Login
2 barristers appointed to NSW Local Court
NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley has named two prosecutors as magistrates to the state’s Local Court, who bring decades of combined experience to their new roles.
Jerome Doraisamy
Megan Heywood and Sean Hughes have been appointed as magistrates and will commence in their roles on 28 February and 27 February, respectively.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Ms Heywood is a barrister with more than 25 years of experience, the Attorney-General’s Department said in a statement, who has spent most of those years working with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in Queensland, the ACT, and NSW.
She was first appointed a Crown prosecutor in Queensland in 2008 and is currently a Crown prosecutor in the NSW ODPP based in Sydney, a role she was appointed to in early 2022.
Mr Hughes has been at the Bar for nearly 20 years, practising mainly in criminal law both defending and prosecuting in NSW Supreme and District Court jury trials.
In 2010, the Department went on, Mr Hughes started prosecuting as counsel for the ODPP and two years later was appointed Crown prosecutor, before rising to deputy senior Crown prosecutor in 2021, a position he currently holds.
Speaking about the two new magistrates, Mr Daley said: “I congratulate Ms Heywood and Mr Hughes on their appointments as magistrates.
“The Local Court is the backbone of the NSW justice system, with almost all criminal and civil matters starting there. Both individuals will bring a rich range of skills and experience to the bench and will help the State continue delivering justice for the community.”
