Three recently appointed Chief Justices are set to commence at the Supreme Courts of New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, all in the month of March. Victoria has a new Court of Appeal judge since February, and the High Court of Australia will also see a new appointment this year.

New South Wales

The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Andrew Bell, will replace the Honourable Chief Justice Tom Bathurst, upon his retirement. The Chief Judge in Equity, the Honourable Justice Julie Ward, will take over as President of the NSW Court of Appeal. A swearing-in ceremony for Chief Justice Bell will be held on 7 March 2022.

Queensland

The Honourable Justice Helen Bowskill, Senior Judge Administrator since August 2021, has been appointed as the next Chief Justice of the Queensland Supreme Court to replace the Honourable Chief Justice Catherine Holmes AC upon her retirement. The new Chief Justice will commence her role on 19 March 2022.

Australian Capital Territory

The Honourable Justice Lucy McCallum will commence as the sixth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in March 2022 upon the retirement of Chief Justice Murrell. Chief Justice McCallum will be sworn in on 8 March 2022.

Victoria

In Victoria, the Honourable Justice Cameron Macaulay was appointed to the Court of Appeal on 1 February 2022. Justice Macaulay joins the Court of Appeal after 12 years sitting as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria from 2010 to 2022.

Looking ahead - next High Court appointments?

The next appointment to the High Court is to be expected in the coming months as Justice Patrick Keane reaches the statutory retirement age in October 2022. This will be the last High Court appointment until 2024, when the retirement of Chief Justice Susan Kiefel will see a new appointment to the bench as well as appointment of a new Chief Justice.