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During his Opening of Law Term address at the Great Synagogue, the Chief Justice of New South Wales underlined the importance of Sydney’s Jewish Community to the state’s fabric and pointed to the importance of social cohesion after 14 December.

The Honourable Andrew Bell AC, Chief Justice of New South Wales, started his Opening of Law Term address at Sydney’s historic Great Synagogue, held there for the 70th year, by referring to the “wonderful sense of community and pride of the congregation” which has been a “vibrant and vital” community in Sydney for more than 200 years”. “Long remain the case,” Bell added.

But the occasion of the anniversary came after the tragic events of 14 December that profoundly disturbed Sydney’s Jewish community. “I record my deepest and heartfelt condolences to all affected, directly and indirectly, by the act of unvarnished hatred and evil perpetrated on what was intended to be a joyous and peaceful occasion on an otherwise beautiful Sydney summer evening,” said Bell. “The trauma is no doubt ongoing but the resilience of the Jewish community is remarkable and much to be admired.”

Justice Bell also emphasised the importance of striving for mutual respect as an essential part of the Australian experience. “The fabric of our society in New South Wales and Australia more generally is woven with many different and diverse cultural, religious and ethnic strands,” Bell continued. “Such diversity is a fact and strength of our community here in New South Wales, and the Jewish community is and has always been a very, very strong strand in that fabric.”

In his speech, Justice Bell also criticised the role of algorithm-driven social media for creating echo chambers where hatred is nurtured without a space for respectful, nuanced conversation, as well as calling out some of our leaders for promoting divisive misinformation.

To achieve social cohesion, which Bell labelled as “the urgent imperative that we must all strive to foster and rebuild,” he said it’s essential to promote meaningful and harmonious social interactions. “[M]utual respect can only be built on knowledge, openness of mind and generosity of spirit,” Bell said, pointing out the role of lawyers in social cohesion.

“Lawyers can and should work towards its achievement in our immediate community and beyond.”