New judge appointed to NSW District Court

Friday 24 November 2023

Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor Miiko Kumar has been appointed to the NSW District Court.

Ms Kumar has extensive experience in criminal law, having appeared in numerous complex trials and appeals as counsel in NSW.

She has also appeared in the Federal Court and the High Court, as well as in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal and the NSW Coroners Court.

Admitted in 1996, Ms Kumar enjoyed a lengthy and successful career at the private Bar and in academia before rising to Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor for the Sydney West region. Here Ms Kumar supervised and mentored Crown Prosecutors and Solicitor Advocates based in Campbelltown, Parramatta, and Penrith. Recently, she has also acted as a Deputy Director in Director’s Chambers at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

Ms Kumar is active in policy and legal education and has served in positions including Chair of the ODPP’s NSW First Nations Mentoring Committee and Chair of the ODPP’s Implementation Committee for the Child Sexual Offence Evidence Program.

Ms Kumar replaces Judge Sarah Huggett, who has been appointed to the NSW Supreme Court.

NSW Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“Ms Kumar’s diverse professional experience will be a great asset to the NSW District Court.”

“She has demonstrated excellent leadership throughout her career as a Crown Prosecutor, in her private practice and in academia and will make an excellent judge of the District Court.”

BIOGRAPHY

Miiko Kumar was admitted to legal practice in 1996 after completing a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sydney. She began her career at the ODPP, followed by the Australian Law Reform Commission and the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office. She was called to the Bar in 2001 and was most recently Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor at the ODPP. Her practice at the private bar was in common law, insurance and public/administrative law, acting for both plaintiffs and defendants.