William Kaye (judge) (original) (raw)

William (Bill) Kaye AO QC (8 February 1919 – 12 May 2012) was an Australian lawyer and judge who served on the Supreme Court of Victoria from 1972 to 1990. Kaye was born in Melbourne to Chana (née Reizel) and Zelman Kaye. His parents were Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants originally from Berdiansk, and his father's original name was Shlomo Komesaroff. Kaye attended Scotch College before going on to study law the University of Melbourne. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in 1941, and during the war served on HMAS Warrego and Cowra. He married Henrietta Ellinson while on leave in 1943; they had four children together, including Justice Stephen Kaye.