This is among the largest cohorts of judicial officers appointed in the state's history
Eleven full-time magistrates will be joining the Local Court of NSW next year, according to NSW attorney general Michael Daley.
According to the NSW government’s news release, this is one of the largest appointments of judicial officers in the state’s history.
“The Local Court is the backbone of the NSW justice system, with magistrates responsible for more than 90 per cent of judicial decisions in the state, including increasingly complex cases,” Daley said in the news release. The new additions are expected to boost the court’s capacity, as per the news release.
Once the appointments take effect, there will be a total of 159 magistrates, including 26 in the Children’s and Coroner’s Court. Of the 11 newly appointed full-time magistrates, five will be serving in new posts, while six will fill positions vacated by magistrates who have either retired, converted to part-time work, or received appointments to other jurisdictions.
The new appointees will bring various areas of experience to the court. They include police prosecutors and barristers working with the state’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutors and senior solicitors practising in the public and private sectors locally or internationally.
“These individuals bring a wide range of legal expertise and will be invaluable to the Court and everyone who interacts with it,” Daley said in the NSW government’s news release. “I congratulate each appointee on this well-deserved achievement.”
The new magistrates will be sworn in and will start serving in their roles in early 2025. Initially, as a part of their training, they will take posts at various areas of the state, including posts in regional circuits. Eventually, they will fill a post at a more permanent location.
