John Gallagher (barrister)
John Gallagher KC | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Barrister |
| Years active | 1964–2008 |
| Known for | Member of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Board (1999–2008) |
John Gallagher KC is an Australian barrister who was a member of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Board between 1999 and 2008. At the time of his appointment to the ABC, he had accumulated 35 years of experience at the Queensland Bar, including 17 years as a Queen's Counsel.
Prior to his role on the ABC Board, Gallagher's career highlights included:
- Admission to the Queensland Bar in 1964;
- Authoring the 1990 Australian Supplement of Licensing Laws featured in Halsbury's Laws of England;
- Serving as a director at Mackay Television Limited (currently integrated into the Seven Network) from 1971 until 1987;
- Holding directorships in hotel enterprises across Queensland and New South Wales from 1960 through 1996.
Gallagher’s legal practice spanned areas such as environmental law, town planning, heritage protection, licensing regulations, broadcasting tribunal matters, valuation issues, and commercial law. He also delivered presentations at International Bar Association conferences held throughout America, Europe, and Asia.
His initial appointment to the ABC board commenced in December 1999 for a five-year period. He was subsequently reappointed in February 2005 for an additional three years and fulfilled the role of deputy chairman until February 2008. Notably, during his service on the board, it made the contentious decision to withhold publication of Jonestown: The Power and the Myth of Alan Jones, a biography about Sydney radio personality Alan Jones authored by ABC journalist Chris Masters.