Login
3 barristers appointed to re-established Industrial Court of NSW
The Industrial Court, established last year by the Industrial Relations Amendment Act 2023, will count among its ranks three “highly experienced” barristers as judges.
Jerome Doraisamy
The court, which has been re-established, will be the specialised venue for industrial relations in NSW, resolving industrial disputes and dealing with work health and safety matters, the state’s Attorney-General’s Department said in a statement.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
It will act as a superior court of record, the statement went on, with equivalent status to the Supreme Court and the Land and Environment Court.
The court will hear matters relating to work health and safety in Australia’s most populous state and again have jurisdiction over matters that were transferred to other courts when the Industrial Court was abolished in 2016.
Its new president will be employment law and work health and safety expert Ingmar Taylor SC, and fellow silk David Chin SC, a specialist in work health and safety, industrial, employment and discrimination law, will be vice-president.
Elsewhere, Jane Paingakulam, who has practised primarily in criminal law and provided advice to government agencies on public sector issues, will serve as the court’s deputy president.
All three will be judges of the Industrial Court.
NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said: “I am delighted to announce three eminent and respected legal practitioners will be the first appointees to the Industrial Court of NSW.
“The re-establishment of the Industrial Court was a key election promise of the NSW Labor government to ensure that public sector employees have access to a fair and independent umpire.”
Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis added: “By creating a one-stop shop for industrial justice, the new Industrial Court is a significant win for working people.
“I congratulate the respected and very qualified Mr Taylor SC, Mr Chin SC and Ms Paingakulam on their appointments to the court.”
