List of judges of the Federal Court of Australia


Judges who have served on the Federal Court of Australia as of 2019, are appointed in accordance with section 72 of the Constitution, which has, since the Court's inception in 1976, been for a term expiring at age 70.
In addition to their judicial service, six judges of the Federal Court have also been elected to the Parliament of Australia: Nigel Bowen, Bob Ellicott, Merv Everett, Tony Whitlam, John Reeves and Duncan Kerr. All were elected prior to their appointment to the bench.
Additionally, two judges of the Federal Court have served in state Parliaments: Bernard Riley, formerly of the New South Wales Legislative Council, and Howard Olney, formerly of the Western Australian Legislative Council.

Judges including Chief Justices

PositionNameAppointment
commenced
Appointment
ended
TermCommentsNotes
20 December 197631 December 1990Chief Judge in Equity of the Supreme Court (NSW)
1 January 199121 March 2010Barrister
22 March 201028 February 2013Court of Appeal Judge in the Supreme Court (Qld)
Appointed to the High Court
1 March 20136 April 2023Previously President of the Court of Appeal
previously served as Federal Court judge
'7 April 2023Judge of the Federal Court
1 February 197731 March 1985
1 February 197712 February 1981Appointed to the High Court
1 February 197717 March 1982
1 February 197728 February 1987Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
1 February 197731 January 1989
1 February 19775 August 1986
1 February 197731 March 1989Chief Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
1 February 197729 February 1996Judge of Industrial Relations Court
1 February 19774 August 1986
1 February 197730 June 1980
1 February 197731 August 1998Judge of Industrial Relations Court
1 February 19774 August 1978
1 February 197730 September 1986
1 February 197731 March 1985Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
1 February 197729 June 1995
1 February 19777 May 1981
1 February 197724 November 1977
1 February 197731 July 1990
1 April 197726 July 1982Appointed to the High Court
4 April 197731 December 1986Appointed to the High Court
7 November 197714 November 1985
6 March 197831 July 1989
11 March 197830 July 2000
17 May 197831 August 1998
30 October 197811 June 1999
9 December 197923 May 1997
11 March 19801 July 1990
11 February 19811 February 1993Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
2 March 198124 February 1983
25 November 198130 June 1984
1 November 19825 June 1997
11 March 19838 January 1995
30 March 198323 September 1984Appointed to NSW Court of Appeal
then to High Court
30 May 198311 February 2005Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI)
11 May 19842 October 2006Chief Justice of Industrial Relations Court
Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
17 May 198417 May 2013Judge of Industrial Relations Court
17 May 198419 July 2010Judge of Industrial Relations Court
Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
27 June 19844 October 1987
25 March 198516 December 1991
3 June 198510 October 2000
18 June 198530 September 2002
15 November 198526 May 1987"Australia's pre-eminent constitutional law barrister", according to lawyer Louise Clegg in the AFR
29 September 19862 June 2011Judge of Industrial Relations Court
Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
24 November 198620 April 1995Appointed to the High Court
25 November 19861 September 2008Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
Appointed to Chief Justice of the High Court
18 December 198616 April 2001
13 August 198724 April 1990
2 November 198726 November 1998
1 February 198831 May 2004
15 February 19881 May 2006Judge of Industrial Relations Court
21 May 198830 April 2003
1 December 198815 August 2003Judge of Industrial Relations Court
1 February 198924 August 2005
1 July 19905 March 2002
14 August 199017 December 1991
1 August 198928 January 2003
1 July 199012 September 2013
17 December 199016 February 2009
2 December 199112 April 2003
30 March 199214 March 2005
1 January 199328 April 1996Judge of Industrial Relations Court
Appointed to Court of Appeal (NSW)
1 January 19931 May 2005
13 December 19931 August 2004
28 March 19941 August 2011Judge of Industrial Relations Court
Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
16 May 199413 October 2008
4 July 19946 April 2001
26 July 199412 February 2010
29 August 199430 March 2009Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
19 September 199425 August 2008
17 October 19943 September 2007Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
Appointed to the High Court
1 January 19957 August 2007
3 July 19954 July 2012
10 July 19959 August 2010
17 July 199521 November 2015Judge of Industrial Relations Court
3 October 199510 September 2001
3 October 199521 April 2008Judge of Industrial Relations Court
Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
3 10 199511 9 2018Judge of Industrial Relations Court
Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
5 February 199615 May 2006
2 September 199624 August 2016
3 February 19976 March 2013
3 February 19974 July 2010
21 July 19971 July 2011
17 September 199728 February 2012President of AIRC & then Fair Work Australia
15 July 199819 July 2008Judge of the Court of Appeal (Vic)
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI)
Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
14 September 199826 April 2018Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court (Qld).
30 September 199821 March 2002
2 October 19981 October 2005
16 October 199829 November 2023Presidential member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
Previously a judge of the Court of Appeal (Vic)
11 June 199922 August 2008Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
15 August 200015 August 2007
9 October 200022 March 2012Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
7 May 20012 June 2008As Justice. Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
Appointed President of the Court of Appeal
returned to court as Chief Justice
2 April 200215 May 2012Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
17 June 200225 January 2015Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI)
18 November 200210 April 2005
5 May 200323 March 2016Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
14 July 200331 August 2013Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
3 February 20041 November 2005Appointed to the High Court
14 April 20055 5 2018Presidential member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
5 May 200510 February 2016
24 May 20056 September 2010
4 August 200519 July 2022
30 November 200524 January 2007
2 February 200615 November 2023Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
'8 February 2006Judge of the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court
Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
13 March 200615 March 2014
3 April 20067 May 2024Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (NI)
Additional Judge of the Supreme Court (ACT)
Previously a judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia
23 June 200615 4 2017
24 7 200616 8 2018
31 7 200625.12.2022
8 September 200610 September 2016Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
11 December 200623 March 2018Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
20 April 20078 June 2015Appointed to the High Court
'27 September 2007
15 October 200718 October 2021
15 October 20075 December 2021
19 November 20071 January 2022
'8 August 2008
3 September 200816 October 2022Appointed to the High Court
4 9 200830 9 2020
9 2 200911 2 2019
'16 2 2009
30.11.200930.11.2024
'7 December 2009President of the Australian Law Reform Commission
1 February 20101 April 2014
'1 February 2010
11 4 20118 5 2020
'13 June 2011
1 March 201218 November 2022President of Fair Work Commission
23 April 20121 April 2022
10 May 201225 February 2022President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
Previously member of the House of Representatives and Attorney-General
5 December 20121 August 2023
21 June 201331 3 2018
4 July 20131 April 2022
'12 July 2013Appointed Chief Justice
'13 August 2013
31 August 20135 January 2022
'9 September 2013Judge of the Supreme Court (NI)
'23 September 2013
15 April 201428 2 2021Appointed to the High Court
'30 June 2014
20 April 201529 January 2017Appointed to the High Court
'24 August 2015
'3 November 2015Acting President of the Australian Law Reform Commission
'29 February 2016
'1 March 2016
'6 May 2016
'1 February 2017
'27 3 2017
'29 3 2017
27 6 201731.01.2024President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court (Qld)
'10 1 2018President of the Australian Law Reform Commission
1 2 201830.11.2020Appointed to the High Court
'12 2 2018Previously a Judge of Supreme Court (WA)
'13 2 2018
'14 2 2018
'3 10 2018
1 2 201929.04.2022
'25 2 2019
'26 2 2019
'20 3 2019
'29 4 2019
'6 5 2019
'7 5 2019
'19 3 2021
'12 4 2021
'12 7 2021
'2 8 2021
'11.11.2021
'20.01.2022Previously a Judge of the District Court of South Australia
'24.01.2022
'08.03.2022
'31.03.2022President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
'26.04.2022Previously a Judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court
'27.04.2022
'02.05.2022
'19.12.2022Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
'16.01.2023Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria
'06.02.2023
'19.02.2023President of the Fair Work Commission
'08.06.2023Previously a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria
President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
'05.09.2023
'07.09.2023
'08.02.2024
'09.02.2024
'05.07.2024
08.07.2024
17.12.2024Previously a Judge of Supreme Court (WA)
18.12.2024
18.12.2024
19.12.2024
19.12.2024
20.12.2024
20.12.2024
06.01.2025

Location of current judges

;Sydney
;Melbourne
;Brisbane
;Perth
;Adelaide
;Hobart