Two of the State's finest receive honorary degrees

Mr Hieu Van Le.
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Chief Justice John Doyle AC.
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Monday, 15 December 2008

Two of South Australia's most distinguished citizens will be awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Adelaide tomorrow.

The Lieutenant Governor of South Australia, Mr Hieu Van Le, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, the Honourable John Doyle AC, will each be admitted to the degree of Doctor of the University (honoris causa) for their services to society.

Mr Le is the first person of Vietnamese background to be appointed to a vice-regal position anywhere in the world. The Lieutenant Governor and his wife Lan were among the first Vietnamese refugees to arrive in Darwin in 1977 in a small wooden boat.

The couple settled in Adelaide and within several years Mr Le had gained an economics and accounting degree from the University of Adelaide, following up with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2001.

As well as his vice-regal position Mr Le is the Chairman of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission - the first Australian of Asian background to hold the position - and a senior manager with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

He received a 1996 Australia Day Medal for outstanding service to ASIC and was awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal for service to the advancement of multiculturalism.

Chief Justice Doyle, who graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide in 1966, has been Chief Justice since 1995 following his nine years as the Solicitor-General of South Australia.

The Rhodes Scholar is one of Australia's most respected judges and was appointed a Queen's Counsel at just 36 years of age.

During his period on the bench Chief Justice Doyle has worked to improve the community's understanding of the legal system. He has also taken a keen interest in legal education, tutoring and lecturing in various law subjects at the University of Adelaide over a 10-year period.

Chief Justice Doyle's contribution to higher education continued when he served as Pro-Chancellor of Flinders University from 1988 to 2000.

Both men will receive their honorary doctorates on Tuesday 16 December in Bonython Hall in two separate ceremonies: Chief Justice Doyle (10am) and Mr Hieu Van Le (2.30pm).

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