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Local Court appoints 11 new magistrates in ‘regeneration of the judicial talent’
Eleven new full-time magistrates are set to join the Local Court of NSW, which the Attorney-General has said is one of the largest appointments of judicial officers in the state’s history.
Lauren Croft
Eleven new magistrates will be sworn in and commence in the Local Court of NSW in early 2025, bringing legal expertise across a number of key areas – including experience working with the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutors (ODPP) to senior solicitors practising in the public and private sectors in Australia and overseas.
Five of the roles are new, and six of the individuals will move into positions vacated by magistrates appointed to other jurisdictions, retiring magistrates, or magistrates converting to part-time.
The magistrates will initially be posted in different parts of NSW as part of their training, including regional circuits, before presiding at a more permanent location. The appointments also bring the total number of magistrates to 159, including 26 magistrates in the children’s and coroners courts, according to NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley.
“The Local Court is the backbone of the NSW justice system, with magistrates responsible for more than 90 per cent of judicial decisions in the state, including increasingly complex cases,” he said.
“These individuals bring a wide range of legal expertise and will be invaluable to the court and everyone who interacts with it. I congratulate each appointee on this well-deserved achievement.”
The new magistrates are Elizabeth Bushby, Shaun Mortimer, Rosheehan O’Meagher, Bryan Robinson, Chris Brown, Razia Shafiq, Lisa Graham, Michael Blair, Jeff Tunks, Arthur Aguirre and Pilar Lopez.
Further, Law Society of NSW president Brett McGrath said the appointments will reinforce the legal skill and diversity on the Local Court bench.
“The Local Court of NSW is the engine room of the NSW justice system, dealing with more than 90 per cent of criminal matters and around 60,000 civil matters each year,” he said.
“The appointment of these magistrates represents a regeneration of the judicial talent of the Local Court, and the expansion of the bench by five will help meet the ever-increasing demands on the court as our population continues to grow.”
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.
