Joseph Santamaria
Australian judge (1948–2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph Gerard Santamaria KC (14 July 1948 – 23 July 2026) was an Australian jurist and a judge of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in August 2013 and retired in July 2018.[1] He was a Senior Fellow in the Juris Doctor programme at the Melbourne Law School.
14 July 1948
Joseph Santamaria | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Victoria | |
| In office 20 August 2013 – 14 July 2018 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joseph Gerard Santamaria 14 July 1948 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 23 July 2026 (aged 78) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Education | University of Melbourne, University of Oxford |
| Occupation | Judge, lawyer, academic |
Education and career
Santamaria attended St Patrick's College, East Melbourne. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws with honours from the University of Melbourne. He later attended University College, Oxford, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Letters.[1]
He was admitted to legal practice in 1973. In 1977, he took up a full-time position as an academic at Melbourne Law School. In 1978, he was called to the Victorian Bar and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1994.[1] He practised primarily in commercial law and equity. In August 2013, he joined the Court of Appeal, where he remained until his retirement in July 2018. He was a Senior Fellow in the Juris Doctor programme at the Melbourne Law School.[2]
Together with Ian Renard, Santamaria was the co-author of Takeovers and Reconstructions in Australia.[3] Between 1978 and 1990, Santamaria was a reporter for the Commonwealth Law Reports.
Personal life and death
Santamaria was a son of Australian political activist B. A. Santamaria.[4] He died at home in Melbourne, on 23 July 2026, at the age of 78.[5]