His long judicial career spanned the NSW Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, culminated in a 1972 appointment to the High Court, where he later served as Chief Justice from 1987 to 1995.

Sir Anthony Mason, Australia’s ninth Chief Justice of the High Court, died at age 100 just days before his 101st birthday, marking the loss of a towering figure in Australian law.

Beyond Australia, Mason led as president of the Solomon Islands Court of Appeal and served as an ad hoc judge on Fiji’s Supreme Court, while also chairing the National Library of Australia Council and serving as chancellor of the University of New South Wales.

In 1992, he joined the High Court majority that recognized a constitutional freedom of political communication, a cornerstone of free speech and a check on Parliament.

He is survived by his two sons, along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The same year, the High Court delivered the Mabo decision, overturning terra nullius and recognizing Indigenous land rights.

It later emerged that he advised Governor-General Sir John Kerr on the constitutional power to dismiss Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975, a role that sparked controversy.

Mason’s tenure on the High Court lasted 23 years, during which he led the court as Chief Justice from 1987 until his retirement in 1995 at the mandatory retirement age.

Tributes from NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell lauded his intellect, clarity of legal reasoning, and willingness to engage on law, politics, sport, and world affairs, and a ceremonial High Court sitting was planned to honor his contributions.

Mason’s honors included multiple honorary degrees, including a rare Doctor of Civil Law from Oxford University in 1994.

Throughout his career, he presided over landmark cases, notably the Mabo native title decision that reshaped Australian property law.

After leaving the High Court, he spent about two decades on Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal, typically serving part of each year.