TITLE OF ‘MAGISTRATE’ – AJOA POLICY

“Pursuant to the long standing policy of the AJOA that the title “Magistrate” should be replaced with the title “Judge”, members of the Governing Council have been, and will be, calling on the Attorneys-General of the States and Territories to press for this change.”

Governing Council: 14th July 2007 (Meeting: 2007/2 The Judicial Conference of Australia supports a change of title for Australian magistrates from “magistrate” to “judge”.

Governing Council: 15th March 2008 (Meeting: 2008/1) (Considered in the context of a proposed change of title in Victoria) The arguments in favour of the change of title, which have been previously considered and accepted without dissent by the Judicial Conference of Australia, remain as valid today as they were then.

Governing Council: 23rd March 2013 (Meeting: 2013/1) The Governing Council of the Judicial Conference of Australia confirms its support for the title of magistrate being changed to ‘judge’ in all Australian jurisdictions.