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NSW trumpets ‘record’ number of female magistrates
Women now make up 47 per cent of magistrates in NSW, marking a 7 per cent increase from one decade ago, according to the state’s attorney-general.
Jerome Doraisamy
Source: nsw.liberal.org.au/Library/Members/State/Mark-Speakman
At this morning’s swearing-in ceremony of new magistrates Allison Hawkins and Jillian Kiely, Attorney-General Mark Speakman and Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said the appointment of the two women brought the total numbers on the bench of the Local, Children’s and Coroner’s Courts to 65 out of 139 magistrates across the state.
“While judicial officers are appointed solely on merit, I’m delighted to see a record number of talented senior female barristers and solicitors being elevated to the bench,” Mr Speakman said.
“Not only are we seeing an increase in women vying for top jobs, more than half of the state’s law graduates are female, which is helping to drive a huge shift in cultural change across the broader legal profession.”
The state government will move to continue to eliminate barriers, Mr Speakman continued, for “talented women joining the senior ranks” of the legal profession.
“The NSW government has implemented equitable briefing practices of barristers and promotes flexible working arrangements and other measures to help advance careers of women and reduce their attrition rates,” he said.
Ms Taylor added that when Chief Magistrate Judge Graeme Henson was appointed to his role in 2006, only 32 per cent of magistrates were female.
“I applaud Judge Henson for being a champion of equality in law and encouraging more women to apply for judicial roles to reflect the growing numbers entering the legal ranks,” she said.
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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