List of judges of the Federal Court of Australia explained

Judges who have served on the Federal Court of Australia,^{[1] [2]} are appointed in accordance with section 72 of the Constitution, which has, since the Court's inception in 1976, been for a term expiring at age 70.^[3]

In addition to their judicial service, six judges of the Federal Court have also been elected to the Parliament of Australia: Nigel Bowen, Bob Ellicott, Merv Everett, Tony Whitlam, John Reeves and Duncan Kerr. All were elected prior to their appointment to the bench.

Additionally, two judges of the Federal Court have served in state Parliaments: Bernard Riley, formerly of the New South Wales Legislative Council, and Howard Olney, formerly of the Western Australian Legislative Council.

Judges including Chief Justices

Position	Name	data-sort-type="date"	Appointment commenced	data-sort-type="date"	Appointment ended	Term	Comments	Notes
		20 December 1976	31 December 1990		Chief Judge in Equity of the Supreme Court (NSW)	^[4]
		1 January 1991	21 March 2010		Barrister (Queen's Counsel for Victoria and Tasmania)	^[5]
		22 March 2010	28 February 2013		Court of Appeal Judge in the Supreme Court (Qld) Appointed to the High Court	^[6] ^[7]
		1 March 2013	6 April 2023		Previously President of the Court of Appeal (NSW) previously served as Federal Court judge	^[8]
		7 April 2023			Judge of the Federal Court (2013–)	^[9]
		1 February 1977	31 March 1985
			12 February 1981		Appointed to the High Court
			17 March 1982
			28 February 1987		Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
			31 January 1989
			5 August 1986
			31 March 1989		Chief Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
			29 February 1996		Judge of Industrial Relations Court
			4 August 1986
			30 June 1980
			31 August 1998		Judge of Industrial Relations Court
			4 August 1978
			30 September 1986
			31 March 1985		Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
			29 June 1995
			7 May 1981
			24 November 1977
			31 July 1990
		1 April 1977	26 July 1982		Appointed to the High Court
		4 April 1977	31 December 1986		Appointed to the High Court
		7 November 1977	14 November 1985
		6 March 1978	31 July 1989
		11 March 1978	30 July 2000
		17 May 1978	31 August 1998
		30 October 1978	11 June 1999		(1935–2006)^[10] ^[11] ^[12]
		9 December 1979	23 May 1997
		11 March 1980	1 July 1990
		11 February 1981	1 February 1993		Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
		2 March 1981	24 February 1983
		25 November 1981	30 June 1984
		1 November 1982	5 June 1997
		11 March 1983	8 January 1995
		30 March 1983	23 September 1984		Appointed to NSW Court of Appeal then to High Court
		30 May 1983	11 February 2005		Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI)
		11 May 1984	2 October 2006		Chief Justice of Industrial Relations Court Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) Additional Judge of the Supree Court (ACT)
		17 May 1984	17 May 2013		Judge of Industrial Relations Court
		17 May 1984	19 July 2010		Judge of Industrial Relations Court Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
		27 June 1984	4 October 1987
		25 March 1985	16 December 1991
		3 June 1985	10 October 2000
		18 June 1985	30 September 2002
		15 November 1985	26 May 1987		"Australia's pre-eminent constitutional law barrister", according to lawyer Louise Clegg in the AFR (2023)^[13]
		29 September 1986	2 June 2011		Judge of Industrial Relations Court Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
		24 November 1986	20 April 1995		Appointed to the High Court
		25 November 1986	1 September 2008		Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) Appointed to Chief Justice of the High Court
		18 December 1986	16 April 2001
		13 August 1987	24 April 1990
		2 November 1987	26 November 1998
		1 February 1988	31 May 2004
		15 February 1988	1 May 2006		Judge of Industrial Relations Court
		21 May 1988	30 April 2003
		1 December 1988	15 August 2003		Judge of Industrial Relations Court
		1 February 1989	24 August 2005
		1 July 1990	5 March 2002
		14 August 1990	17 December 1991
		1 August 1989	28 January 2003
		1 July 1990	12 September 2013
		17 December 1990	16 February 2009
		2 December 1991	12 April 2003
		30 March 1992	14 March 2005
		1 January 1993	28 April 1996		Judge of Industrial Relations Court Appointed to Court of Appeal (NSW)
		1 January 1993	1 May 2005
		13 December 1993	1 August 2004
		28 March 1994	1 August 2011		Judge of Industrial Relations Court Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
	16 May 1994	13 October 2008
	4 July 1994	6 April 2001
	26 July 1994	12 February 2010
	29 August 1994	30 March 2009		Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
	19 September 1994	25 August 2008
	17 October 1994	3 September 2007		Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) Appointed to the High Court
	1 January 1995	7 August 2007
	3 July 1995	4 July 2012
	10 July 1995	9 August 2010
	17 July 1995	21 November 2015		Judge of Industrial Relations Court
	3 October 1995	10 September 2001
	3 October 1995	21 April 2008		Judge of Industrial Relations Court Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
				Judge of Industrial Relations Court Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
	5 February 1996	15 May 2006
	2 September 1996	24 August 2016
	3 February 1997	6 March 2013
	3 February 1997	4 July 2010
	21 July 1997	1 July 2011
	17 September 1997	28 February 2012		President of AIRC & then Fair Work Australia
	15 July 1998	19 July 2008		Judge of the Court of Appeal (Vic) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI) Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
	14 September 1998	26 April 2018		Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court (Qld).	^[14] ^[15]
	30 September 1998	21 March 2002
	2 October 1998	1 October 2005
	16 October 1998	29 November 2023		Presidential member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Previously a judge of the Court of Appeal (Vic)
	11 June 1999	22 August 2008		Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
	15 August 2000	15 August 2007
	9 October 2000	22 March 2012		Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
	7 May 2001	2 June 2008		As Justice. Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) Appointed President of the Court of Appeal (NSW) returned to court as Chief Justice
	2 April 2002	15 May 2012		Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
	17 June 2002	25 January 2015		Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI)
	18 November 2002	10 April 2005
	5 May 2003	23 March 2016		Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
	14 July 2003	31 August 2013		Judge of the Supreme Court (NI) Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
	3 February 2004	1 November 2005		Appointed to the High Court
	14 April 2005			Presidential member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal	^[16] ^[17]
	5 May 2005	10 February 2016
	24 May 2005	6 September 2010
	4 August 2005	19 July 2022			^[18] ^[19]
	30 November 2005	24 January 2007
	2 February 2006	15 November 2023		Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)	^[20]
	8 February 2006			Judge of the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)	^[21]
	13 March 2006	15 March 2014
	3 April 2006	7 May 2024		Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI) Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT) Previously a judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia	^[22] ^[23] ^[24] ^[25]
	23 June 2006
					^[26]
	8 September 2006	10 September 2016		Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
	11 December 2006	23 March 2018		Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
	20 April 2007	8 June 2015		Appointed to the High Court
	27 September 2007
	15 October 2007	18 October 2021
	15 October 2007	5 December 2021
	19 November 2007	1 January 2022			^[27]
	8 August 2008
	3 September 2008	16 October 2022		Appointed to the High Court
	30 November 2009
	7 December 2009			President of the Australian Law Reform Commission (2023-present)^[28]
	1 February 2010	1 April 2014
	1 February 2010				^[29]
	13 June 2011
	1 March 2012	18 November 2022		President of Fair Work Commission (2012-2022)	^[30]
	23 April 2012	1 April 2022
	10 May 2012	25 February 2022		President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (2012-2017) Previously member of the House of Representatives and Attorney-General	^[31] ^[32]
	5 December 2012	1 August 2023
	21 June 2013
	4 July 2013	1 April 2022
	12 July 2013			Appointed Chief Justice (2023–)
	13 August 2013
	31 August 2013	5 January 2022
	9 September 2013			Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
	23 September 2013
	15 April 2014			Appointed to the High Court
	30 June 2014
	20 April 2015	29 January 2017		Appointed to the High Court	^[33]
	24 August 2015
	3 November 2015			Acting President of the Australian Law Reform Commission (2023–)^[34]
	29 February 2016
	1 March 2016
	6 May 2016
	1 February 2017
				President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (2017-2022) Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court (Qld)
				President of the Australian Law Reform Commission (2018-2023)
				Appointed to the High Court
				Previously a Judge of Supreme Court (WA)
				Previously a Judge of the District Court of South Australia
				President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (2022)
				Previously a Judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court (Division 1)
				Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
				Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria
				President of the Fair Work Commission (2023–)
				Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (2023–)
Jane Needham
Stephen McDonald

Location of current judges

Sydney

Melbourne

Brisbane

Perth

Adelaide

Hobart

• (24 January 2022)

See also

• Judiciary of Australia

Federal Court Judges holding concurrent appointments in:

• List of judges of the Federal Court of Bankruptcy
• List of judges of the Industrial Relations Court of Australia
• List of judges of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
• List of judges of the Supreme Court of Christmas Island
• List of judges of the Supreme Court of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
• List of judges of the Supreme Court of Norfolk Island

References

Notes and References

1. Web site: List by appointment date of current judges. Federal Court of Australia. 14 May 2019.
2. Web site: Former Judges of the Federal Court of Australia . 2022-11-24 . Federal Court of Australia.
3. Judges' appointment, tenure, and remuneration.
4. Web site: Keating . Paul . Paul Keating . Condolences: Bowen, Sir Nigel Hubert, AC, KBE . . . 10 October 1994 . 30 September 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110524191024/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=198910&TABLE=HANSARDR . 24 May 2011 .
5. Ceremonial Farewell for the Hon. Justice Michael Black AC. Douglas, Richard. Bar Association of Queensland. Hearsay. 26 February 2010. 28 January 2016.
6. Web site: Man of choice words and keen judgments. Lucy. Battersby. 16 February 2013. 31 May 2013. The Age.
7. News: Justice Keane completes the new-look High Court. Elizabeth. Byrne. ABC News. 5 March 2013.
8. Web site: The Hon James Leslie Bain ALLSOP AO . Federal Court of Australia . 6 February 2017.
   Web site: 'Brilliant' Allsop to go federal . The Australian . 21 November 2012 . Kelly . Joe . https://web.archive.org/web/20121121004530/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/brilliant-allsop-to-go-federal/story-e6frg97x-1226520717902 . 21 November 2012 . 6 February 2017.
9. Web site: The Hon Debra Sue MORTIMER . Federal Court of Australia . 18 April 2023.
10. The Hon John Stanley Lockhart AO QC (1935-2006). NSW Bar Association. Bar News . Winter 2006. Obituaries.
11. Web site: Former federal court judge dies . The Sydney Morning Herald . 15 January 2006 . 22 July 2021.
12. Web site: The Hon Justice John S Lockhart AO QC. Judicial Profiles. Australian Competition Law . 15 January 2006 . 22 July 2021.
13. Web site: Clegg . Louise . Indigenous Voice to parliament: Why we need to start again . Australian Financial Review . 4 May 2023 . 6 October 2023.
14. Web site: Judges put to pasture too early, says Bell . The Australian . 20 February 2015 . Pelly . Michael . 6 February 2017.
15. Web site: The Hon John Alfred DOWSETT AM . Federal Court of Australia . 6 February 2017.
16. Web site: The Hon Antony Nicholas SIOPIS . Federal Court of Australia . 6 February 2017.
17. Web site: Sopis joins Federal Court . Business News . 29 March 2005 . 6 February 2017.
18. Web site: The Hon Andrew Peter GREENWOOD . Federal Court of Australia . 6 February 2017.
19. Web site: Adjunct Professors . University of Queensland . 6 February 2017.
20. Web site: The Hon Steven David RARES . Federal Court of Australia . 6 February 2017.
21. Web site: The Hon Berna Joan COLLIER . Federal Court of Australia . 7 February 2017.
22. Web site: The Hon Anthony James BESANKO . Federal Court of Australia . 7 February 2017.
23. Web site: Besanko appointed Federal Court judge . Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 March 2006 . 7 February 2017.
24. Web site: Leading judges and silks line up for next High Court seat . The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 February 2012 . Berkovic . Nicola . 7 February 2017.
25. Web site: Supreme Court of Norfolk Island . Commonwealth of Australia . 7 February 2017.
26. News: Judge retires with shot at CFMEU and class action 'vultures' . AFR.com . 18 August 2018 . 20 August 2018.
27. News: Introducing the first Northern Territory-based Federal Court judge. Byrnie, Gwen . . 24 September 2007 . 10 May 2016 .
28. https://ministers.ag.gov.au/media-centre/president-australian-law-reform-commission-20-06-2023 Media release: President of the Australian Law Reform Commission
29. Web site: Biography of Justice Katzmann. Federal Court of Australia. 30 April 2013.
30. Web site: The Hon Iain James Kerr ROSS AO . https://web.archive.org/web/20221029022323/https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/about/judges/current-judges-appointment/current-judges/ross-j. 29 October 2022 . Federal Court of Australia . 6 February 2017.
31. Web site: The Hon Duncan James Colquhoun KERR, Chev LH . Federal Court of Australia . 6 February 2017.
32. Web site: The Hon Duncan Kerr SC, MP . Senators and Members . . 2010 . 16 July 2013 .
33. News: Susan Kiefel becomes first female high court chief justice. Chan. Gabrielle. The Guardian. 29 November 2016. 6 February 2017.
34. News: Drefus . Mark . Mark Dreyfus . Appointment to the Australian Law Reform Commission . 2 September 2023 . Attorney-General's Department . Commonwealth of Australia . 9 January 2023.