Leading Brisbane family lawyer Dearne Firth is one of four new appointments to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia (FCFCOA).
Federal Attorney-General Michaelia Cash announced Ms Firth’s appointment as a judge of Division 2 of Brisbane’s FCFCOA on Friday.
Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Chief Justice Will Alstergren said he was delighted with the appointment of such a distinguished and highly skilled practitioner who was well regarded for the incredible depth of knowledge and experience in family law.
Also announced in the appointments were silks Richard Schonell SC (Sydney) and Andrew Strum QC (Melbourne) as judges of Division 1 of the court, with Senior Judicial Registrar Anna Parker elevated to a judge of Division 2 in Adelaide.
“The calibre of these appointments, together with many other new judges who have joined the court this year, reflects the high esteem in which the court, and its judges, are held,” Chief Justice Alstergren said.
Ms Firth is a respected leading family law junior counsel and was called to the Bar in 2010.
She practises primarily in family law, child protection, domestic violence, regulatory prosecutions and criminal law.
Chief Justice Alstergren said Ms Firth had extensive experience appearing in both Division 1 and Division 2 of the FCFCOA, as well as the Supreme Court, District Court and Magistrates Court of Queensland.
Additionally, Ms Firth is a nationally accredited mediator and arbitrator, and was a committee member on the board of the Family Law Practitioners Association of Queensland.
The latest FCFCOA appointments follow the appointment of 11 new judges to the court last month and brings the total number of judges nationally to 108 (35 in Division 1 and 73 in Division 2), making it the largest court in Australia.
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