She takes the mantle next month
Louise Taylor has been appointed chief magistrate of the ACT Magistrates Court.
She takes the mantle next month, juggling the role with her commission as ACT Supreme Court resident judge.
“Justice Taylor has already demonstrated outstanding leadership and capability across both the Magistrates Court and Supreme Court jurisdictions. She returns to lead the Magistrates Court with additional perspective, experience and authority, by which the ACT community will be exceptionally well served,” attorney-general Tara Cheyne MLA said.
Taylor became a magistrate in 2018. She made history as the first Aboriginal woman in Australia to be appointed to a superior court.
She was once deputy CEO of the ACT Legal Aid Commission; moreover, she was took on senior advocate and practice manager positions in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. She prosecuted cases in the ACT and Commonwealth jurisdictions.
Taylor chaired the Women’s Legal Centre (ACT) board for 10 years. She was also on the ACT Domestic Violence Prevention Council, the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council for Women and the Law Council of Australia's Indigenous Legal Issues Committee.
In 2023, she joined the ACT Supreme Court as resident judge.
“I am delighted to accept the opportunity to serve as chief magistrate of the ACT Magistrates Court whilst retaining my commission as a judge of the ACT Supreme Court. The Magistrates Court is the people’s court, the place where many Canberrans experience the justice system”, Taylor said. “The chance to lead the diverse and increasingly complex work of the Magistrates Court is a great honour. This role is a return to a place where I spent much of my career. I take it on with deep respect for the hard-working court staff and magistrates who faithfully serve our great city in the administration of justice”.
Former ACT Bar Association president and acting justice Andrew Muller SC has joined the ACT Supreme Court bench as resident judge. He has practised for over 30 years in the ACT and is an expert in civil law.
He became an acting judge in April 2025 – according to Cheyne, he brought “a proven judicial record in his acting capacity”. He was appointed a senior counsel in October 2023 and was called to the bar in 2011.
“Both justice Taylor and acting justice Muller have spent their careers here, practising in our courts, serving our institutions, and building deep, practical knowledge and expertise of the ACT legal landscape. At an important time for our courts, these appointments bring experience, expertise and fresh leadership”, Cheyne said.
ACT Bar Council president Prue Bindon praised Taylor and Muller's "proven track records as judicial officers, advocates and esteemed members of the profession." In particular, the bar highlighted Muller's contributions to the ACT Supreme Court's work "during a period of significant under resourcing".
"Their appointments reflect the enduring confidence in their capacity to serve the ACT community with distinction", Bindon said.
The ACT government indicated that it would be open to expressions of interest for another ACT Supreme Court resident judge appointment.
