JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The processes for appointment of judicial officers is a matter of interest to members of the JCA. The JCA’s Governing Council initiated the preparation of a report to record the various processes for appointment throughout Australia and in other comparable jurisdictions. It considers all of the Australian jurisdictions in terms of:

• Authority to appoint
• Eligibility for appointment
• Criteria for appointment
• The selection process

To view the 1st edition of the report, please click here.

More recent developments

After publication of this paper, an article entitled ‘Facing up to Diversity? Transparency and the Reform of Commonwealth Judicial Appointments 2008 – 13’ by Elizabeth Handsley and Andrew Lynch has been published in the Sydney Law Review, vol 37(2). To read this article, click here.

More recently, in October 2015, the Queensland Attorney General has issued a Discussion Paper as part of a review of the judicial appointments process in Queensland. To view this discussion paper click here.

As a result of these developments, and some changes in the Australian Capital Territory in regard to the appointment of Supreme Court judges, the JCA has published an updated version of its paper. To view this updated version, click here.