Terence Rhoderick Hudson Cole, AO, RFD, QC (born 31 October 1937), is an Australian jurist, known best for presiding over two Royal Commissions. Cole was born in Longreach, Queensland, and was educated at Fort Street High School in Sydney and the University of Sydney. He was admitted to the bar in 1962, and appointed a QC in 1976. He was appointed to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1994, and served until 1998. From 1992 to 1998 he was Deputy Judge Advocate-General of the Australian Defence Force.
He was commissioner of the 2000-2003 Cole Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry and the 2005-2006 Cole Inquiry investigating allegations that AWB Limited paid illegal bribes to the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein in order to secure wheat sales to Iraq.
On 31 March 2008, Cole was appointed to head an inquiry into the loss of the cruiser HMAS Sydney in a mutually destructive battle during World War II.
Famous quotes containing the word cole:
““Orders to shoot on sight.” I thought he said the bloke was invisible!”
—Lester Cole (1904–1985)