It’s just been announced that Ms Hilary Penfold QC, currently head of the Department of Parliamentary Services, is off to the Supreme Court.
She made her name when, as head of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, she drafted what became known as the “Tampa Legislation”. She was unlikely to survive long as a departmental secretary under a Rudd Labor government, partly due to her background with the Libs’ Migration Litigation Review commission, and partly as she had crossed swords at DPS with some pretty influential Labor people.
If past expereince is anything to go by, she is likely to be pretty tough in sentencing while on the bench. She cleaned out the Parliamentary administration and did not endear herself to many around her by her ruthless and micro-managing approach.