Five new magistrates for Local Court of NSW

“The five new magistrates have combined legal experience of 114 years, with much of it gained in the Local Court,” Mr Speakman said. 

The five new magistrates will fill vacant positions. The NSW Government has announced an additional two magistrates’ positions will be created next year as part of a $4.1 million package to deal with an increase in criminal matters after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

“The Local Court deals with more cases than any other court in Australia and increasing its ranks on the bench will help ensure it continues to lead the nation in the delivery of timely justice,” Mr Speakman said.

First to join the bench will be Ms Moody and Mr Elks, who will be sworn in on 21 January 2019. Legal Aid NSW solicitors Mr Rodgers and Ms McCarron will begin serving as magistrates in late February. Mr Olischlager will be sworn in as a magistrate on 25 March 2019.

Miranda Moody – has been a barrister at Forbes Chambers for 12 years, working almost exclusively in criminal law and appearing frequently in the Local, Children’s and District Courts. She has also been an associate to District Court judges and has worked as a television presenter, a newspaper photographer and a personal assistant to the late artist Brett Whiteley. 

Greg Elks – has managed his own law firm in Sydney for the past 15 years and previously worked at Legal Aid NSW and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW). He began his career as a police officer in 1979 and first appeared at the bar table as a police prosecutor in 1988. 

Ian Rodgers – has been a criminal lawyer for nearly 20 years, including the past three years as solicitor in charge of Legal Aid’s Newcastle office. He has also worked for the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), been a policy officer for the Department of Justice and was an associate to former District Court judge William Knight. 

Fiona McCarron – has worked in criminal law since 2000. Most recently, she has been a managing solicitor in Legal Aid’s Inner City Local Courts office, where she has also acted as solicitor in charge. She has appeared in the Local, District and Supreme Courts. Before joining Legal Aid in 2002, she spent two years in the District Court as an associate to her Honour Judge Robyn Tupman. 

Stephen Olischlager – has 32 years of experience in the Local Court. Since 2009, he has been an Assessor in the Local Court’s Small Claims Division. He has also served as a registrar and coroner and worked for the Department of Justice in developing policy and legislation, including the Coroners Act 2009, the Civil Procedure Act 2005 and Uniform Civil Procedure Rules.