He was born in Ireland and worked as a labourer, miner, trade unionist and newspaper editor before entering politics.

[3] He initially worked on the canefields of North Queensland and also spent time in New South Wales and Victoria, "probably as an itinerant bush worker".

[1] According to a 1910 profile in Punch, Givens also went to Western Australia to participate in the Kimberley gold rush, but "came back wiser and poorer".

[1] Givens was a Labour candidate at the 1893 general election, losing to the incumbent attorney-general Thomas Joseph Byrnes in the seat of Cairns.

He supported the expansion of invalid and old-age pensions and the introduction of maternity allowances for unwed mothers.

[1] Givens was elected president of the Senate on 9 July 1913, replacing his ALP colleague and fellow Queenslander Harry Turley.

[1] He and Pearce played a key role in convincing members of the ALP caucus to join Hughes.

[8] As president, Givens upheld the independence of parliament from the executive, ensuring the administration of parliamentary departments remained separate from the Commonwealth Public Service.

A number of his rulings established longstanding practices in the Senate, particularly around its treatment of taxation bills in accordance with section 53 of the constitution.