Appointments and Retirements in May 2017

Monday 8 May 2017 @ 11.48 a.m. | Judiciary, Legal Profession & Procedure | Legal Research

At the end of April 2017 and beginning of May 2017, there have been many changes in the judiciary with a Justice of the Federal Court announcing his retirement; the Commonwealth Ombudsman appointed and a new judge appointed to the Victorian County Court.

Justice Jessup Retires from Federal Court

Justice Christopher Jessup has been described, according to Lawyers' Weekly, as a man of “serious intellect and great courage” at a special ceremony to farewell the Federal Court judge from the bench. He was appointed as a judge to the Federal Court of Australia in June 2006 and announced his retirement from the bench on 24 April 2017.

Law Council of Australia President Fiona McLeod SC said:

“In addition to your honour’s professional learning, experience and intelligence, you are also a man of great integrity...I extend to you the best wishes of the profession for your future.”

New Commonwealth Ombudsman Appointed

Today, 8 May 2017, the new Commonwealth (and ACT) Ombudsman starts his new role. Career public servant Michael Manthorpe has moved directly over from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, where he was a deputy secretary in charge of visa and citizenship services.

The incoming ombudsman earned a Public Service Medal in 2010 for leading the government’s response to the 2008 collapse of ABC Learning childcare centres, as a senior executive in the education portfolio, when it was combined with employment and workplace relations. The citation records, according to The Mandarin:

“His personal drive, decisive leadership, strategic approach to planning and strong relationship building skills focused efforts on protecting people, families, jobs and the childcare industry...In a pressured, emotive, complex and challenging environment he led the Child Care Industry Taskforce as it worked in partnership with the receivers and other stakeholders to develop innovative solutions that would provide stability for, and minimise the impact on, parents, children and employees...Throughout this process many unique and challenging public policy and commercial issues arose and it was Mr Manthorpe’s leadership and enormous personal commitment that delivered an outstanding result in terms of ongoing access to child care and a sound policy outcome.”

New Judge Appointed to VIC County Court

According to the Attorney-General's media release of 3 May 2017, Ted Woodward SC has been appointed as a new commercial judge of the County Court.

Mr Woodward is currently a barrister and brings more than 30 years of experience to the role.

He spent 15 years practising with commercial law firm, Arthur Robinson & Hedderwicks, including five years as partner, and spent almost a year with the Australian Securities Commission as a Special Consultant, Litigation. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne and signed the Victorian bar roll in 1997 before being appointed Senior Counsel in 2010.

Prior to his appointment, Mr Woodward practised in general commercial litigation and specialising in corporate insolvency and reconstruction, and proceedings and investigations under the Corporations Act. Mr Woodward has also acted in numerous inquests, particularly as junior Counsel Assisting the Coroner investigating the 2003 bushfires in the ACT.

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