New President of the court of appeal

16 Feb 2022

The first female solicitor appointed directly to the Supreme Court of NSW will soon become the second highest ranking judicial officer in the state.

Attorney General Mark Speakman said the appointment of the Chief Judge in Equity the Honourable Justice Julie Ward as President of the NSW Court of Appeal represents a deserved elevation for an outstanding lawyer.

“Justice Ward has been a trailblazer for both women and the solicitor branch of the profession throughout her career,” Mr Speakman said.

“Her Honour’s service to the law began with a term as Associate to the first Chief Justice of the Federal Court, Sir Nigel Bowen. Only six years after Justice Ward was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court in 1982, she became the then youngest female lawyer to become a partner of Mallesons Stephen Jaques, one of Australia’s most prominent law firms.”

Justice Ward’s prodigious legal talent was recognised at the University of Sydney where she won the University Medal in law. She went on to earn a (post-graduate) Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford University with First Class Honours.

Her Honour became the first female solicitor to be appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court in 2008, where she sat in the Equity Division, before becoming a Judge of Appeal in 2012 and Chief Judge in Equity in 2017.

“Justice Ward is a worthy successor to the outgoing President, Justice Andrew Bell, who the Governor today appointed as Chief Justice,” Mr Speakman said.

“NSW is fortunate to have such extraordinary lawyers willing to serve the people of this state through leading its highest court,” Mr Speakman said.

Arrangements for the new President’s commencement will be announced shortly.