I am pleased to announce the appointment of Deputy Chief Justice Robert McClelland as Deputy Chief Judge (Family Law) of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) and the appointment of Judge Patrizia Mercuri as Deputy Chief Judge (General and Fair Work) of the FCFCOA. Both Deputy Chief Justice McClelland and Judge Mercuri will commence on 17 September 2021.
Deputy Chief Justice McClelland has been appointed to the Sydney Registry. He was admitted as a Solicitor in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1982 and as a Barrister in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2011. He was appointed Judge of the FCFCOA (Division 1) (formerly the Family Court of Australia) in 2015, and elevated to Deputy Chief Justice in 2018.
Judge Mercuri has been appointed to the Melbourne Registry. She was admitted as a Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1991. Since 2017, she has served as a Judge of the FCFCOA (Division 2) (formerly the Federal Circuit Court of Australia).
Deputy Chief Justice McClelland and Judge Mercuri will be the first to hold the new judicial offices of Deputy Chief Judge (Family Law) and Deputy Chief Judge (General and Fair Work) respectively of the FCFCOA (Division 2). These roles will support the Chief Judge, the Hon Justice William Alstergren, in ensuring that matters in each of these jurisdictions are managed efficiently and effectively.
On behalf of the Australian Government, I congratulate Deputy Chief Justice McClelland and Judge Mercuri on their appointments and thank them for their willingness to serve the people of Australia as Deputy Chief Judges of the FCFCOA.
