Editing Duncan Kerr (section)

===Law===

Kerr is the author of ''Annotated Constitution of Papua New Guinea'' (1985), ''Essays on the Constitution'' (1985), ''Reinventing Socialism'' (1992) and ''Elect the Ambassador; Building Democracy in a Globalised World'' (2001).

Kerr was leading counsel in the [[High Court of Australia]] case ''[[Plaintiff S157 v The Commonwealth]]'', which concerned a [[privative clause]] in the ''[[Migration Act 1958]]'' (Cth) and the availability of [[judicial review]] under [[section 75 of the Constitution of Australia]]. In 2010, [[Michael Kirby (judge)|Michael Kirby]] described the decision as "one of the most important in recent years for its affirmation of the centrality in [Australian] constitutional law of the [[rule of law]]."<ref>{{cite speech
|first=Michael|last=Kirby|author-link=Michael Kirby (judge)
|title=Formal opening of Michael Kirby Chambers
|url=http://www.michaelkirbychambers.com/opening-of-chambers/
|date=3 February 2010}}
Quoted in {{cite speech
|title=Ceremonial Sitting of the Tribunal for the Swearing In and Welcome of the Honourable Justice Kerr
|date=16 May 2012
|url=http://www.aat.gov.au/about-the-aat/engagement/speeches-and-papers/the-honourable-justice-duncan-kerr-chev-lh-presid/ceremonial-sitting-of-the-tribunal-for-the-swearin
|first=Mark|last=Dreyfus|author-link=Mark Dreyfus}}</ref>

Kerr was appointed a [[senior counsel]] in 2004, and as adjunct professor of law, Faculty of Law, [[Queensland University of Technology]] in 2007. Kerr has acted as counsel in the [[High Court of Australia]], the [[Federal Court of Australia]], the [[Family Court of Australia]], the [[Supreme Court of Tasmania]], the [[District Court of New South Wales]], the [[Supreme Court of New South Wales]], and the [[Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea]].

In 2010, Kerr became a founding member of Michael Kirby Chambers in Hobart where he practised as a barrister specialising in public, constitutional, administrative, refugee and human rights law, and appellate work.

On 12 April 2012, he was appointed to the [[Federal Court of Australia]], taking his seat on the bench on 10 May 2012. In 2015, with the consent of the Australian Government, he was appointed by [[Papua New Guinea]] as its nominee as an arbitrator in a proceeding in the [[International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes]] (ICSID). Concurrently with his judicial duties, from 2012 to 2017 he served as President of the [[Administrative Appeals Tribunal]].  He was Chair of the Council of Australasian Tribunals (COAT) from 2014 to 2017. He is one of six former federal politicians to have served on the Federal Court, along with [[Robert Ellicott]], [[Nigel Bowen]], [[Tony Whitlam]], [[Merv Everett]] and [[John Reeves (judge)|John Reeves]].

Kerr ceased to serve as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia on 25 February 2022 upon reaching the statutory retirement age.

He chairs the National Appeals and Review Panel for Australian Catholic Safeguarding Ltd.

In 2023–2024 he undertook a 20 Year Review of the Office of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force.