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Prosecutor and former mayor set to join Local Court bench
One of the contributors to the NSW government’s community safety-focused criminal justice reforms, and a former mayor of an eastern suburbs council, will take their places as magistrates of the NSW Local Court next month.
Tony Zhang
Attorney General Mark Speakman said Sydney lawyers Bree Chisholm and Scott Nash will bring a combined 32 years of legal experience to the bench as well as an impressive diversity of experience.
“Ms Chisholm comes to the bench after nine months as Director of Proceedings and Legal Services at the Health Care Complaints Commission. Before that, she spent more than 16 years practising criminal law predominantly in the Local and Children’s Courts.
“This included seven years managing a large team of prosecutors and staff at the Parramatta office of the DPP.”
Ms Chisholm spent nine months with the former Department of Justice, where she had played a key role in reforms that have been helping stabilise criminal case delays in the District Court.
Mr Speakman said Mr Nash will bring to the bench a notable record of service both to the law and to his local community.
“For more than a decade, Mr Nash combined these two passions by serving as a councillor on Randwick Council, twice serving as mayor, and running a successful practice at the criminal and civil bar from Martin Place Chambers,” Mr Speakman said.
“Mr Nash has extensive experience in a broad range of areas including criminal, environmental, planning, local government, administrative, compulsory acquisition, land valuation, property and commercial law. He has appeared across numerous jurisdictions, including the Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal.”
Since August 2010, he has been a lecturer and course leader in environmental planning and development law at the University of Technology Sydney.
Social distancing demands of the COVID-19 pandemic will necessarily delay a formal ceremony to welcome Ms Chisholm and Mr Nash to the Local Court. They will take their oaths in chambers before Chief Magistrate Judge Graeme Henson on Monday, 11 May.
