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New judge appointed to Victoria Supreme Court, 2 promoted at OPP
A new judge has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Victoria, who was formerly the state’s chief prosecutor, leading to two new promotions within the Office of Public Prosecutions.
Lauren Croft
After becoming the first woman in Victoria to become the director of public prosecutions (DPP), Kerri Judd KC has left her position and been appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Brendan Kissane KC has been appointed as the new DPP, with Diana Piekusis KC appointed as chief crown prosecutor (CCP).
Judd’s appointment as a judge comes after the retirement of Elizabeth Hollingworth after more than 20 years on the bench. Judd has been the DPP since 2018, after briefly serving as acting CPP and senior crown prosecutor, and led and advised on several high-profile cases as well as introduced significant reforms focused on improving internal procedures for decision-making and victim support.
Prior to his new role, Kissane was appointed as CPP in 2018, having acted as DPP during his tenure. Kissane was also a senior crown prosecutor from 2015 and was a crown prosecutor from 2007. He was also the first crown prosecutor assigned to Geelong, where he oversaw the first two years of operations of the local OPP from 2009 to 2011.
Piekusis has worked as a crown prosecutor since 2009 and was appointed senior crown prosecutor in 2019, and previously acted as the DPP and CCP.
Victoria Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said each appointment was well-deserved.
“Kerri Judd KC has proudly served the Victorian community as the director of public prosecutions, and I congratulate her on her appointment to the Supreme Court of Victoria,” she said.
“With a long and distinguished career in the Victorian legal sector, Brendan Kissane KC will bring exceptional experience to his role as Victoria’s new director of public prosecutions. As Victoria’s new chief crown prosecutor, Diana Piekusis KC will bring a demonstrated commitment to justice and fairness to her new role.”
Lauren Croft
Lauren is a journalist at Lawyers Weekly and graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism from Macleay College. Prior to joining Lawyers Weekly, she worked as a trade journalist for media and travel industry publications and Travel Weekly. Originally born in England, Lauren enjoys trying new bars and restaurants, attending music festivals and travelling. She is also a keen snowboarder and pre-pandemic, spent a season living in a French ski resort.
