Venerable wig is given another day in court
[ UniNews Vol. 13, No. 3
8 - 22 March 2004 ]
A borrowed courtroom wig and a citizenship and constitutional law case recently gave University of Melbourne academic, Associate Professor Kim Rubenstein (Law), an opportunity to remember her late great aunt and Victorias first woman QC Joan Rosanove.
The wig originally belonged to Joan Rosanove QC, who wore it during a long and notable career from 1919 when at 21 she was admitted to the Victorian Supreme Court to her retirement from legal practice in 1969.
The citizenship and constitutional law case required Associate Professor Rubenstein to appear in the High Court with the Solicitor General of Australia on behalf of the Commonwealth in a case involving the Australian Citizenship Act and the Australian Constitution.
The case concerned the constitutional validity of the current requirement that a person born in Australia have an Australian citizen parent or permanent resident parent in order to get citizenship by birth.
Associate Professor Rubenstein says that wearing her great aunts wig in the High Court added a special extra meaning to the occasion for her. Its a treasured family memento which is held by Joans grandson John Larkins QC, she said.
My 90-year old grandmother, Bobbie Joseph Joan Rosanoves younger sister often speaks about her older sister. I remember my grandmother telling me how it almost frightened her to death when she saw Joan and her father Mark Lazarus (my great grandfather and also a barrister) show each other no mercy in one of their only two court appearances against each other. It seems Joan otherwise avoided such courtroom collisions!
Its now some 30 years since Joan died and although I dont have specific memories of her I have a copy of Isabel Carters book, Woman in a Wig: Joan Rosanove, QC, which has a photo on the cover showing her wearing the wig.
Associate Professor Rubenstein says Joan Rosanove was a role model in her time for young women in the law and is remembered by the University in having the Law Schools prize for the top female law student named after her.
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