World News – UA – Federal Court justices elevated to High Court following revelation of new appointments

Federal Court Justices Simon Steward and Jacqueline Gleeson to accede to the High Court, replacing outgoing Justices Geoffrey Nettle and Virginia Bell

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney General Christian Porter announced the judicial appointments on Wednesday, ending months of speculation over potential candidates

Justices Gleeson and Steward are from Sydney and Melbourne respectively, retaining the rest of two High Court justices from the country’s largest states

Justice Gleeson, who was appointed to the Federal Court in April 2014, is the daughter of former High Court Chief Justice Murray Gleeson and has extensive experience in commercial law as a former lawyer and attorney She was also General Counsel for the Australian Broadcasting Authority, now the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and later as Senior Executive Counsel for the Australian Government Solicitor

Justice Steward, who was appointed to the Federal Court in February 2018, is an expert in tax law and was one of the pioneers of the pool of candidates in Victoria He was also considered one of the favorites of legal conservatives taking a black letter approach to the law. M Porter said Judge Steward would begin Dec. 1 to replace Judge Nettle His appointment « continues what has been a remarkable, stellar, in fact, career for one of Australia’s foremost jurists, » said Mr. Carry

He said Judge Gleeson would begin on March 1 and that the diversity of her « expertise in a number of civil jurisdictions in public and private practice has served the Federal Court incredibly well and will no doubt be a major asset. for the High Court « 

« It’s not really possible to name Judge Jacqueline Gleeson without noting that she is Murray Gleeson’s eldest daughter; it puts her in a rather unique position, » said M Porter « I am told this is a first in common law countries »

New appointments preserve gender balance in three-woman, four-man tribunal Judge Gleeson becomes sixth woman to serve on the High Court

Judge Nettle, a former Victoria Court of Appeal judge, was appointed a High Court judge in February 2015 by the Abbott coalition government and reached the judicial retirement age of 70 in December

In February 2009, Gillard’s Labor government appointed Justice Bell, an experienced criminal lawyer, to the High Court from the ranks of the NSW Court of Appeal Judge Bell became the country’s fourth female judge and third on the bench at the time.She didn’t reach mandatory retirement age until March

The new appointments do not fill the lack of expertise in criminal law that will accompany the departure of Judge Bell

The court has two judges from Queensland, Chief Justice Susan Kiefel and Judge Patrick Keane, two New South Wales-based judges, Judge Bell and Judge Stephen Gageler, and two from Victoria, Judge Nettle and Judge Michelle Gordon Judge James Edelman, the court’s youngest recruit, is theoretically from Western Australia although he resides in Queensland

Chief Justice Kiefel is the first woman to serve as Chief Justice and is the longest serving member of the tribunal

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Jacqueline Gleeson, High Court of Australia, Supreme Court, Murray Gleeson, Prime Minister