List of judges of the Federal Court of Australia
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Judges who have served on the Federal Court of Australia
.
In addition to their judicial service, five judges of the Federal Court have also been elected to the Parliament of Australia
: Nigel Bowen
, Robert Ellicott, Merv Everett, Tony Whitlam
, and John Reeves. All were elected prior to their appointment to the bench.
Federal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
.
In addition to their judicial service, five judges of the Federal Court have also been elected to the Parliament of Australia
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
: Nigel Bowen
Nigel Bowen
Sir Nigel Hubert Bowen, AC, KBE was an Australian politician and judge.-Biography:Bowen was born in a log cabin in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada, of Welsh and English parents. He came to Australia as a boy and was educated for two years in England and later at The King's School in Parramatta...
, Robert Ellicott, Merv Everett, Tony Whitlam
Tony Whitlam
Antony Philip Whitlam QC, is an Australian lawyer who has served as a politician and judge. He is the son of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and Margaret Whitlam.-Early life and education:...
, and John Reeves. All were elected prior to their appointment to the bench.
Chief Justices
Name | Term as Chief Justice |
---|---|
Sir Nigel Bowen Nigel Bowen Sir Nigel Hubert Bowen, AC, KBE was an Australian politician and judge.-Biography:Bowen was born in a log cabin in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada, of Welsh and English parents. He came to Australia as a boy and was educated for two years in England and later at The King's School in Parramatta... |
20 December 1976 – 31 December 1990 |
Michael Black Michael Black (judge) Michael Eric John Black, AC, QC is a former Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia.After attending schools in Australia, Egypt and England, he received further education at Wesley College, Melbourne. He graduated in law from the University of Melbourne in 1963 and began practice at the... |
1 January 1991 – 21 March 2010 |
Patrick Keane Patrick Keane -Education:Chief Justice Keane was educated at St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, the University of Queensland and at Magdalen College of the University of Oxford... |
22 March 2010 – present |
Judges (including Chief Justices)
Name | Term as Judge |
---|---|
Sir Nigel Bowen Nigel Bowen Sir Nigel Hubert Bowen, AC, KBE was an Australian politician and judge.-Biography:Bowen was born in a log cabin in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada, of Welsh and English parents. He came to Australia as a boy and was educated for two years in England and later at The King's School in Parramatta... |
20 December 1976 – 31 December 1990 |
Sir Richard Blackburn Richard Blackburn Sir Richard Arthur Blackburn OBE was a judge, prominent legal academic and former military officer in Australia. He became a judge of three separate courts in Australia, and eventually became chief justice of the Australian Capital Territory. In the 1970s he decided one of Australia's earliest... |
1 February 1977 – 31 March 1985 |
Gerard Brennan Gerard Brennan Sir Francis Gerard Brennan, AC, KBE, QC , is an Australian lawyer, judge and 10th Chief Justice of Australia. He is father to Jesuit priest and lawyer Frank Brennan.... |
1 February 1977 – 12 February 1981 |
Xavier Connor Xavier Connor Francis Xavier Connor, AO, QC was an Australian jurist.Known professionally as Xavier Connor, he was Chair of the Victorian Bar Council from 1967 to 1969... |
1 February 1977 – 17 March 1982 |
Phillip Evatt | 1 February 1977 – 28 February 1987 |
Sir William Forster William Forster (judge) Sir William Edward Stanley Forster was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory holding that position from 1979 to 1985... |
1 February 1977 – 31 January 1989 |
Robert Franki | 1 February 1977 – 5 August 1986 |
Russell Fox | 1 February 1977 – 31 March 1989 |
John Keely | 1 February 1977 – 29 February 1996 |
James Muirhead James Muirhead James Henry Muirhead AC KStJ QC was an Administrator of the Northern Territory and a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.-Pre-Northern Territory:... |
1 February 1977 – 4 August 1986 |
Sir John Nimmo | 1 February 1977 – 30 June 1980 |
Ray Northrop | 1 February 1977 – 31 August 1998 |
Bernard Riley | 1 February 1977 – 4 August 1978 |
Sir Reginald Smithers | 1 February 1977 – 30 September 1986 |
Robert St John | 1 February 1977 – 31 March 1985 |
Charles Sweeney | 1 February 1977 – 29 June 1995 |
John Sweeney | 1 February 1977 – 7 May 1981 |
Richard Ward Richard Ward (judge) Richard Charles Ward QC was an Australian jurist and politician.Ward was born in Kew and attended Victoria Street School and Melbourne High School before studying law at the University of Melbourne... |
1 February 1977 – 24 November 1977 |
Sir Edward Woodward | 1 February 1977 – 31 July 1990 |
William Deane William Deane Sir William Patrick Deane, AC, KBE, QC , Australian judge and the 22nd Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:William Deane was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He was educated at Catholic schools including St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in... |
1 April 1977 – 26 July 1982 |
John Toohey | 4 April 1977 – 31 December 1986 |
Douglas McGregor | 7 November 1977 – 14 November 1985 |
Francis Fisher | 6 March 1978 – 31 July 1989 |
John Gallop | 11 March 1978 – 30 July 2000 |
Daryl Davies | 17 May 1978 – 31 August 1998 |
John Lockhart | 30 October 1978 – 11 June 1999 |
Ian Sheppard | 9 December 1979 – 23 May 1997 |
John Kelly | 11 March 1980 – 1 July 1990 |
Trevor Morling | 11 February 1981 – 1 February 1993 |
Robert Ellicott | 2 March 1981 – 24 February 1983 |
Gerald Fitzgerald | 25 November 1981 – 30 June 1984 |
Ken Jenkinson | 1 November 1982 – 5 June 1997 |
Alan Neaves | 11 March 1983 – 8 January 1995 |
Michael Kirby | 30 Mar 1983 23 Sep 1984 |
Bryan Beaumont | 30 May 1983 – 11 February 2005 |
Murray Wilcox Murray Wilcox Murray Rutledge Wilcox, AO, QC is a former Australian Federal Court Judge, serving from 11 May 1984 until retiring on 2 October 2006.He also served as an additional Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory from 23 April 1983 to 30 September 2006. He may be best remembered for... |
11 May 1984 – 2 October 2006 |
Peter Gray | 17 May 1984 – present |
Jeffrey Spender | 17 May 1984 – 19 July 2010 |
Merv Everett | 27 June 1984 – 4 October 1987 |
Bill Pincus | 25 March 1985 – 16 December 1991 |
James Burchett | 3 June 1985 – 10 October 2000 |
Jeffrey Miles Jeffrey Miles Jeffrey Allan Miles AO LLM BA is an Australian author and jurist. He is a former chief justice of the Australian Capital Territory. He has also held judicial appointments in New South Wales and Papua New Guinea. In 2005 he conducted an inquiry into the fitness to be tried of David Eastman who had... |
18 June 1985 – 30 September 2002 |
David Jackson | 15 November 1985 – 26 May 1987 |
Donnell Ryan | 29 September 1986 – 2 June 2011 |
William Gummow William Gummow William Montague Charles Gummow AC is a Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.-Biography:... |
24 November 1986 – 20 April 1995 |
Robert French Robert French Robert Shenton French, AC is Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.... |
25 November 1986 – 1 September 2008 |
Marcus Einfeld Marcus Einfeld Marcus Richard Einfeld is a retired Australian justice of the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Courts of New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory; a former President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission; a UNICEF Ambassador for Children; a... |
18 December 1986 – 16 April 2001 |
Trevor Hartigan | 13 August 1987 – 24 April 1990 |
Michael Foster | 2 November 1987 – 26 November 1998 |
Alastair Nicholson Alastair Nicholson Alastair Bothwick Nicholson AO RFD QC was the Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia from 1988 until 2004.Nicholson was born in 1938 in Melbourne returning with his mother Jean to Papua New Guinea , where his parents owned a rubber and coconut plantation... |
1 February 1988 – 31 May 2004 |
Malcolm Lee Malcolm Lee Malcolm Lee is an American basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft... |
15 February 1988 – 1 May 2006 |
Howard Olney Howard Olney Howard William Olney AM QC is the Australian Aboriginal Lands Commissioner.Olney was born in Nedlands and attended Perth Modern School and the University of Western Australia. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1957 and as a magistrate in 1965, being called to the bar in 1974... |
21 May 1988 – 30 April 2003 |
John von Doussa | 1 December 1988– 15 August 2003 |
Graham Hill | 1 February 1989 – 24 August 2005 |
Deirdre O'Connor | 1 Ju1y 1990 – 5 March 2002 |
John Phillips John Harber Phillips John Harber Phillips, AC, QC was an Australian barrister and an author. He was a judge and also a Chief Justice of Victoria. He was the legal counsel who defended Lindy Chamberlain on a charge of murdering her baby Azaria. His skills as counsel were described as being that of a "very elegant... |
14 August 1990 – 17 December 1991 |
Maurice O'Loughlin | 1 August 1989 – 28 January 2003 |
Terence Higgins Terence Higgins (judge) Terence John Higgins is Chief Justice of the Australian Capital Territory, a territory of Australia.-Early years:Higgins was born in 1943 in Hobart, Tasmania. He was educated at St Augustines Christian Brothers College in Yarraville, Victoria, and subsequently at St Edmund's College in Canberra... |
1 July 1990 – present |
Peter Heerey Peter Heerey Peter Cadden Heerey was an Australian Federal Court Judge of the Federal Court of Australia between 1990 and 2009.Heerey attended university in Tasmania, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws... |
17 December 1990 – 16 February 2009 |
Michael Black Michael Black (judge) Michael Eric John Black, AC, QC is a former Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia.After attending schools in Australia, Egypt and England, he received further education at Wesley College, Melbourne. He graduated in law from the University of Melbourne in 1963 and began practice at the... |
1 January 1991 – present |
Doug Drummond | 2 December 1991 – 12 April 2003 |
Richard Cooper | 30 March 1992 – 14 March 2005 |
Margaret Beazley Margaret Beazley Margaret Joan Beazley AO is a judge of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the highest court in the State of New South Wales, Australia, which forms part of the Australian court hierarchy.-Career:... |
1 January 1993 – 28 April 1996 |
Tony Whitlam Tony Whitlam Antony Philip Whitlam QC, is an Australian lawyer who has served as a politician and judge. He is the son of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and Margaret Whitlam.-Early life and education:... |
1 January 1993 – 1 May 2005 |
Christopher Carr | 13 December 1993 – 1 August 2004 |
Michael Moore | 28 March 1994 – 1 August 2011 |
Catherine Branson Catherine Branson Catherine Margaret Branson QC is President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, and a former judge of the Federal Court of Australia .Branson graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws... |
16 May 1994 – 13 October 2008 |
Jane Mathews | 4 July 1994 – 6 April 2001 |
Kevin Lindgren Kevin Lindgren The Honourable Justice Kevin Lindgren is a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, having been appointed on the 26th of July, 1994.-References:... |
26 July 1994 – 12 February 2010 |
Brian Tamberlin Brian Tamberlin Brian Tamberlin, BA, LLB, LLM, QC is a retired Australian jurist, barrister, law commentator and justice in the Australia's federal court. Tamberlin received both is Bachelor of Arts and his Bachelors of Law from the University of Sydney. He later received his Master's degree in law from Harvard... |
29 August 1994 – 30 March 2009 |
Ronald Sackville Ronald Sackville Ronald Sackville AO is an acting judge of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and a former judge of the Federal Court of Australia.-Career:... |
19 September 1994 – 25 August 2008 |
Susan Kiefel Susan Kiefel Susan Mary Kiefel AC is a Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.- Early life and education :... |
17 October 1994 – 3 September 2007 |
Robert Nicholson | 1 January 1995 – 7 August 2007 |
Paul Finn Paul Finn Paul Finn is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Oulart-the-Ballagh and was a member of the Wexford senior inter-county team from 1994 until 2001.-References:... |
3 July 1995 – present |
Ross Sundberg | 10 July 1995 – 9 August 2010 |
Shane Marshall | 17 July 1995 – present |
John Lehane | 3 October 1995 – 10 September 2001 |
Rodney Madgwick Rodney Madgwick Rodney Neville Madgwick is an Australian judge. He was a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia appointed in October 1995. He was based in the Sydney registry of the court and retired in 2008.-References:... |
3 October 1995 – 21 April 2008 |
Anthony North | 3 October 1995 – present |
Ron Merkel | 5 February 1996 – 15 May 2006 |
John Mansfield John Mansfield (judge) John Ronald Mansfield, AM, QC, Australian jurist, is currently a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, sitting in the court's South Australian registry.... |
2 September 1996 – present |
Arthur Emmett Arthur Emmett (Australian judge) Arthur Robert Emmett is a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, a position to which he was appointed on 3 February 1997.Justice Emmett lectures in Roman law at the Sydney Law School, where he holds the title of Challis Lecturer in Roman Law. On 22 May 2009, the University of Sydney conferred... |
3 February 1997 – present |
Alan Goldberg | 3 February 1997 – 4 July 2010 |
Raymond Finkelstein Raymond Finkelstein Raymond Finkelstein QC is an Australian lawyer and judge. From 1997 until 2011, he served as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia. His judgments were highly influential in commercial law, giving rise to new approaches in insolvency, competition law and class actions.-Early life and... |
21 July 1997 – 1 July 2011 |
Geoffrey Giudice | 17 September 1997 – present |
Mark Weinberg | 15 July 1998 – 19 July 2008 |
John Dowsett John Dowsett The Honourable Justice John Dowsett is a judge of the Federal Court of Australia.Justice Dowsett was appointed to the Federal Court on 14 September 1998, after serving as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland since 1985. He has therefore served as a superior court judge for 25... |
14 September 1998 – present |
Leslie Katz | 30 September 1998 – 21 March 2002 |
Peter Hely | 2 October 1998 – 1 October 2005 |
Susan Kenny | 16 October 1998 – present |
Roger Gyles Roger Gyles Roger Vincent Gyles AO, QC is an Acting Judge of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, a former judge of the Federal Court of Australia and a former Royal Commissioner.-Early life:... |
11 June 1999 – 22 August 2008 |
Richard Conti | 15 August 2000 – 15 August 2007 |
Margaret Stone | 9 October 2000 – present |
James Allsop James Allsop James Leslie Bain Allsop is the President of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the highest court in the State of New South Wales, Australia, which forms part of the Australian court hierarchy.-Education:... |
7 May 2001 – 2 June 2008 |
Garry Downes Garry Downes Justice Garry Keith Downes AM is a judge of the Federal Court of Australia and President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. -Education:Downes attended Newington College and graduated from the University of Sydney Law School in 1967. His first job was as associate to then Chief Justice of... |
2 April 2002 – present |
Peter Jacobson | 17 June 2002 – present |
Bradley Selway | 18 November 2002 – 10 April 2005 |
Annabelle Bennett | 5 May 2003 – present |
Bruce Lander | 14 July 2003 – present |
Susan Crennan Susan Crennan Susan Maree Crennan AC , is an Australian judge, a Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.-Biography:... |
3 February 2004 – 1 November 2005 |
Antony Siopis | 14 April 2005 – present |
Richard Edmonds | 5 May 2005 – present |
Peter Graham Peter Graham (judge) The Hon Peter Ross Graham is a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, appointed in 2005. He studied at the University of Sydney and Harvard University, becoming a barrister in 1966 and Queen's Counsel in 1982.-References:... |
24 May 2005 – 6 September 2010 |
Andrew Greenwood | 4 August 2005 – present |
John Young | 30 November 2005 – 24 January 2007 |
Steven Rares | 2 February 2006 – present |
Berna Collier | 8 February 2006 – present |
Dennis Cowdroy | 13 March 2006 – present |
Anthony Besanko | 3 April 2006 – present |
Christopher Jessup | 23 June 2006 – present |
Richard Tracey | 24 July 2006 – present |
John Middleton | 7 August 2006 – present |
Robert Buchanan | 8 September 2006 – present |
John Gilmour | 11 December 2006 – present |
Michelle Gordon | 20 April 2007 – present |
John Logan | 27 September 2007 – present |
Geoffrey Flick | 15 October 2007 – present |
Neil McKerracher | 15 October 2007 – present |
John Reeves | 15 October 2007 – present |
Nye Perram Nye Perram Nye Perram is an Australian judge. He has been a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia since his appointment in August 2008 at the age of 39. Prior to his appointment, Perram practised as a Senior Counsel in Sydney.... |
8 August 2008 – present |
Jayne Jagot Jayne Jagot Jayne Jagot is an Australian judge. She has been a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia since 3 September 2008. She was previously a judge of the New South Wales Land and Environment Court.... |
3 September 2008 – present |
Lindsay Foster Lindsay Foster Lindsay Graeme Foster is an Australian judge. He has been a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia since September 2008.Foster studied at the University of Sydney and was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1976. He practiced as a solicitor until his admission to the... |
4 September 2008 – present |
Michael Barker Michael Barker (judge) Michael Laurence Barker is an Australian judge. He has been a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia since February 2009. He previously served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia and as President of the Western Australian State Administrative Tribunal.Barker studied at the... |
9 February 2009 – present |
John Nicholas John Nicholas (judge) John Victor Nicholas is an Australian judge. He has been a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia since November 2009. Prior to his appointment, Nicholas practised as a Senior Counsel in Sydney, principally in commercial law.... |
16 November 2009 – present |
David Yates David Yates (judge) David Markey Yates SC is an Australian judge. He has been a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia since November 2009. Prior to his appointment, Yates practised as a Senior Counsel in Sydney.... |
30 November 2009 – present |
Mordecai Bromberg | 7 December 2009 – present |
Julie Dodds-Streeton | 1 February 2010 – present |
Anna Katzmann | 1 February 2010 – present |
Alan Robertson | 18 April 2011 – present |
Bernard Murphy | 13 June 2011 – present |