Sir William Edward Stanley Forster (15 June 1921 – 31 January 1997) was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory holding that position from 1979 to 1985.
After Cyclone Tracy had destroyed Darwin in 1974, Justice Forster ensured the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory was fully functional by March 1975.
Chief Justice Forster was a Member of the Aboriginal Theatre Foundation from 1972 to 1975, and President of the Northern Territory Division of the Australian Red Cross from 1973 to 1985.
Indeed, all appointments to the Supreme Court from 1991 (other than that of Chief Justice Brian Ross Martin in 2004) have been from the local profession.
In 1976, Chief Justice Forster was responsible for the introduction of the 'Anunga Rules' which, established guidelines for the interrogation of Aboriginal and non-English-speaking persons by Northern Territory Police to ensure that admissions were voluntarily obtained.