Justice Martin Hinton, a current Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, will be appointed to the role of Director of Public Prosecutions.
Following an extensive national recruitment campaign, Justice Hinton will resign his commission as a Justice of the Supreme Court to become the first ever former Supreme Court Justice to take on the role of South Australia's DPP.
Attorney-General, Vickie Chapman said today that she was thrilled that Justice Hinton had agreed to take on the vital role of the DPP.
"Justice Hinton is a highly respected member of the judiciary and has vast experience in the criminal law," Attorney-General Chapman said.
Justice Hinton was appointed to the Supreme Court of South Australia in April 2016, having held the role of Solicitor-General for nearly a decade. During his time as Solicitor-General, he routinely appeared in the High Court of Australia.
Justice Hinton studied law at the University of Adelaide and was first admitted to practice in December 1989. He was also admitted to practice in England and Wales in 1992 and spent a number of years working in London including as a Senior Crown Prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service. Justice Hinton was first employed in the Office of the DPP in South Australia as a Prosecutor in 1993. In 2006 he was appointed Queen's Counsel.
He was appointed the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in May 2007, and Solicitor-General in August 2008.
Justice Hinton has extensive experience in the prosecution of serious crimes in both in South Australia and the UK, and will also bring to the role a wealth of additional experience from his time as Solicitor-General, and Justice of the Supreme Court.
He is also an Adjunct Professor in Law at the University of Adelaide and holds Masters of Law Degrees from both the University of Adelaide and the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is Chair of the University of Adelaide Law School Advisory Board, Chair of the Indigenous Law Students Mentoring Program, Director of the Australian Academy of Law and Member of the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration Indigenous Justice Committee.
Before Justice Hinton takes up this appointment, amendments to the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1991 will be introduced into Parliament.
"I will be introducing amendments to the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1991 so that Justice Hinton can maintain his existing judicial entitlements. This is a similar approach as that taken in New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory, and will ensure high calibre candidates such as Justice Hinton are attracted to the role in future.
It is proposed that Justice Hinton be appointed in mid-October subject to the passage of legislation through Parliament.
