Complaints about judicial officers will be examined by a Judicial Council from today, under a Government reform to promote community confidence in the justice system.
Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay also announced Mr Bryan Meagher SC and Ms Diane Collins as the two appointed members to join the Chief Justice and Chief Magistrate on the Council.
“Mr Meagher is a highly respected and experienced member of the ACT legal community and has been appointed to the Council for three years,” Mr Ramsay said. “Mr Meagher was jointly nominated by the ACT Law Society and the Bar Association.
“Ms Collins is an esteemed member of the ACT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. She has served the ACT in a number of roles and will serve as a member of the Council for the remainder of 2017.
“Each of the four members of the Council has provided outstanding service to the ACT in the past, and will continue to do so in these roles.”
Mr Ramsay said the Council would increase transparency and accountability, while maintaining judicial independence.
“The Judicial Council has been a long standing commitment of the ACT Government,” said Mr Ramsay.
“The establishment of the Judicial Council will give people in the ACT confidence that any complaints about judicial officers are handled fairly and efficiently.”
The Judicial Council will manage complaints that don’t merit consideration of removal of a judicial officer from office.
“I would particularly like to thank the judiciary and the legal profession for their support of this new framework,” Mr Ramsay said.
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