolences to the family of the honourable Philip Damien Cummins, AM, former Justice of the Victorian Supreme Court. Along with the Attorney-General I attended a service to honour Philip’s life at the MCG on 7 March. Philip was appointed as a Queen’s Counsel in 1978 and a Supreme Court judge in 1988. He served in that role until 2009, presiding over some of the most important criminal cases in Victorian history, including the Silk-Miller police murders, child killer Robert Farquharson and the murder of Daniel Valerio, which led to the mandatory reporting of child abuse.

He was a believer in and protector of the jury system, an early and consistent proponent of open courts and a non-traditionalist. He sported a diamond stud earring, eschewed the wearing of the judicial wig and argued consistently against what he described as ‘the egregious concatenation of church and state’ that arose as a result of the attendance by judges in robes at the church service to open each judicial year. Later as chair of the Victorian Law Reform Commission he contributed to significant law reforms, including access to medicinal cannabis, adoption by same-sex couples and the protection of children from sex offenders. Privately he was a man of strong social democratic values, frequently greeting me with a smile and a joyous shout of ‘Up the workers!’.

In all of the roles he held he always—always—looked after the families. Indeed it was in his family life that I knew him best. As grandfather to my children he was always available to them for a lively discussion, lift to school or as a co-host with wife Maree at countless family dinners and celebrations. It is in that role that he will be most missed. Vale, Philip Cummins.