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County and supreme courts make ‘historic’ appointments
The supreme and county courts of Victoria have made two major appointments, including the first Deputy Chief Judge of the County Court in the state’s history.
Naomi Neilson
Victorian Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes announced the appointment of County Court Judge Andrea Tsalamandris as judge of the Supreme Court and her Honour Judge Meryl Sexton as Victoria’s first-ever Deputy Chief Judge of the County Court.
The office of the Deputy Chief Judge was established to bolster the work of the County Court by helping the Chief Judge manage the increased workload of the court. The changes provide the Chief Judge with the power to delegate duties to the Deputy Chief Judge and will allow the Deputy Chief Judge to act as Chief Judge when absent.
Ms Symes commented: “The appointment of Victoria’s first Deputy Chief Judge is a milestone for our justice system and will help drive down caseloads. I congratulate Judge Sexton and Justice Tsalamandris on their appointments.
“Justice Tsalamandris and Judge Sexton bring decades of experience to their roles, and I look forward to their ongoing contributions to Victoria’s justice system.”
Justice Tsalamandris has more than 20 years of legal experience, the past six of which as a serving judge in the County Court and, most recently, head of the common law division. Justice Tsalamandris began her career in 1994 as a solicitor at Holding Redlich and later worked her way up to making partner in 2002.
Justice Tsalamandris will become only the third solicitor ever appointed to the Supreme Court in Victoria’s history. She will fill the vacancy created by the recent appointment of Justice Cameron Macaulay as a judge to the Court of Appeal.
Chief Judge Peter Kidd commented: “I congratulate Judge Meryl Sexton on her appointment as the County Court’s very first Deputy Chief Judge.
“Throughout Judge Sexton’s judicial career, she has contributed tirelessly to the administration of the County Court through a variety of roles, including as head of the sex offences list and as acting chief judge.”
Naomi Neilson
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
You can email Naomi at:
