Verity McWilliam has been appointed the new Resident Judge of the ACT Supreme Court. She will fill the vacancy left by Justice Geoffrey Kennett when he was appointed to the Federal Court in February.
In 2017, Ms McWilliam became the first woman to hold the title of Associate Judge of the Supreme Court of the ACT. She filled the vacancy created by Justice David Mossop’s own promotion to a Resident Judge.
Before her appointment, she was a barrister at the NSW Bar in Sydney, with a general practice across both civil and criminal jurisdictions. She was also an adjunct lecturer at both the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales in public and constitutional law.
Ms McWilliam said she was delighted to accept the position. As a graduate of the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Laws in 2000, she is proud to serve in her hometown of Canberra.
It is expected that Ms McWilliam will be sworn in this week. A ceremonial sitting of the Supreme Court will take place later this month to formally welcome her to her new role.
Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury said Ms McWilliam’s experience as Associate Judge, her lengthy legal career of more than 20 years in the private and public sectors, and her work in academia, equips her well for this new role.
“Associate Justice McWilliam’s appointment as a Resident Judge seems a natural next step for the judicial officer,” Mr Rattenbury said. “Her expertise will be invaluable to the Court and for the administration of justice in the ACT.”
Chief Justice Lucy McCallum described Ms McWilliam as a highly respected jurist who brings a unique breadth of experience to her role.
“Her fairness, humanity, and good judgement will serve the people of the Territory well and will build upon the strength of the court,” Ms McCallum said.
The ACT Bar Association president, Marcus Hassall, congratulated Ms McWilliam on her appointment.
“Over the past almost six years, Associate Justice McWilliam has shown herself to be a highly capable judicial officer with a strong intellect and an acute sense of fairness,” Mr Hassall said.
“The ACT Bar Association looks forward to continuing to work with Her Honour to deliver high-quality justice outcomes for the benefit of the ACT community.”
The ACT Law Society also congratulated Ms McWilliam on her promotion.
“The local profession extends its good wishes to Justice McWilliam as she takes on her new role,” its president, Farzana Choudhury, said.
