State's District Court adds judges Robert Hollo, Peter Krisenthal
Joining the Northern Territory’s Local Court and Federal Circuit Court of Australia, which have switched the magistrate title to judge, the New South Wales government has introduced legislation permitting the recognition of Local Court magistrates as judges.
“This important change is not just about a name,” said Michael Daley, state attorney general, in a media release from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. “It’s about ensuring the skill and contributions of judicial officers in the Local Court are properly recognised.”
According to the state department, the legislation will amend the following NSW laws:
The NSW department said the amendments aim to reflect the nature, volume, and importance of the Local Court’s work.
“The Local Court is Australia’s busiest jurisdiction,” Daley said. “It makes more than 90 percent of all judicial decisions in NSW and the nature of its work is becoming increasingly complex.”
The media release noted that NSW has required magistrates to hold legal qualifications since 1955. According to the state department, in 2024, the Local Court saw over 388,000 new criminal matters, up 34 percent since 2014, and over 67,800 new civil matters, up 31 percent since 2022.
The NSW department also announced the appointment of Robert Hollo and Peter Krisenthal – two barristers with decades of public service and legal experience – as judges of the New South Wales District Court.
Hollo’s appointment will run from 7 October 2025, while Krisenthal’s will begin on 13 October 2025.
“Mr Hollo and Mr Krisenthal have made an outstanding contribution to the law and to the administration of justice in New South Wales,” Daley said in a media release. “Their appointments will strengthen the Court’s capacity to deliver timely and fair justice to the people of this state.”
The state department’s media release provided information on the new appointees’ professional backgrounds.
Hollo became a barrister in 1995 and senior counsel in 2011. His practice has covered complex regulatory and corporate disputes, as well as commercial, banking, consumer, and insurance law. He chaired the NSW bar’s education committee and sat on the Legal Services Council’s admissions committee.
Krisenthal was a psychiatric nurse and probation and parole officer before earning his legal qualifications in 1997. He worked with Legal Aid NSW for many years and became a barrister in 2009. Since becoming a public defender in Newcastle in 2014, he has conducted complex criminal jury trials and appeals.
“They are highly respected for their skill, integrity and service,” Daley said. “I congratulate them on their appointments and wish them well in this next chapter of their careers.”
