Finemore, John

Description

Agent TypePersonActivities & OccupationsLawyersGenderMaleHistoryJohn Finemore was born on 19 March 1924 in Melbourne. He attended St Patrick’s College in East Melbourne and the University of Melbourne where, in 1940, he began his studies towards the bachelor’s degree in law. In 1940, at the age of 17, he also joined the Crown Law Department in Melbourne in whose service he was to remain for 44 years.
In 1942 John Finemore volunteered for military service in the Australian Special Wireless Group, with whom he served as a signalman. He was demobilised in 1946 and returned to Crown Law and to the University to complete his part-time LLB studies. By 1955, he had risen to the rank of Second Assistant Parliamentary Draftsman. Thus began John Finemore’s daily acquaintance with the constitutions of the Commonwealth and of the State of Victoria, both of which Victorian drafters had to be aware.
In 1965, he was elevated to be First Assistant Parliamentary Draftsman of Victoria. Upon the unexpected death of the head of the office later that year, he was appointed by the Bolte government to be Chief Parliamentary Counsel of Victoria. The honours appropriate to that office duly followed. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1970. In 1974, he received a civic distinction by his appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
In 1980, Finemore joined the Faculty of Law in the University of Melbourne and he served on that body until 1987. In 1984, he stood down from his post as chief legislative drafter, commencing service in the following year as Chief Executive Officer of the Council of the Australian Constitutional Convention. This was a body set up to review the Constitution and to propose and facilitate any amendments deemed necessary and desirable. Finemore’s hand was evident throughout the papers of the Convention. As CEO he was the Convention’s main spokesperson and contact. He corresponded with Committee members, delegates and members of the public, oversaw the compilation of reference material and encouraged research.
Following his retirement as Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Finemore continued his public activities as a member of the Victorian Law Foundation and as a director of several companies. In 1985 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. The following year his wife, Margaret Finemore, died. With her, he had three sons and five daughters. He himself died in 1996 at the age of 72 years.
Source: Kirby, Michael --- "The Never-Ending Challenge of Drafting and Interpreting Statutes - A Meditation on the Career of John Finemore QC" [2012] MelbULawRw 4; (2012) 36(1) Melbourne University Law Review 140. http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/MelbULawRw/2012/4.html#Heading4 Accessed 11/12/2018Search records of this agent

Dates

Date1924-1996

Names

Given NameJohnFamily NameFinemore

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Finemore, John