The Macrossan Fraser Scholarship - The Honourable Hugh Fraser KC

This biography has been prepared by Marissa Chesher, one of Justice Fraser’s former associates.

The Macrossan family has a long history of service and dedication to the legal profession in Queensland. The first Justice Macrossan, Hugh Denis Macrossan (1881 – 1940) was a graduate of the University of Sydney. He spent three years as a teacher before going to the Bar, a practice he developed alongside his political aspirations. He became a Judge of the Supreme Court (1926) and then later the Chief Justice of Queensland (1940).

His younger brother, Neal William Macrossan (1889 – 1955) was one of Queensland’s first Rhodes Scholars and he subsequently graduated from the University of Oxford (Magdalen College). At the Bar, he developed a strong civil practice. He was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court in 1940, later becoming the Chief Justice of Queensland (1946). Neal Macrossan, with his father-in-law TC Beirne, was instrumental in setting up the Law School at the University of Queensland.

Hugh and Neal Macrossan’s brother was Vincent Macrossan, a solicitor who established the firm Macrossan & Co. His son, John Murtagh Macrossan (1930 – 2008) graduated from the University of Queensland and later with a Bachelor of Civil Law from Exeter College, Oxford. He became the third Justice Macrossan of the Supreme Court in 1980 and Chief Justice of Queensland (1989-98). During his time on the bench, John Macrossan delivered many significant judgments and oversaw the creation of the Queensland Court of Appeal.

Despite being a past associate of Justice Hugh Barron Fraser, I was not aware until recently of his family connections to the bench, and especially the three Justices Macrossan. Hugh Fraser is the grandson of Neal Macrossan. He graduated from the University of Queensland, was admitted as a barrister in 1979 while serving as Justice Dunn’s associate at the Supreme Court of Queensland.

He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1992. His practice at the Bar was an incredibly broad ranging commercial litigation practice, with particular expertise in mining and resources cases, which saw him briefed in pivotal cases establishing native title in Australia such as Mabo, Wik and Yarmirr.

Hugh Fraser is Queensland’s second longest serving Court of Appeal judge, serving from 2008 to 2022. He was also appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 1 to 24 July 2015. As a judge, Hugh Fraser was known for his intelligence, courtesy and well-reasoned judgments. I often saw him completely lose track of time while working on a new judgment. Ultimately, this diligence culminated in more than 1800 legal judgments over his 14 years on the Bench.

Personally, Hugh Fraser is known for his sense of humour and equal devotion to his family and friends. He always speaks of his wife Margie, his children and growing number of grandchildren with great love and pride. One of his great joys in retirement has been to spend more time with his family. Similarly, some of my fondest memories of working as his Honour’s associate were of seeing the genuine friendships he had with other members of the Court and the Bar. Certain judges were known to disappear for tea in Hugh’s chambers. Many of these friendships had been formed while at the Bar but managed to stand the test of time. It was a good reminder of the importance of finding balance and moments of joy in your legal practice.

While Hugh Fraser may not have had the Macrossan name, he shared significant characteristics with his grandfather and the other Justices Macrossan. In particular, their shared desire to give back to the legal community and commitment to public service. They all had long careers on the bench with additional extracurricular public service appointments. John and Neal Macrossan and Hugh Fraser all sat for significant periods on the Supreme Court Library Committee, Hugh Fraser as its chair from 2009 to 2017. John Macrossan and Hugh Fraser also both served on the Bar Association including as President.

Equally, they all had a passion for mentoring younger lawyers and law students. While Hugh Fraser may be disappointed that so few of his past associates have chosen to go to the Bar (although I’m sure he remains hopeful that a few more may change their minds yet), he is proud and actively supportive of all his past associates’ careers and was always keen to share his knowledge with them.

This made the year as his associate an absolute delight. Hugh Fraser has also made significant contributions to the legal development of countless barristers as Chair of the Bar Practice Course Management Committee, as the long term convenor of the ethics session in that course, and as a keen judge and mentor for universities’ mooting competitions. With the same commitment to mentoring and education, John Macrossan served as Deputy Chancellor and later Chancellor of Griffith University, becoming an honorary doctor of Griffith University in 2001. He was ultimately recognised for his contribution to law, education and the arts though his appointment as a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1993.

This family dedication to the public service, education and mentorship continues to live on through the Macrossan Lecture Series, which was recently re-commenced by the UQLA, and through the Justices Macrossan’s and Justice Fraser’s significant marks on the jurisprudence of Australia. It is only fitting that the Fraser-Macrossan legacy will also endure through this scholarship to encourage other young students to pursue a career in law.