Jayne Jagot Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable Justice
Jayne Margaret Jagot
Office:Justice of the High Court of Australia
Term Start:17 October 2022
Appointer:David Hurley
Nominator:Anthony Albanese
Predecessor:Patrick Keane
Office2:Judge of the Federal Court of Australia
Term Start2:3 September 2008
Term End2:16 October 2022
Office3:Judge of the Land and Environment Court (NSW)
Term Start3:2006
Term End3:2 September 2008
Occupation:Judge, Lawyer
Education:Baulkham Hills High School
Macquarie University
University of Sydney
Birth Date:19 June 1965
Spouse:Peter McClellan
Nationality:Australian

Jayne Margaret Jagot is a justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian judicial system. She was appointed to the High Court in October 2022. Jagot was previously a judge of the Federal Court of Australia. Before that, she served as a judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales and a partner at the law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques.

Early life and education

Jagot was born in England, and migrated to Australia with her family in 1968. Jagot studied at Baulkham Hills High School before receiving an arts degree from Macquarie University in 1987. She subsequently received a law degree with first-class honours from the University of Sydney in 1991. At her Federal Court swearing in ceremony, it was remarked that during her time there "she appears to have won every available prize in law".[1] She had won the Butterworths Prize for Most Proficient in First Year, the Pitt Cobbett Prize for Administrative Law, the Sir Alexander Beattie Prize in Company Law, the Margaret Ethel Peden Prize in Real Property, the Minter Ellison Prize in Intellectual Property, and the Nancy Gordon Smith Prize for Honours.[2] [3]

Career

Jagot worked as a solicitor with Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons) from 1992 to 2002, specialising in planning and environmental law.[4] She was promoted to partner in 1997. She was admitted to the bar in 2002, after which she developed a successful practice as a barrister.

Land and Environment Court

Jagot was appointed as a Judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales in 2006. She also served as an acting judge of the Equity Division of the Supreme Court of New South Wales for a period.[5]

Federal Court

Jagot was appointed as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia on 3 September 2008.[6] [7]

High Court

On 17 October 2022, Jagot was sworn in as a Justice of the High Court of Australia, replacing the retiring Justice Patrick Keane. On Jagot's appointment, the High Court of Australia had a majority of female Justices for the first time in its history.[8]

Personal life

Jagot is married to former New South Wales Supreme Court judge and royal commissioner Peter McClellan.[9]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site:
  2. "Swearing in of Judge Jayne Jagot", Attorney-General's Department (NSW). Accessed 21 April 2009.
  3. Web site: The Hon Justice Jayne Jagot- Appointment. (2006 Winter) Bar News: Journal of the NSW Bar Association 71.
  4. Web site: Cameronne . Cindy . 2022-09-30 . Law firm heads sing praises of 'compassionate' new High Court judge . 2022-10-01 . Lawyerly . en-US.
  5. http://www.nswbar.asn.au/circulars/september08/jagot_speech.pdf Speech of Anna Katzmann QC at the swearing in of Jayne Jagot as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia
  6. Web site: Three new judges appointed to the Federal Court . https://web.archive.org/web/20080719183924/http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/www/ministers/robertmc.nsf/Page/MediaReleases_2008_SecondQuarter_25June2008-ThreeNewJudgesAppointedtotheFederalCourt . 19 July 2008 . dead . . 21 April 2009.
  7. Web site: The Hon Justice Jayne Jagot - Appointment. (2008 Summer) Bar News: Journal of the NSW Bar Association 99.
  8. News: Jayne Jagot appointed to Australia's high court, creating first majority-female bench. Karp. Paul. The Guardian. 29 September 2022. 29 September 2022.
  9. News: Pelly . Michael . High stakes in race to High Court bench . 11 September 2022 . Australian Financial Review . Nine Entertainment Co . 7 August 2020.