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Obituaries
John Francis Ley (OW1955)
19/12/1938 - 19/09/2021
John Ley, lawyer, policy consultant and advisor, was an extraordinary man. He contributed much to the creation of a lasting Constitution for Papua New Guinea and assisted in its move to Independence, demonstrating and strengthening the ties between Australia and the Pacific. He sadly passed away after a long battle with illness that led to a lack of mobility.
Throughout this he remained extremely enthusiastic and his brilliant mind was always exploring interests in law, politics, climate change, sport, the arts and Indigenous affairs. He was particularly impressed by the Yiramalay Wesley Studio School.
John Ley (OW1955) at the 2019 OWCA Dinner in Canberra, surrounded by (L-R) Margaret Lewis,
then Principal Helen Drennen and then Curator of Collections, Kenneth Park
John was born in Melbourne, the son of Lionel (OW1927) (dec.), and entered Wesley in 1950, sharing adjacent desks with Lachlan Lewis (OW1955) one of his lifelong friends. John’s brother Robert (OW1964) followed. Their uncle was Norman Ley (OW1932) (dec.), Fellow of the OWCA, its former President and remarkably long serving Honorary Secretary of 25 years, so John was well versed in and enjoyed Wesley’s culture and what it offered him. Like many of his generation, the concepts of Methodism and social justice remained high on the agenda, along with friendship.
John matriculated in 1955 and went on to study Law at the University of Melbourne, attaining an LL.B. and being admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1961. Later, in 1970, he attained an LL.M. from the University of London, before travelling to Africa to meet with academics and political leaders to discuss aspects of the decolonisation process in Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda.
John’s thoughtful legal and caring mind enabled a lifetime of fascinating work. He worked for good and supported good causes. Following initial work in Melbourne firms, he moved to Papua New Guinea in the 1960s and experienced some remarkably remote travel in small planes across jungles on circuit work and in consultation with the people of New Guinea. In addition, he was public defence counsel in their Supreme Court cases. He was Deputy Public Solicitor in Rabaul and at times, acted as Public Solicitor in Port Moresby. He was later appointed Legal Counsel to the Speaker and Private Members of the Papua New Guinea House of Assembly and Legal Officer of the Constitutional Planning Committee which prepared recommendations for Papua New Guinea’s independence.
From 1976 to 1995, John worked as Principal Legal Officer and then as Senior Assistant Secretary in the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department in Canberra. He dealt with a range of areas of law and legal policy including legal aid, constitutional review, criminal law, administrative law, occupational health and safety law, environmental law, and air and road transport law. In the 1980s, he was also invited to assist in the review of Papua’s Constitution.
Even in retirement, John continued to work as a legal policy consultant and there was certainly no stopping his determination to remain in contact with people over a range of issues. Despite his illness, he really enjoyed attending the regular OWCA Dinners in Canberra.
Despite John’s immense achievements, experience and acute mind, he was an easy person to get to know. Friendships formed effortlessly as he simply cared about and had a profound interest in others, sharing his wisdom and experiences easily, but always listening and remembering with warmth and care; a great example to others.
John died at 82 years of age having made a real difference to people’s lives. He was a passionate family man. His beloved wife, Julie, sadly passed away in 2000, but they are survived by their loving children Karen, Fiona and Stephen and their three grandchildren.
