New judge appointed to District and Drug Courts
A Deputy Chief Magistrate will be made a permanent judge of the District Court, the Attorney-General has announced.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Jane Mottley AM has been appointed as the newest permanent judge of the District Court and will be sworn in as the senior judge of the NSW Drug Court to replace his honour Judge Roger Dive, who is retiring next month.
Announcing the new appointment, Attorney-General Mark Speakman said Ms Mottley will bring more than 30 years of legal experience to the Drug Court bench.
“Deputy Chief Magistrate Mottley is the ideal candidate to take the work of the Drug Court forward after the compassion and leadership of Judge Dive,” he said.
“She brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to the role, including as an acting District Court judge and as judge of the Drug Court. Her Honour’s warmth, insight and intelligence will be invaluable to an area of the justice system which has a proven record of turning lives around.”
Ms Mottley said she was delighted to be awarded the opportunity to lead the Drug Court.
“Judge Dive has been the father of the Drug Court and it’s an honour to be able to continue his work. I hope I can achieve as much as him in the time that I lead the court,” she said.
“The Drug Court is genuinely a multi-agency partnership, involved not only in the administration of justice, but in delivering health and living outcomes that are not usually addressed through the normal processes of the justice system.”
Lauren Croft
Lauren is a journalist at Lawyers Weekly and graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism from Macleay College. Prior to joining Lawyers Weekly, she worked as a trade journalist for media and travel industry publications and Travel Weekly. Originally born in England, Lauren enjoys trying new bars and restaurants, attending music festivals and travelling. She is also a keen snowboarder and pre-pandemic, spent a season living in a French ski resort.