Thomas (Tom) Eyre Forrest Hughes was born on 26 November 1923 in Sydney, the son of a lawyer, and was educated at St Ignatius College, Riverview. During World War II, he served with the Royal Australian Air Force as a Flight Lieutenant in Australia and the United Kingdom (1942-46). He then gained a law degree from the University of Sydney and was called to the NSW Bar in 1949. As a lawyer, Hughes specialised in the defence of newspaper proprietors against defamation suits. He became a Queen's Counsel (QC) in 1962.

In November 1963, Tom Hughes was elected to the House of Representatives as the Liberal Member for Parkes. He held this seat until October 1969, when he became Member for Berowra. In November 1971, he announced his intention of retiring from federal politics at the next election. He actually retired two months earlier, in October 1972.

During his Parliamentary career, Hughes was a member of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs (1964-69) and, in the Gorton Government, held portfolio as Attorney General (1969-71). In the latter capacity, he was also Chairman of the Commonwealth Practitioners Board (1970-71). He subsequently resumed his legal work and has been a Council member of the Australian National University (1972-75), President of the NSW Bar Association (1973-75) and Principal Member of the NSW Thoroughbred Racing Board Appeal Panel (1998-2003). 

Hughes was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) in 1988 and was a recipient of the Centenary Medal in 2003.
 
Sources:

Parliamentary Handbook 1965, p 126; 1971, pp 204-205; 1973, p 261
Who's Who in Australia 2004, p 1037