Media Release | 28 July 2010

Attorney-General, Delia Lawrie, today announced Ms Hilary Hannam as the Northern Territory’s new Chief Magistrate.

“Ms Hannam brings to the Territory a wealth of experience and knowledge with 26 years of legal experience,” Ms Lawrie said.

“Ms Hannam has been a Magistrate in New South Wales for ten years and has spent the past three years as a Children’s Magistrate, including in the New South Wales Youth Drug and Alcohol Court.”

“Ms Hannam has a deep understanding of the managerial and judicial requirements in the conduct of a successful magistrate’s court service, having acted as the President of the Children’s Court of New South Wales.

“She also holds the position of President of the New South Wales Magistrates Association.” 

Ms Hannam has a particular interest in Aboriginal justice issues and will take up the position on Monday 16 August 2010. 

BIOGRAPHY

Ms Hannam graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts in 1982 and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 1984. 

Ms Hannam was employed in Sydney as a solicitor with the major commercial law firm, Allen, Allen & Hemsley until 1985.  From1985 Ms Hannam was employed as a legal officer, senior legal officer and then principal legal officer with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (Commonwealth DPP).

Ms Hannam remained with the Commonwealth DPP until 1998, spending two years as a consultant with commercial law firm Ebsworth & Ebsworth until her appointment as a Magistrate in 2000.  Since her appointment in 2000, Ms Hannam has presided over courts in Wagga Wagga and Sydney. 

In 2002 Ms Hannam undertook research in the United States on therapeutic courts as part of a Churchill Fellowship, and has presented numerous papers on therapeutic justice and specialist courts.

Since 2008 Ms Hannam has been the President of the Magistrates Association of New South Wales.

Ms Hannam has been an active member of a number of professional committees, including as secretary of the Australian Association of Magistrates in 2006 and 2007. 

Ms Hannam is married to Dr Donald Hannam and has three children, Eliza, Georgina and Angus.

The Australian Government is pleased to announce the appointment of the Honourable Patrick Keane as Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia.

Justice Keane will begin his appointment on Monday 22 March 2010. His Honour will be the third Chief Justice appointed to the Federal Court since its inception, and the first from Queensland.

Justice Keane is currently a Judge of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Queensland, an office he has held with distinction since 2005. Prior to taking up judicial appointment, Justice Keane was Solicitor-General for Queensland. Between 1990 and 1992, Justice Keane was Deputy Chairman of the Queensland Law Reform Commission.  He practised at the Queensland Bar between 1978 and 2005, principally in commercial and constitutional matters. Justice Keane was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1988 and in 2003 was awarded the Centenary Medal.

Consistent with a commitment to a more transparent and merit-based judicial appointments process the Government has undertaken extensive consultation to ensure the selection of the best possible candidate.  The Government sought the views of a wide range of individuals and organisations, including State and Territory Attorneys-General, Chief Justices from across Australia, and the legal profession through the relevant professional associations.

The Government is grateful to all those who put forward nominations, which greatly assisted in the consideration of this appointment.

The Honourable Chief Justice Michael Black AC will retire on 21 March 2010, following 19 years of exemplary service to Australia as Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. 

The Government thanks the Chief Justice for the valued and enduring contribution he has made to Australia’s justice system.

Canberra

10 February 2010

Press Office (02) 6277 7744

Attorney-General’s Office (02) 6277 7300

Campbel Giles | 23 July 2009

Media Release

The Attorney-General, Delia Lawrie, today announced the appointment of Judith Kelly SC to the Northern Territory’s Supreme Court bench.

“Ms Kelly brings a wealth of commercial legal experience and a strong understanding of matters unique to the Territory to the bench,” Ms Lawrie said.

“With 23 years experience as a legal practitioner in the Territory, Ms Kelly will be a valuable asset to the Supreme Court.”

Ms Kelly has extensive experience in high-level commercial litigation and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2008.

“I want to congratulate Ms Kelly on her appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court. She will make a significant contribution to the Northern Territory’s judicial system,” Ms Lawrie said.

Ms Kelly’s appointment follows the retirement of Justice Sally Thomas from the Supreme Court bench.

“I would like to thank Justice Thomas for her valued contribution as both Chief Magistrate for six years and to the Supreme Court over the past 17 years,” Ms Lawrie said.

Biography

Judith Kelly came to the Territory in 1977 and worked as a secondary school teacher at Batchelor Area School from 1977 to 1982.

She completed her law degree in Brisbane in 1985 and was admitted to practise as a barrister in Queensland in February 1986 and as a legal practitioner in the Northern Territory on April 1, 1986.

She began work for the Darwin office of Morris Fletcher & Cross, (later Philip & Mitaros, now Clayton Utz) where she became a partner.

As a solicitor Judith Kelly had a commercial litigation practise with a focus on banking and insolvency, insurance, construction and admiralty law.

After joining William Forster Chambers in 1996 she retained a commercial focus practising mainly in the areas of contract, partnership, building, property, tax and insolvency matters as well as some professional negligence, insurance, native title, administrative law, maritime, probate and family provision matters.

She is married with one son. Judith Kelly has long-standing family connections to the Territory with her grandfather, Harold Snell, arriving in 1912 to build Commonwealth public servant’s houses at Myilly Point while her mother was born in the old Darwin hospital at Doctors Gully in 1923.