COURT STRUCTURE,

JUDGES’ TITLES

AND

ORDER OF SENIORITY

JANUARY 2015

2

INDEX

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 4

1 THE HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA ...................................................................... 6

FEDERAL COURTS AND TRIBUNALS ......................................................................... 8

2. THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA ......................................................... 8

3. THE FAMILY COURT OF AUSTRALIA ............................................................ 9

4. THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT OF AUSTRALIA ...................................... 12

5. FAIR WORK COMMISSION AND FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN ................. 14

6. THE NATIONAL NATIVE TITLE TRIBUNAL ................................................ 15

7. THE AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION TRIBUNAL ........................................... 16

8. THE COPYRIGHT TRIBUNAL .......................................................................... 17

9. THE DEFENCE FORCE DISCIPLINE APPEAL TRIBUNAL .......................... 17

10. The Social Security Appeals Tribunal .................................................................. 18

11. The Migration Review Tribunal and Refugee Review Tribunal .......................... 19

12. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal .................................................................. 21

13. The Australian Human Rights Commission ......................................................... 22

14. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ........................................... 25

STRUCTURE OF THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL COURTS SYSTEM ............... 27

NEW SOUTH WALES COURTS AND TRIBUNALS .................................................. 28

15. The Supreme Court of New South Wales ............................................................. 28

16. The Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal ............................................ 29

17. The Industrial Relations Commission and the Industrial Court of New

South Wales .................................................................................................................. 30

18. The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales ...................................... 32

19. The District Court of New South Wales ............................................................... 34

20. The Workers’ Compensation Commission ........................................................... 35

21. The Local Court of New South Wales .................................................................. 36

22. Coroners Court ...................................................................................................... 37

23. The Drug Court of NSW ....................................................................................... 39

24. Children’s Court.................................................................................................... 40

3

25. NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT)................................................. 42

26. Independent Commission Against Corruption...................................................... 45

27. Judicial Commission ............................................................................................. 47

28. The Dust Diseases Tribunal .................................................................................. 48

29. The Mental Health Review Tribunal .................................................................... 49

30. Community Justice Centres .................................................................................. 51

31. LawAccess NSW .................................................................................................. 52

STRUCTURE OF THE NSW COURTS SYSTEM ..................................................... 54

TITLES ............................................................................................................................. 55

32. Superior court judges ............................................................................................ 55

33. Federal Circuit Court Judges ................................................................................ 57

34. District Court Judges............................................................................................. 57

35. Local Court Magistrates ........................................................................................ 58

36. Acting Judges ........................................................................................................ 58

37. Retired judges and members of the Executive Council ........................................ 59

38. Federal and State Attorneys General .................................................................... 59

39. Barristers ............................................................................................................... 60

40. Queen’s Counsel (QC) and Senior Counsel (SC) ................................................. 60

41. Other Post-Nominals ............................................................................................. 62

ORDER OF SENIORITY ................................................................................................. 63

42. Seniority of senior counsel.................................................................................... 63

43. Listing junior members of the Bar in order of seniority ....................................... 64

ADMISSION TO THE ROLL OF LAWYERS ............................................................... 66

4

INTRODUCTION

5

6

1 THE HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

7

8

FEDERAL COURTS AND TRIBUNALS

2. THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

2.1

9

3. THE FAMILY COURT OF AUSTRALIA

10

11

12

4. THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT OF AUSTRALIA

4.1

13

14

5. FAIR WORK COMMISSION AND FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN

5.1

15

6. THE NATIONAL NATIVE TITLE TRIBUNAL

6.1

6.2

16

7. THE AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION TRIBUNAL

7.1

17

8. THE COPYRIGHT TRIBUNAL

8.1

9. THE DEFENCE FORCE DISCIPLINE APPEAL TRIBUNAL

9.1

18

10. The Social Security Appeals Tribunal

19

11. The Migration Review Tribunal and Refugee Review Tribunal

20

21

12. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal

22

13. The Australian Human Rights Commission

23

24

25

14. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

26

STRUCTURE OF THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL COURTS SYSTEM

NEW SOUTH WALES COURTS AND TRIBUNALS

15. The Supreme Court of New South Wales

29

16. The Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal

30

17. The Industrial Relations Commission and the Industrial Court of New South Wales

31

1 January 2010

32

18. The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

33

34

19. The District Court of New South Wales

35

20. The Workers’ Compensation Commission

36

21. The Local Court of New South Wales

37

22. Coroners Court

38

39

23. The Drug Court of NSW

40

24. Children’s Court

41

42

25. NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT)

43

44

45

26. Independent Commission Against Corruption

46

47

27. Judicial Commission

48

28. The Dust Diseases Tribunal

49

29. The Mental Health Review Tribunal

50

51

30. Community Justice Centres

52

31. LawAccess NSW

53

STRUCTURE OF THE NSW COURTS SYSTEM

TITLES

32. Superior court judges

56

57

33. Federal Circuit Court Judges

34. District Court Judges

58

35. Local Court Magistrates

36. Acting Judges

59

37. Retired judges and members of the Executive Council

38. Federal and State Attorneys General

60

39. Barristers

40. Queen’s Counsel (QC) and Senior Counsel (SC)

61

62

41. Other Post-Nominals

63

ORDER OF SENIORITY

42. Seniority of senior counsel

64

43. Listing junior members of the Bar in order of seniority

65

66

ADMISSION TO THE ROLL OF LAWYERS