Sir John Latham : a guide to his papers in the National Library of Australia / compiled by National Library of Australia.

Canberra : National Library of Australia Manuscript Section, 1980.

11791

Latham, John Greig -- Sir, -- 1877-1964.

Legal correspondence.

Judges -- Australia.

Law -- Australia -- Bibliography.

1. General correspondence, 1896-1963

15. Boobooks

41. Attorney-General 1925-1929

62. Chief Justice,1935-1952.

1. GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1896-1963 Wherever possible letters have been placed in series relating to specific activities, subjects, events and organisations (series 10-81). The remaining letters, being of a more general or personal nature, have been placed in this series. It is arranged chronologically and covers the whole of Latham's adult life. However, there are not many letters dating from earlier than 1914, nor are there many dating from World War lI. Among the subjects discussed are Latham's overseas trips in 19 18-19 and 1932, his appointment as Attorney-General (1925) and as a Privy Councillor (1933), and his knighthood (1935). The correspondence for the last 15 years of Latham's life is very extensive. Most of Latham's own letters were typed and tha series therefore contains copies of hundreds of his own letters, as well as the letters that he received. Among the people with whom he maintained a long or extensive correspondence were H.W. Allen, Sir Thomas Bavin, Lord Casey, Sir Owen Dixon, J.G. Duncan-Hughes, Thomas P. Dunhill, Sir Frederic Eggleston, Sir Robert Garran, Sir Henry Gullett, B.A. Levinson, J.A. Lyons, Sir Robert Menzies, Walter Murdoch, Sir George Pearce, Sir Arthur Robinson, Sir Percy Spender, and H. A. Standish. 15. BOOBOOKS The Boobooks were a group of Melbourne academics and professional men who dined and argued together every month or so. The first meeting was in November 1902 when B.A. Levinson and F.W. Eggleston called together fiftean friends at the Old Mitre Tavern to hear Bemard O'Dowd give a paper on 'Democracy and the Poet.' Latham, the first secretary, was for a time Arch-Boobook, and was still a member at the time of his death. This small series includes a paper read by Latham in June 1903 on the philosophy of Goethe's Faust, some Boobook verse, including 'The masque of the Boobooks' (1912, 1958), minutes and notices of meetings, dinner menus, and correspondence with the secretaries H.W. Allen and G.L. Wood. There are many references to the Boobooks in Series 1 and other series. 41. ATTORNEY-GENERAL, 1925-1929 In this series are miscellaneous papers which Latham wrote or acquired as a Minister or specifically as Attorney-General. Thev include notes on subjects to go to Cabinet (1927). notes on a draft arbitration treaty submitted by tho United States (7 December 1928), a draft of the 1929 Seat of Government (Administration) Bill, papers on the Navigation Act, rough notes on the advice to be given to the Governor-General on the dissolution of Parliament (11 September 1929), letters from Sir Robert Garran (January 1927) and from Latham to S.M. Bruce (July 1927) on general political matters, and correspondence on migration, the taxation of bodies outside Australia, the position of Broome, the dispute over the Spotwood-Altona highway, and communist activities in Australia. There are large files of papers on the following subjects: (i) duties on electrical machinery. The file includes minutes of the Tariff Board on turbo-alternatives (18 May 1928) and many letters from G.L. Chivers, the Melbourne representative of the British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers' Association (11 January 1927-25 June 1929). (Items 251-339) (ii) sub-letting of leases in Canberra, including many letters from Senator H.E. Elliott (17 May 1927-22 September 1928). (Items 340-450) (iii) Abrahams brothers tax evasion case. In the file are copies of memoranda from Latham to the Commissioner of Taxation and the Treasurer; the opinions of Sir Edward Mitchell, Owen Dixon and other counsel on the offer submitted to the Crown Solicitor by A.E. and L. Abrahams; letters from Mitchell and Dixon (August 1927-September 1928): and a copy of S.M. Lyons. Telling the world a/l about the Abrahams millionaires (1928). (Items 465-501) (iv) amusements tax. There are leaflets and correspondence about the tax imposed in 1929, including many letters from J. Fuller of Fuller Theatres Ltd, and from theatrical employees, and press cuttings (July-September 1929). (ltems 502-640) 62. CHIEF JUSTICE, 1935-1952: Latham was appointed Chief Justice of the High Court on 11 October 1935, succeeding Sir Frank Gavan Duffy. He retired in April 1952. In 1940-41 he was on leave from the Court as Minister to Japan. Items 1-836 consist of lotters. They date from 1935 to 1952, but there is almost no corres- pondence for the years 1941-46. Many of the letters wora written by L atham's fellow-justices Sir George Rich, Sir Hayden Starko, Sir Owen Dixon, H.V. Evatt, Sir Edward McTiernan Sir William Webb and Dudley Williams, and the Splicitors-General, Sir George Knowles and K.H. Bailey. Many of the letters are concerned with arranging sittings and finalising judg- ments; only a few deal with the substance of the judgments. Many of the letters of Starke and Evatt reflect the disharmony in the Court Apart from administrative matters, the letters deal with appointments to the International Court of Justice, Nassoor's Case (1937), the 1940 Judiciary Bill, Evatt's resignation from the Court in 1940, Latham's move to Japan, Webb's work on the International War Crimes Tribunal at Tokyo, the proposal for a Federal Bill of Rights (1949), the Communist Party Dissolution Case, and the revision of the High Court rules (1951-52). There are several letters from people who believed they were victims of injustice, and also letters congratulating Latham on his retirement in 1952. Other papers include a list of constitutional and national security cases decided since the outbreak of the War, the report of the Royal Commission on the Communist Party in Victoria, notes for discussion on the Banking Case (21 May 1948), miscellaneous notes and Bills, notes on cases and legal subjects (items 888-926), notes on the Communist Party Dissolution Case (items 927-996), an index to cases, papers on the farewell to Latham (7 April 1952), the report of the Royal Commission on the Brisbane Line, and press cuttings.

Sir John Latham was Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia from 11 October 1935 - April 1952.

Authorised photocopies of correspondence held by the Manuscript section of National Library of Australia.

Sir John Latham Chief Justice

4 volumes ; 30 cm.