Deputy Chief Magistrate Jane Mottley AM will be made a permanent judge of the District Court and be sworn in as the Senior Judge of the NSW Drug Court to replace his Honour Judge Roger Dive, who is retiring next month.
Attorney General Mark Speakman said Deputy Chief Magistrate Mottley will bring more than 30 years of legal experience to the Drug Court bench.
"Deputy Chief Magistrate Mottley is the ideal candidate to take the work of the Drug Court forward after the compassion and leadership of Judge Dive," Mr Speakman said.
"She brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to the role, including as an acting District Court judge and as judge of the Drug Court. Her Honour's warmth, insight and intelligence will be invaluable to an area of justice system which has a proven record of turning lives around."
Deputy Chief Magistrate Mottley was admitted as a solicitor in 1989, becoming a magistrate in 2000. She sat in the Children's Court, in the Local Courts, including on the Parkes circuit before being appointed Deputy Chief Magistrate in 2009. Her Honour has been an acting judge of the District Court since 2017 while presiding as a judge of the Drug Court.
Her Honour said she was delighted to be awarded the opportunity to lead the Drug Court.
"Judge Dive has been the father of the Drug Court and it's an honour to be able to continue his work. I hope I can achieve as much as him in the time that I lead the court," Deputy Chief Magistrate Mottley said.
"The Drug Court is genuinely a multi-agency partnership, involved not only in the administration of justice, but in delivering health and living outcomes that are not usually addressed through the normal processes of the justice system."
The Drug Court currently sits at Sydney, Parramatta and Toronto, with a new Drug Court to be established in Dubbo. It is proven to be more efficient at driving down crime and more cost effective than prison. Deputy Chief Magistrate Mottley will take up her new role on Monday, 9 August.
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