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4 appointed to the FCFCOA
Four new judges have been appointed to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, bolstering both Division 1 and 2 across the country.
Lauren Croft
Andrew Strum QC and Richard Schonell SC have been appointed as judges of the FCFCOA Division 1, effective as of 29 November.
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Mr Strum has been appointed to the Victorian Registry and was admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1992. In 2015, he was appointed senior counsel, with the position transitioning to Queen’s counsel in 2016. He has practised exclusively in the family law jurisdiction, both at the interlocutory, trial and appellate levels and in mediations.
Mr Schonell joins the NSW Registry and was first admitted as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of NSW in 1986. He is also a regular contributor and speaker at conferences and seminars on family law matters.
Additionally, Dr Anna Parker and Dearne Firth have been appointed as Division 2 judges of the FCFCOA and commenced their new roles on 29 November.
Dr Parker joins the South Australian Registry and is a senior registrar and national operations registrar (Judicial Case management) at the FCFCOA, working across both divisions. She was admitted as a barrister in 2016 to the Victorian bar, practising exclusively in family law and related areas after working as a lawyer for 10 years.
Ms Firth has been appointed to the Queensland Registry and was admitted as a barrister in 2010. In addition to being a barrister, Ms Firth is a nationally accredited mediator and arbitrator.
The Law Council of Australia has welcomed the appointments, president Dr Jacoba Brasch QC said.
“Congratulations to Richard Schonell SC and Andrew Strum QC on their appointment to Division 1 of the New South Wales and Victorian Registries, respectively; and to Dr Anna Parker and Dearne Firth, who have been appointed to Division 2 of the FCFCOA in Adelaide and Brisbane,” she said.
“We welcome these four appointments, which combined with the 11 new judges appointed a little over a month ago bring the number of judges nationally to 108.
“Each of today’s appointees are not only incredibly experienced in family law but have contributed generously to our profession through participation in and leadership of family law committees and associations in their states and by taking an active role in the continuing professional development of their peers.”
