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Judges who have served on the Federal Court of Australia as of May 2019[update],[1][2] are appointed in accordance with section 72 of the Constitution, which has, since the Court's inception in 1976, been for a term expiring at age 70.[3]
In addition to their judicial service, six judges of the Federal Court have also been elected to the Parliament of Australia: Nigel Bowen, Bob Ellicott, Merv Everett, Tony Whitlam, John Reeves and Duncan Kerr. All were elected prior to their appointment to the bench.[citation needed]
Additionally, two judges of the Federal Court have served in state Parliaments: Bernard Riley, formerly of the New South Wales Legislative Council, and Howard Olney, formerly of the Western Australian Legislative Council.[citation needed]
Position | Name | Appointment commenced |
Appointment ended |
Term | Comments | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chief Justice | Sir Nigel Bowen AC, KBE, QC | 20 December 1976 | 31 December 1990 | 14 years, 11 days | Chief Judge in Equity of the Supreme Court (NSW) | [4] |
Michael Black AC, KC | 1 January 1991 | 21 March 2010 | 19 years, 79 days | Barrister (Queen's Counsel for Victoria and Tasmania) | [5] | |
Patrick Keane AC, KC | 22 March 2010 | 28 February 2013 | 2 years, 343 days | Court of Appeal Judge in the Supreme Court (Qld) Appointed to the High Court |
[2][6][7] | |
James Allsop AC KC | 1 March 2013 | 6 April 2023 | 10 years, 36 days | Previously President of the Court of Appeal (NSW) previously served as Federal Court judge |
[2][8] | |
Debra Mortimer | 7 April 2023 | 1 year, 211 days | Judge of the Federal Court (2013–) | [1][9] | ||
Judge | Sir Richard Blackburn OBE | 1 February 1977 | 31 March 1985 | 8 years, 58 days | [2] | |
(Sir) Gerard Brennan AC, KBE, QC | 12 February 1981 | 4 years, 11 days | Appointed to the High Court | |||
Xavier Connor AO, QC | 17 March 1982 | 5 years, 44 days | ||||
Phillip Evatt DSC | 28 February 1987 | 10 years, 27 days | Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) | |||
Sir William Forster AC, KBE, QC | 31 January 1989 | 11 years, 365 days | ||||
Robert Franki | 5 August 1986 | 9 years, 185 days | ||||
Russell Fox AC, QC | 31 March 1989 | 12 years, 58 days | Chief Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) | |||
John Keely QC | 29 February 1996 | 19 years, 28 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court | |||
James Muirhead AC, KStJ, QC | 4 August 1986 | 9 years, 184 days | ||||
Sir John Nimmo CBE, OStJ, QC | 30 June 1980 | 3 years, 150 days | ||||
Ray Northrop QC | 31 August 1998 | 21 years, 211 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court | |||
Bernard Riley | 4 August 1978 | 1 year, 184 days | ||||
Sir Reginald Smithers | 30 September 1986 | 9 years, 241 days | ||||
Robert St John | 31 March 1985 | 8 years, 58 days | Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) | |||
Charles Sweeney CBE | 29 June 1995 | 18 years, 148 days | ||||
John Sweeney | 7 May 1981 | 4 years, 95 days | ||||
Richard Ward QC | 24 November 1977 | 296 days | ||||
Sir Edward Woodward AC, OBE, QC | 31 July 1990 | 13 years, 180 days | ||||
(Sir) William Deane AC, KBE, KC | 1 April 1977 | 26 July 1982 | 5 years, 116 days | Appointed to the High Court | ||
John Toohey AC, QC | 4 April 1977 | 31 December 1986 | 9 years, 271 days | Appointed to the High Court | ||
Douglas McGregor AC, QC | 7 November 1977 | 14 November 1985 | 8 years, 7 days | |||
Francis Fisher AC, QC | 6 March 1978 | 31 July 1989 | 11 years, 147 days | |||
John Gallop AM, RFD, QC | 11 March 1978 | 30 July 2000 | 22 years, 141 days | |||
Daryl Davies QC | 17 May 1978 | 31 August 1998 | 20 years, 106 days | |||
John Lockhart AO | 30 October 1978 | 11 June 1999 | 20 years, 224 days | (1935–2006)[10][11][12] | ||
Ian Sheppard AO | 9 December 1979 | 23 May 1997 | 17 years, 165 days | |||
John Kelly QC | 11 March 1980 | 1 July 1990 | 10 years, 112 days | |||
Trevor Morling QC | 11 February 1981 | 1 February 1993 | 11 years, 356 days | Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) | ||
Bob Ellicott KC | 2 March 1981 | 24 February 1983 | 1 year, 359 days | |||
Gerald Fitzgerald AC, QC | 25 November 1981 | 30 June 1984 | 2 years, 218 days | |||
Kenneth Jenkinson | 1 November 1982 | 5 June 1997 | 14 years, 216 days | |||
Alan Neaves AC, KC | 11 March 1983 | 8 January 1995 | 11 years, 303 days | |||
Michael Kirby AC, CMG | 30 March 1983 | 23 September 1984 | 1 year, 177 days | Appointed to NSW Court of Appeal then to High Court | ||
Bryan Beaumont AO | 30 May 1983 | 11 February 2005 | 21 years, 257 days | Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI) | ||
Murray Wilcox AO, QC | 11 May 1984 | 2 October 2006 | 22 years, 144 days | Chief Justice of Industrial Relations Court Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | ||
Peter Gray AM | 17 May 1984 | 17 May 2013 | 29 years, 0 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court | ||
Jeffrey Spender KC | 17 May 1984 | 19 July 2010 | 26 years, 63 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | ||
Merv Everett | 27 June 1984 | 4 October 1987 | 3 years, 99 days | |||
Bill Pincus QC | 25 March 1985 | 16 December 1991 | 6 years, 266 days | |||
James Burchett | 3 June 1985 | 10 October 2000 | 15 years, 129 days | |||
Jeffrey Miles AO | 18 June 1985 | 30 September 2002 | 17 years, 104 days | |||
David Jackson AM, KC | 15 November 1985 | 26 May 1987 | 1 year, 192 days | "Australia's pre-eminent constitutional law barrister", according to lawyer Louise Clegg in the AFR (2023)[13] | ||
Donnell Ryan KC | 29 September 1986 | 2 June 2011 | 24 years, 246 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | ||
William Gummow AC, KC | 24 November 1986 | 20 April 1995 | 8 years, 147 days | Appointed to the High Court | ||
Robert French AC | 25 November 1986 | 1 September 2008 | 21 years, 281 days | Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) Appointed to Chief Justice of the High Court | ||
Marcus Einfeld | 18 December 1986 | 16 April 2001 | 14 years, 119 days | |||
Trevor Hartigan | 13 August 1987 | 24 April 1990 | 2 years, 254 days | |||
Michael Foster QC | 2 November 1987 | 26 November 1998 | 11 years, 24 days | |||
Alastair Nicholson AO, RFD | 1 February 1988 | 31 May 2004 | 16 years, 120 days | |||
Malcolm Lee AO, KC | 15 February 1988 | 1 May 2006 | 18 years, 75 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court | ||
Howard Olney AM, KC | 21 May 1988 | 30 April 2003 | 14 years, 344 days | |||
John von Doussa AO, KC | 1 December 1988 | 15 August 2003 | 14 years, 257 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court | ||
Graham Hill | 1 February 1989 | 24 August 2005 | 16 years, 204 days | |||
Deirdre O'Connor | 1 July 1990 | 5 March 2002 | 11 years, 247 days | |||
John Phillips AO, QC | 14 August 1990 | 17 December 1991 | 1 year, 125 days | |||
Maurice O'Loughlin | 1 August 1989 | 28 January 2003 | 13 years, 180 days | |||
Terrence Higgins AO, KC | 1 July 1990 | 12 September 2013 | 23 years, 73 days | |||
Peter Heerey AM, QC | 17 December 1990 | 16 February 2009 | 18 years, 61 days | |||
Doug Drummond QC | 2 December 1991 | 12 April 2003 | 11 years, 131 days | |||
Richard Cooper | 30 March 1992 | 14 March 2005 | 12 years, 349 days | |||
Margaret Beazley AC, KC | 1 January 1993 | 28 April 1996 | 3 years, 118 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court Appointed to Court of Appeal (NSW) | ||
Tony Whitlam KC | 1 January 1993 | 1 May 2005 | 12 years, 120 days | |||
Christopher Carr | 13 December 1993 | 1 August 2004 | 10 years, 232 days | |||
Michael Moore | 28 March 1994 | 1 August 2011 | 17 years, 126 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | ||
Catherine Branson KC | 16 May 1994 | 13 October 2008 | 14 years, 150 days | |||
Jane Mathews AO | 4 July 1994 | 6 April 2001 | 6 years, 276 days | |||
Kevin Lindgren AM, KC | 26 July 1994 | 12 February 2010 | 15 years, 201 days | |||
Brian Tamberlin KC | 29 August 1994 | 30 March 2009 | 14 years, 213 days | Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | ||
Ronald Sackville AO, KC | 19 September 1994 | 25 August 2008 | 13 years, 341 days | |||
Susan Kiefel AC, KC | 17 October 1994 | 3 September 2007 | 12 years, 321 days | Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) Appointed to the High Court | ||
Robert Nicholson AO | 1 January 1995 | 7 August 2007 | 12 years, 218 days | |||
Paul Finn | 3 July 1995 | 4 July 2012 | 17 years, 1 day | |||
Ross Sundberg AM, KC | 10 July 1995 | 9 August 2010 | 15 years, 30 days | |||
Shane Marshall AM | 17 July 1995 | 21 November 2015 | 20 years, 127 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court | ||
John Lehane | 3 October 1995 | 10 September 2001 | 5 years, 342 days | |||
Rodney Madgwick KC | 3 October 1995 | 21 April 2008 | 12 years, 201 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | ||
Anthony North KC | 3 October 1995 | 11 September 2018 | 22 years, 343 days | Judge of Industrial Relations Court Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) |
[2][14] | |
Ron Merkel KC | 5 February 1996 | 15 May 2006 | 10 years, 99 days | [2] | ||
John Mansfield AM, KC | 2 September 1996 | 24 August 2016 | 19 years, 357 days | |||
Arthur Emmett AO, KC | 3 February 1997 | 6 March 2013 | 16 years, 31 days | |||
Alan Goldberg AO, QC | 3 February 1997 | 4 July 2010 | 13 years, 151 days | |||
Raymond Finkelstein KC | 21 July 1997 | 1 July 2011 | 13 years, 345 days | |||
Geoffrey Giudice AO | 17 September 1997 | 28 February 2012 | 14 years, 164 days | President of AIRC & then Fair Work Australia | ||
Mark Weinberg AO, KC | 15 July 1998 | 19 July 2008 | 10 years, 4 days | Judge of the Court of Appeal (Vic) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI) Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | ||
John Dowsett AM, KC | 14 September 1998 | 26 April 2018 | 19 years, 224 days | Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court (Qld). |
[15][16] | |
Leslie Katz SC | 30 September 1998 | 21 March 2002 | 3 years, 172 days | [2] | ||
Peter Hely | 2 October 1998 | 1 October 2005 | 6 years, 364 days | |||
Susan Kenny AM | 16 October 1998 | 29 November 2023[2] | 26 years, 19 days | Presidential member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Previously a judge of the Court of Appeal (Vic) |
[1] | |
Roger Gyles AO, KC | 11 June 1999 | 22 August 2008 | 9 years, 72 days | Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | [2] | |
Richard Conti QC | 15 August 2000 | 15 August 2007 | 7 years, 0 days | |||
Margaret Stone AO | 9 October 2000 | 22 March 2012 | 11 years, 165 days | Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | ||
James Allsop AC, KC | 7 May 2001 | 2 June 2008 | 7 years, 26 days | As Justice. Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) Appointed President of the Court of Appeal (NSW) returned to court as Chief Justice |
[8] | |
Garry Downes AM, KC | 2 April 2002 | 15 May 2012 | 10 years, 43 days | Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) | [2] | |
Peter Jacobson KC | 17 June 2002 | 25 January 2015 | 12 years, 222 days | Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI) | ||
Bradley Selway QC | 18 November 2002 | 10 April 2005 | 2 years, 143 days | |||
Annabelle Bennett AC, SC | 5 May 2003 | 23 March 2016 | 12 years, 323 days | Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | ||
Bruce Lander KC | 14 July 2003 | 31 August 2013 | 10 years, 48 days | Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | ||
Susan Crennan AC, KC | 3 February 2004 | 1 November 2005 | 1 year, 271 days | Appointed to the High Court | ||
Antony Siopis SC | 14 April 2005 | 5 May 2018 | 13 years, 21 days | Presidential member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal | [17][18] | |
Richard Edmonds SC | 5 May 2005 | 10 February 2016 | 10 years, 281 days | [2] | ||
Peter Graham KC | 24 May 2005 | 6 September 2010 | 5 years, 105 days | [2] | ||
Andrew Greenwood | 4 August 2005 | 19 July 2022 | 16 years, 349 days | [2][19][20] | ||
Neil Young KC | 30 November 2005 | 24 January 2007 | 1 year, 55 days | [2] | ||
Steven Rares | 2 February 2006 | 15 November 2023[2] | 17 years, 286 days | Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) | [21] | |
Berna Collier | 8 February 2006 | 18 years, 270 days | Judge of the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) |
[22] | ||
Dennis Cowdroy AO | 13 March 2006 | 15 March 2014 | 8 years, 2 days | [2] | ||
Anthony Besanko | 3 April 2006 | 7 May 2024[2] | 18 years, 34 days | Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI) Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) Previously a judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia |
[23][24][25][26] | |
Christopher Jessup KC | 23 June 2006 | 15 April 2017 | 18 years, 134 days | [2] | ||
Richard Tracey AM, RFD QC | 24 July 2006 | 16 August 2018 | 12 years, 23 days | [27] | ||
John Middleton AM, KC | 31 July 2006 | 25 December 2022 | 16 years, 147 days | [2] | ||
Robert Buchanan KC | 8 September 2006 | 10 September 2016 | 10 years, 2 days | Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) | [2] | |
John Gilmour QC | 11 December 2006 | 23 March 2018 | 11 years, 102 days | Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) | [2] | |
Michelle Gordon AC, SC | 20 April 2007 | 8 June 2015 | 8 years, 49 days | Appointed to the High Court | [2] | |
John Logan RFD | 27 September 2007 | 17 years, 38 days | [1] | |||
Geoffrey Flick | 15 October 2007 | 18 October 2021 | 14 years, 3 days | [2] | ||
Neil McKerracher | 15 October 2007 | 5 December 2021 | 14 years, 51 days | [2] | ||
John Reeves | 19 November 2007 | 1 January 2022 | 14 years, 43 days | [2][28] | ||
Nye Perram | 8 August 2008 | 16 years, 88 days | [1] | |||
Jayne Jagot | 3 September 2008 | 16 October 2022 | 14 years, 43 days | Appointed to the High Court | [2] | |
Lindsay Foster | 4 September 2008 | 30 September 2020 | 12 years, 26 days | [2] | ||
Michael Barker | 9 February 2009 | 11 February 2019 | 10 years, 2 days | [2] | ||
John Nicholas | 16 February 2009 | 14 years, 354 days | [1] | |||
David Yates | 30 November 2009 | 14 years, 340 days | [1] | |||
Mordecai Bromberg | 7 December 2009 | 14 years, 333 days | President of the Australian Law Reform Commission (2023-present)[29] | [1] | ||
Julie Dodds-Streeton KC | 1 February 2010 | 1 April 2014 | 4 years, 59 days | [2] | ||
Anna Katzmann | 1 February 2010 | 14 years, 277 days | [30] | |||
Alan Robertson | 11 April 2011 | 8 May 2020 | 9 years, 27 days | [2] | ||
Bernard Murphy | 13 June 2011 | 13 years, 144 days | [1] | |||
Iain Ross AO | 1 March 2012 | 18 November 2022 | 10 years, 262 days | President of Fair Work Commission (2012-2022) | [2][31] | |
John Griffiths | 23 April 2012 | 1 April 2022 | 9 years, 343 days | [2] | ||
Duncan Kerr | 10 May 2012 | 25 February 2022 | 9 years, 291 days | President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (2012-2017) Previously member of the House of Representatives and Attorney-General |
[2][32][33] | |
Kathleen Farrell | 5 December 2012 | 1 August 2023 | 10 years, 239 days | [2] | ||
Tony Pagone KC | 21 June 2013 | 31 March 2018 | 4 years, 283 days | [2] | ||
Jennifer Davies | 4 July 2013 | 1 April 2022 | 8 years, 271 days | [2] | ||
Debra Mortimer | 12 July 2013 | 11 years, 115 days | Appointed Chief Justice (2023–) | [1] | ||
Darryl Rangiah | 13 August 2013 | 11 years, 83 days | [1] | |||
Richard Conway White | 31 August 2013 | 5 January 2022 | 8 years, 127 days | [2] | ||
Michael Wigney | 9 September 2013 | 11 years, 56 days | Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) | [1] | ||
Melissa Perry | 23 September 2013 | 11 years, 42 days | [1] | |||
Jacqueline Gleeson | 15 April 2014 | 28 February 2021 | 6 years, 319 days | Appointed to the High Court | [2] | |
Jonathan Beach | 30 June 2014 | 10 years, 127 days | [1] | |||
James Edelman | 20 April 2015 | 29 January 2017 | 1 year, 284 days | Appointed to the High Court | [2][34] | |
Brigitte Markovic | 24 August 2015 | 9 years, 72 days | [1] | |||
Mark Moshinsky | 3 November 2015 | 9 years, 1 day | Acting President of the Australian Law Reform Commission (2023–)[35] | [1] | ||
Robert Bromwich | 29 February 2016 | 8 years, 249 days | [1] | |||
Natalie Charlesworth | 1 March 2016 | 8 years, 248 days | [1] | |||
Stephen Burley | 6 May 2016 | 8 years, 182 days | [1] | |||
David O'Callaghan | 1 February 2017 | 7 years, 277 days | [1] | |||
Michael Lee | 27 March 2017 | 7 years, 222 days | [1] | |||
Roger Derrington | 29 March 2017 | 7 years, 220 days | [1] | |||
David Thomas | 27 June 2017 | 31 January 2024 | 6 years, 218 days | President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (2017-2022) Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court (Qld) |
[2] | |
Sarah Derrington AM | 10 January 2018 | 6 years, 299 days | President of the Australian Law Reform Commission (2018-2023)[35] | [1] | ||
Simon Steward | 1 February 2018 | 30 November 2020 | 2 years, 303 days | Appointed to the High Court | [2] | |
Katrina Banks-Smith | 12 February 2018 | 6 years, 266 days | Previously a Judge of Supreme Court (WA) | [1] | ||
Craig Colvin | 13 February 2018 | 6 years, 265 days | [1] | |||
Thomas Thawley | 14 February 2018 | 6 years, 264 days | [1] | |||
Michael Wheelahan | 3 October 2018 | 6 years, 32 days | [1] | |||
Paul Anastassiou | 1 February 2019 | 29 April 2022 | 3 years, 87 days | [2] | ||
Angus Stewart | 25 February 2019 | 5 years, 253 days | [1] | |||
Michael O'Bryan | 26 February 2019 | 5 years, 252 days | [1] | |||
Darren Jackson | 20 March 2019 | 5 years, 229 days | [1] | |||
John Snaden | 29 April 2019 | 5 years, 189 days | [1] | |||
Stewart Anderson | 6 May 2019 | 5 years, 182 days | [1] | |||
Wendy Abraham | 7 May 2019 | 5 years, 181 days | [1] | |||
John Halley | 19 March 2021 | 3 years, 230 days | [1] | |||
Elizabeth Cheeseman | 12 April 2021 | 3 years, 206 days | [1] | |||
Helen Rofe | 12 July 2021 | 3 years, 115 days | [1] | |||
Kylie Downes | 2 August 2021 | 3 years, 94 days | [1] | |||
Scott Goodman | 11 November 2021 | 2 years, 359 days | [1] | |||
Patrick O'Sullivan | 20 January 2022 | 2 years, 289 days | Previously a Judge of the District Court of South Australia | [1] | ||
Shaun McElwaine | 24 January 2022 | 2 years, 285 days | [1] | |||
Michael Feutrill | 8 March 2022 | 2 years, 241 days | [1] | |||
Fiona Meagher | 31 March 2022 | 2 years, 218 days | President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (2022) | [1] | ||
Timothy McEvoy | 26 April 2022 | 2 years, 192 days | Previously a Judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court (Division 1) | [1] | ||
Lisa Hespe | 27 April 2022 | 2 years, 191 days | [1] | |||
Elizabeth Raper | 2 May 2022 | 2 years, 186 days | [1] | |||
Geoffrey Kennett | 19 December 2022 | 1 year, 321 days | Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory | [1] | ||
Catherine Button | 16 January 2023 | 1 year, 293 days | Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria | [1] | ||
Ian Jackman | 6 February 2023 | 1 year, 272 days | [1] | |||
Adam Hatcher | 19 February 2023 | 1 year, 259 days | President of the Fair Work Commission (2023–) | [1] | ||
Emilios Kyrou AO | 8 June 2023 | 1 year, 149 days | Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (2023–) |
[1] | ||
Christopher Horan | 5 September 2023 | 1 year, 60 days | [1] | |||
Yaseen Shariff | 7 September 2023 | 1 year, 58 days | [1] | |||
Penelope Neskovcin | 8 February 2024 | 270 days | [1] | |||
Craig Dowling | 9 February 2024 | 269 days | [1] | |||
Jane Needham | 5 July 2024 | 122 days | [1] | |||
Stephen McDonald | 8 July 2024 | 119 days | [1] | |||
Federal Court Judges holding concurrent appointments in:
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