Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to pay tribute to the late Richard Ross Sinclair Tracey AM, RFD, QC, who died last Friday. Richard was a leading lawyer and jurist in this country and, at the time of his premature death last week, the presiding officer of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. I first met Richard many decades ago when I was a student at Newman College. He was there a few years ahead of me and was President of the Students Club. Richard joined the Australian Defence Force in 1975 and retired in the position of major general. He was the Judge Advocate General for the Australian Defence Force from 2007 to 2014 and he was appointed as a Federal Court judge in 2006, a position he served in for some 12 years. Richard was also President of the Australian Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal from 2009 to 2018. At the time of his premature death last Friday, Richard had just completed the interim report on the royal commission into aged care, which is yet to be released. He was a very capable lawyer and a great Australian. I pay tribute to him and I extend my condolences to his wife, Hilary, and to his family and friends.