Two Special Magistrates appointed 1 April

Australian Greens

Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury has appointed former NSW Magistrate Paula Russell and Sydney barrister Thomas Jones as Special Magistrates of the ACT Magistrates Court.

“I am delighted to appoint Ms Russell and Mr Jones to the ACT Magistrate Court to ensure that the ACT Courts and Tribunal are equipped to meet the needs of the Canberra community,” Attorney-General Rattenbury said.

“Special Magistrates are critical to the operation of the ACT Magistrates Court, because they allow the Chief Magistrate more listing flexibility as they can be deployed to cover leave, conflicts or fluctuations in workload.”

Ms Russell has over 19 years of experience as a NSW Magistrate, including being the Deputy State Coroner in NSW and has extensive experience as a Specialist Children’s Magistrate. Ms Russell is appointed through to 30 June 2023.

Mr Jones was admitted to practice in 2001 and has been a barrister since 2006 and is a registered adjudicator in NSW, Queensland and Victoria. In addition to Mr Jones’ criminal law expertise, he is a very experienced adjudicator in building and construction matters. Mr Jones is appointed through to 30 September 2024.

Special Magistrates Margaret Hunter OAM and Dr Anthony Hopkins have also had their appointments extended. Special Magistrate Hunter has been reappointed through to 15 February 2023, while Special Magistrate Hopkins has been reappointed through to 30 September 2024.

As stated by Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker:

“The Court welcomes the provision of additional resources to address surge or unexpected requirements. We look forward to working creatively with the ACT Government to ensure that the Court, and the professional services that work with it, are well resourced to improve our service to the community and in particular to address avoidable delay and extended pre-conviction incarceration.”

/Public Release. View in full here.