Here at RiotACT we like Justice Nield. He produces judgments which are both internally consistent, a joy to read, and have a sense of justice as well as legality.
So it’s nice to see Attorney-General Simon Corbell announce he will be returning to the ACT Supreme Court while Justice Refshauge catches up on his homework.
Attorney-General, Simon Corbell, has today announced Mr John Nield has been appointed as an Acting Judge of the ACT Supreme Court to hear cases while Justice Refshauge spends time delivering judgements on outstanding cases.
“The addition of Judge Nield will permit Justice Refshauge to take time out of court to complete reserve judgements, and ensure that hearings and other court matters are not unnecessarily delayed,” Mr Corbell said.
“There has recently been significant reduction in the backlog of cases in the Supreme Court following the successful ‘blitz’ on outstanding cases, however, it is essential that this decision, to allow Justice Refshauge time to complete outstanding judgements does not create further backlog in the Supreme Court.”
Mr Nield has served as a New South Wales District Court Judge since 1988 and retired from that position in 2009.
Mr Nield has previously sat as an Acting Judge of the ACT Supreme Court in 2010 and more recently during the court blitz in 2012.
“I welcome Mr Nield back to the ACT Supreme Court and am confident he will be able to provide an immediate contribution to the ongoing operations of the Court,” Mr Corbell said.
Mr Nield will commence on Monday 11 February 2013 and will hold the Acting Judge position for a period of six months.
We remain hopeful Justice Neild will be called upon to school the court so that in future it can follow in his footsteps.