8 May 2014

Acting Judges appointed

| Canfan
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Attorney-General, Simon Corbell, today announced the appointment of acting judges Stephen Walmsley, Linda Ashford, Dennis Cowdroy and David Robinson, to the ACT Supreme Court.

“The appointments are for 12 months and the acting judges will assist the Supreme Court with its civil matters during this time,” Mr Corbell said.

“All four appointees have enjoyed highly distinguished legal careers and will bring to the judicial role a wealth of experience.”

Justice Walmsley served as a NSW District Court judge from 2001 to 2013. He was appointed as Senior Counsel (NSW) and Queen’s Counsel (TAS) in 1998. He served as a deputy president of the Medical Tribunal of NSW from 2003 to 2013, and has previously served as acting justice of the Supreme Court of NSW.

Justice Ashford is a retired judge of the District Court of NSW. Justice Ashford has held several other judicial appointments including judge of the Compensation Court of NSW, acting judge Dust Diseases Tribunal, and commissioner of the Compensation Court of NSW.

Justice Cowdroy OAM QC retired as a Federal Court judge in March this year. He was previously a judge of the Supreme Court of the ACT. Justice Cowdroy was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1989 and became a justice of the Land and Environment Court of NSW from 1999 to 2006.

Justice Robinson was admitted as a barrister in 1978 and appointed as Senior Counsel in 2003. He has practised principally in crime and common law. This practice has expanded into commercial, equity, trade practices, corporations and employment law. He has appeared before the High Court, NSW Supreme Court and NSW Court of Appeal and two royal commissions.

“I am pleased to appoint these four prominent figures to this important role in the Supreme Court.”

(Simon Corbell media release)

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The legal fraternity have been calling for the appointment of two additional judges to handle the workload for quite some time now which had been denied by AG Corbell for reasons best known to him. Yet during this time he has contracted a number of recently retired judges to try and clear the unacceptable backlog of cases, some of which dated back 5 years or more.

Now he has appointed 4 acting judges to deal with the workload which begs the question why didn’t he appoint an additional two permanent judges when it was plainly obvious that that is what this territory needed years ago instead of his stonewalling?

Good, they will need a new judge to hear the Eastman compensation claim, which is surely the next step.

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