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Sydney silk named as judge of appeal for NSW Supreme Court
Richard McHugh SC has joined the bench, having been appointed as a judge of appeal of the Supreme Court of NSW, replacing Justice Anthony Meagher.
Jerome Doraisamy
Richard McHugh SC, a founding member of Banco Chambers who became a silk in 2006, is the newest judge of appeal of the Supreme Court of NSW.
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He started his legal career as a summer clerk at Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst) in Sydney, Attorney-General Michael Daley outlined in a statement, before becoming an associate to High Court Justice Mary Gaudron and then a barrister in 1995.
He also completed a master of laws at Yale Law School in 1997 and then worked as an attorney at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom in New York.
He has, the A-G went on, conducted many high-profile cases at first instance and on appeal, across a broad range of areas in courts around the country and in international arbitrations, and has argued appeals in the High Court on questions as diverse as company law, defamation, financial services regulation, and workers’ compensation.
McHugh’s father, Michael McHugh AC KC, was a judge of appeal from 1984 to 1989 and a justice of the High Court from 1989 to 2005.
His mother, Jeannette McHugh, was the first woman from NSW elected to the Federal Parliament, and she served as a minister between 1992 and 1996.
His brother, Michael McHugh SC, is a judge of the state’s District Court.
McHugh will replace Justice Anthony Meagher and will be sworn in on 20 August.
A-G Daley said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Richard McHugh SC to the Court of Appeal. Mr McHugh is a highly regarded barrister and a true generalist. He brings to the court three decades of experience across many areas of the law.
“I have no doubt that he will contribute significantly to the court’s work. I also thank Justice Anthony Meagher for his important work over the past 13 years, sitting on more than 1000 cases and delivering judgments [that] have informed our interpretation of the law.
“I congratulate Mr McHugh on his appointment.”
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
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