When Justice Jacqueline Gleeson took her seat on the High Court this week, all eyes were on the new judge. The band had broken up and it was looking for a new member.

For the past 12 years, the justice she replaced – Virginia Bell – has been the heart of the court. With Chief Justice Susan Kiefel and Justice Patrick Keane, Bell was also part of one of the more influential voting blocs in the court’s history – now referred to as “KBK”.