John Hailes Flood "Gaffer" Nagle (1913–2009) was a lawyer, soldier and prominent jurist, who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia, from 1960 until 1983.
[citation needed] Nagle entered the University of Sydney, residing at St John's College at age 15, completing an arts degree in 1932.
[1] Nagle enjoyed the respect of politicians on both sides, however, and was selected by the Willis Liberal Government to head a royal commission into the State's troubled prison system in 1976.
Two months later, with the Liberals out of office, newly-elected Labor Premier Neville Wran removed the two other members of the commission, leaving Nagle to preside alone.
Its 630 pages excoriated "an inefficient Department administering antiquated and disgraceful gaols; untrained and sometimes ignorant prison officers, resentful, intransigent and incapable of performing their tasks.
In his will he bequeathed a collection of Australian works to the Albury Regional Art Gallery, including paintings by his close friend Russell Drysdale.