ANU Law School alumni, Justice Louise Taylor, has been appointed as Chief Magistrate of the ACT Magistrates Court.  

Justice Taylor completed her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from ANU in 2001 and was named the 2019 Indigenous Alumna of the Year. She is a proud Kamilaroi woman and is the first Aboriginal woman in Australia to be appointed to a superior court. She was appointed as a Magistrate in 2018 and a Resident Judge of the Supreme Court in 2023.  

She said, “I am delighted to accept the opportunity to serve as Chief Magistrate of the ACT Magistrates Court whilst retaining my commission as a judge of the ACT Supreme Court. The Magistrates Court is the people’s court, the place where many Canberrans experience the justice system. 

“The chance to lead the diverse and increasingly complex work of the Magistrates Court is a great honour. This role is a return to a place where I spent much of my career. I take it on with deep respect for the hard-working court staff and Magistrates who faithfully serve our great city in the administration of justice. 

“I look forward to taking my place on the bench in this leadership role and I am grateful for the confidence in me that this appointment represents.” 

Attorney-General Tara Cheyne MLA says, “Justice Taylor has already demonstrated outstanding leadership and capability across both the Magistrates Court and Supreme Court jurisdictions. She returns to lead the Magistrates Court with additional perspective, experience and authority, by which the ACT community will be exceptionally well served.”  

ACT Bar Association acknowledges that Justice Taylor’s willingness to continue holding her appointment as Resident Judge of the Supreme Court alongside the position as Chief Magistrate ensures her expertise remains available to the Supreme Court. “Her leadership, judicial temperament, and standing within the Court and the wider profession make her the ideal appointment as the next Chief Magistrate of the ACT,” Prue Bindon, ACT Bar Council President says. 

She will begin as Chief Magistrate in May 2026.  

You can read more about Justice Taylor and her thoughts on the leadership of First Nations women in shaping public policy from the ANU First Nations Women in Public Policy 2026 event here.