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6 new judges appointed to newly merged FCFCOA
Attorney-General Michaelia Cash has announced the appointments of six new judges to the newly merged Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Naomi Neilson
Mid this month, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) welcomed the appointments of six new magistrates, five of which are women. They are Julie Kearney, Caroline Jenkins, Samantha Murdoch, Vivien Carty, John McGinn and Sophie Given, who all bring a wealth of experience to the federal bench.
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Justice Kearney, appointed to the Newcastle registry, was first admitted as a solicitor in 1995 and was called to the bar in 2015. She is an accredited mediator and arbitrator, has worked as a registrar of the FCFCOA before it merged and has been a senior legal member of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Adelaide registry recruit Justice Jenkins was admitted as a solicitor and barrister in 2003 and has since worked as a duty lawyer at the Eastern Domestic Violence Outreach Service and Victoria Legal Aid. Much like Justice Kearney, Justice Jenkins is also an accredited and highly experienced mediator and arbitrator.
Justice Murdoch was appointed to the Paramatta registry, where she will bring a wealth of experience from her 25-year legal career. Justice Murdoch was accredited by the NSW Law Society as a family law specialist in 2001 and as an arbitrator in 2016. She is currently a senior registrar at the merged FCFCOA.
Joining Justice Kearney in the Newcastle registry is Justice Carty, who was admitted as a solicitor, attorney and proctor in the NSW Supreme Court in 1983 and barrister in 2011. Justice Carty began her career as a solicitor with Victoria Legal Aid.
Adelaide registry’s Justice McGinn was admitted as a solicitor and barrister in the Supreme Court of South Australia in 1984. He has since been a barrister at Hugh Burton Chambers, a member of the South Australian Bar Association and was a member of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia (LCA).
Finally, Justice Given was appointed to the Sydney registry. Justice Given was admitted as a solicitor in 2001 and as a barrister in 2004. Currently, she works as a partner with national firm HWL Ebsworth Lawyers.
“On behalf of the Australian government, I congratulate Ms Kearney, Ms Jenkins, Ms Murdoch, Ms Carty, Mr McGinn, and Ms Given on their appointments and thank them for their willingness to serve the people of Australia as judges of the FCFCOA,” Ms Cash said.
