Judicial appointments (1 Viewer)

[Rafy]

Judging judges: call to end appointment by MPs

HOW judges are appointed is a mystery to most people except the pickers and the picked, but support for changing the system is growing and a senior judge is leading the way.

Federal Court judge Ronald Sackville, who heads the Judicial Conference of Australia, wants the appointment process opened up to increase diversity, transparency and avoid "unsuitable" candidates.

Vacancies on federal and state benches are filled on the recommendation of the attorney-general, without any formal process. But concerns are growing after recent controversial appointments.

The NSW Attorney-General, Bob Debus, last year made one of his advisers a magistrate within a fortnight of her admission as a lawyer, and his federal counterpart, Philip Ruddock, made one of an adviser to Kevin Andrews, the Workplace Relations Minister.

The Bar Association is holding a forum on the issue next month. The Judicial Conference will also discuss it.

Justice Sackville told the Herald his personal view was that an English-style judicial appointments commission was unrealistic in Australia, as there were fewer vacancies. He also doubted politicians were ready to give up their role.

But he said some recent appointments made "a very powerful case" for change, and he advocated the establishment of an independent advisory body. [...]

Full Article: SMH

 

[wheredanton]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/heffernan-blasts-dead-judge/2006/09/14/1157827096828.html

Related. I'm not sure what Heffernan thinks are unusual life style choices...but we all remember what he tried to do to Kirby.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

The president of the NSW Bar Association, Michael Slattery, said Senator Heffernan was misusing parliamentary privilege, and "the manner in which a judge dies is irrelevant to the validity of his judgements".

Good old Slattery.