The Victorian Government has made two new appointments to the Supreme and County Courts of Victoria, welcoming experience spanning decades and the first Deputy Chief Judge of the County Court in Victoria's history.
Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes congratulated County Court Judge Andrea Tsalamandris on her appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court and Her Honour Judge Meryl Sexton as the first Deputy Chief Judge.
Deputy Chief Judge Sexton was appointed as a Judge in the County Court in 2001 and in 2005 she was appointed as the inaugural judge in charge of the Court's Sex Offences List.
Her career began in criminal law, first appearing in criminal trials in 1987, accepting briefs from both prosecution and defence. In 1995 she was appointed as a Crown Prosecutor and from 1997 to 2001 she was an advocate member of the Legal Profession Tribunal. Deputy Chief Judge Sexton holds a Bachelor of Laws from Monash University.
The office of the Deputy Chief Judge has been established to bolster the work of the County Court by helping the Chief Judge to manage the increased workload of the Court. The County Court is the principal trial court in Victoria, hearing more than 12,000 cases per year across its three divisions.
These changes provide a power for the Chief Judge to delegate duties to the Deputy Chief Judge and will allow the Deputy Chief Judge to act as Chief Judge during periods of absence.
Justice Andrea Tsalamandris brings more than 20 years of legal experience to her new role, with the past six years serving as a Judge in the County Court, and most recently Head of the Common Law Division. She began her career in law in 1994 as a Solicitor at Holding Redlich and Adviceline Injury Lawyers before working her way up to a Senior Associate in 1997 and making partner in 2002. Justice Tsalamandris will become only the third solicitor ever appointed to the Supreme Court in Victoria's history.
Justice Tsalamandris holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from Monash University and is a Law Institute of Australia Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law. She will fill the vacancy created by the recent appointment of the Honourable Justice Cameron Macaulay as Judge to the Court of Appeal.
As stated by Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes
"The appointment of Victoria's first Deputy Chief Judge is a milestone for our justice system and will help drive down caseloads. I congratulate Judge Sexton and Justice Tsalamandris on their appointments and thank Justice Macaulay for his work."
"Justice Tsalamandris and Judge Sexton bring decades of experience to their roles, and I look forward to their ongoing contributions to Victoria's justice system."
As stated by Chief Judge Peter Kidd
"I congratulate Judge Meryl Sexton on her appointment as the County Court's very first Deputy Chief Judge."
"Throughout Judge Sexton's judicial career, she has contributed tirelessly to the administration of the County Court through a variety of roles, including as head of the sex offences list and as Acting Chief Judge."
