Betty King

Betty June King QC (c. 1951-) is an Australian jurist. She is a former judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, in the Australian state of Victoria. She has served as a judge in the County Court of Victoria. She served as a member of the National Crime Authority in the 1990s.

For the American diplomat, see Betty E. King.

The Honourable

Betty June King

QC
Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria
In office
21 June 2005 – 14 August 2015
Judge of the County Court of Victoria
In office
1 March 2000 – 21 June 2005
Personal details
NationalityAustralian
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne

Education

King started her schooling at Westgarth Central School and then attended high school at University High School.[1] She later studied law at Melbourne University, graduating in 1974.[2][3][4][5]

After completing her articles, she joined the Victorian Bar in 1975 at the age of 24, becoming only the twenty-fourth female barrister.[3][5]

King was in 1986 the first female Prosecutor in Victoria, later becoming the first female Commonwealth prosecutor.[3][5]

In 1992 King was one of the first Victorian women to be promoted to Queen's Counsel.[6]

During the late 1990s King was a member of the National Crime Authority at one point acting as chair of the authority.[3]

Judicial career

County Court

In 2000 King was appointed a judge of the County Court, serving until her appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2005.[1][7][8][9][10]

Supreme Court

King was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria on 21 June 2005 and served until 14 August 2015.

Melbourne gangland trials

King presided over the prominent cases involving Melbourne criminal figure Carl Williams and his associates arising from the Melbourne gangland killings.[1][11] In 2008 King ruled that the Underbelly television series could not be shown in the state of Victoria during Williams' murder trial.[12][13][14] During the trial of Evangelos Goussis for the murder of Lewis Moran she banned a proposed television showdown on Today Tonight between Judy Moran and Williams' mother. While instructing the jury during Goussis' trial she referred to herself as the "queen of banning things".[15]

Public statements

In May 2010 she spoke out against prominent defendants, their family members, and judges being treated as celebrities. King claimed to have had a Wikipedia article about her deleted.[16][17] In 2008 a fake Facebook profile bearing her name was removed after a complaint.[16][18]

References
  1. Porter, Liz (18 November 2007). "King of her court". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  2. Bachelor of Laws (incl. Hons) 1974, The University of Melbourne, 22 January 2010.
  3. "Court moves announced". Law Institute Journal. Law Institute of Victoria. 79 (8): 23. 2005. ISSN 0023-9267. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  4. Ray QC, Ross. "Justice Betty King" (PDF). Victorian Bar News. Victorian Bar Council (134): 18. ISSN 0159-3285. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2008.
  5. "Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Annual Luncheon 2010" (PDF). Royal Children's Hospital. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  6. "The Tides of Change". Victorian Bar. Archived from the original on 2 October 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  7. "Judges and Registrar as at 30 June 2003" (PDF). 2002–03 Annual Report. County Court of Victoria. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  8. Brown, Matt (23 February 1997). "Background Briefing - National Crime Authority". Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  9. "Judges - History". Supreme Court of Victoria. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  10. "Hulls: Appointments to Court of Appeal, Supreme Court". Office of the Attorney-General. 21 June 2005. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  11. Silvester, John (8 May 2007). "'You are a killer and a cowardly one'". theage.com.au. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  12. Butcher, Steve (5 April 2008). "Ban judge King praises Underbelly". The Age. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  13. Hunt, Elissa (22 April 2008). "I'm the queen of banning things, says Betty King". Herald Sun. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  14. "Murder trial judge bans underworld show". Sydney Morning Herald. 12 February 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  15. Hunt, Elissa (22 April 2009). "I'm the queen of banning things, says Betty King". heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  16. Buttler, Mark (3 May 2010). "Supreme Court Judge Betty King attacks Roberta Williams and Mick Gatto". Herald Sun. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  17. Batsas, Michelle (Autumn 2010). "Interview With Justice Betty King". Young Lawyers Journal. Law Institute of Victoria (44): 10. ISSN 1441-4449.
  18. Carbone, Suzanne; Money, Lawrence (16 June 2008). "Fake faces on Facebook?". The Age. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
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