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KWM congratulates former partner Jayne Jagot on High Court appointment
Global law firm King & Wood Mallesons has welcomed the appointment of one of its former partners, Justice Jayne Jagot, to the nation’s highest court.
Jerome Doraisamy
The appointment of Jagot J to the High Court has been resoundingly welcomed by Australia’s legal profession. Her honour is set to become the 56th justice of the High Court, the seventh woman on the bench, and — with her appointment — a majority-female bench sitting, marking a win for female lawyers.
The firm has, it noted in a statement, watched her honour’s “incredible judicial journey” ever since with immense admiration and pride.
Speaking about the appointment, KWM global chief executive partner Sue Kench said that Jagot J’s fierce and brilliant intellect, combined with her compassion and modesty, “make her a fantastic addition” to the nation’s highest court.
“Justice Jagot is renowned for her prodigious work ethic — unrivalled among even her most studious fellow graduates when she joined the firm in 1991,” Ms Kench noted.
“She was sorely missed when she left the firm for her first judicial appointment in 2002, but we were all happy to see her apply her prowess on the bench. She has a fantastic sense of humour, and I am thrilled to see her join the High Court.”
KWM chairman David Friedlander added that her honour has a remarkable ability to master any legal area, across the wide range of matters that come before her.
“Her ‘hard’ skills as a lawyer and judge are combined with incredible ‘soft’ skills that are invaluable in any courtroom, in particular the ability to listen to anyone appearing and to show them respect,” he submitted.
“Justice Jagot’s judgments are well-written, giving simple explanations for complex reasoning — a deeply important skill.”
Her honour will, Mr Friedlander continued, take to the bench her “trademark compassion”.
“This extends beyond her listening skills to her understanding of the value of compassion in the law,” he posited.
“Her reflection on the Mabo (No 2) case, as showing ‘how far a court can go to reflect contemporary ideas about what being human is and about what justice requires in response’, neatly highlights this.”
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. In June 2024, he also assumed the editorship of HR Leader. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
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