Four new judicial officers also appointed to NSW Local Court
The NSW government has appointed District Court Judge Ross Hudson as president of the Children’s Court of NSW and four experienced lawyers as Local Court magistrates.
Judge Hudson will begin his five-year term on 22 November, succeeding Judge Ellen Skinner, who served in the role for five years.
Hudson has served as a judicial officer for more than a decade. He joined the Local Court in 2015 and was appointed to the District Court in 2024.
During his judicial career, he has managed complex matters, including serious criminal trials, sentencing, and bail hearings. He also worked across metropolitan and regional courts, running the Taree circuit, which involved hearing children’s criminal matters and care and protection cases.
Before joining the bench, Hudson practised as a criminal law solicitor for 13 years, handling matters across the Supreme, District, Local, Coroner’s, and Children’s courts.
As Children’s Court president, he will oversee court administration, contribute to judicial education, engage with external stakeholders, and hear cases.
Attorney General Michael Daley welcomed the appointment and acknowledged Skinner’s service.
“He has more than a decade of judicial experience across the Local and District courts and is deeply familiar with the legal and social issues affecting children and young people,” Daley said in a statement.
The government also announced the appointments of Robert Hoyles, Liam Shaw, Elizabeth Parkes, and Alison Nowland to the Local Court. They will be sworn in next month, bringing the number of Local Court judges to 161.
Hoyles currently serves as executive director of Legal Aid’s criminal law division, supervising more than 350 criminal lawyers. His career includes criminal defence work at Legal Aid, at the Aboriginal Legal Service, and in private practice.
Shaw has worked as a Crown prosecutor for 20 years, appearing in more than 300 district court trials and 20 murder trials. His international experience includes prosecution work in Vanuatu and public defence work in East Timor.
Parkes is a Legal Aid solicitor-advocate and accredited criminal law specialist with experience in district court trials, sentencing, and complex hearings.
Nowland has 14 years’ experience across criminal and civil law, dispute resolution, equity, and probate. She previously managed a criminal law practice in Newcastle and the Hunter region.
Daley said the four appointees bring more than seven decades of combined experience to the Local Court, which he described as Australia’s busiest court.
