Elise Archer,Minister for Justice
An advertisement program has begun today seeking expressions of interest from experienced legal practitioners who wish to be considered for appointment as a new permanent full-time magistrate for Tasmania.
This will be the first additional magistrate appointment since 2009, reflecting the Hodgman majority Liberal Government's strong approach to law and order.
We identified that a new magistrate was required to assist the Magistrates Court to address existing demand pressures and reduce the court backlog, and committed $172,000 in the 2019-20 State Budget to allow this new magistrate to commence next year.
The new magistrate will be stationed in Hobart but will also be required to travel state-wide to assist other regions.
An additional $921,000 per year was committed from 2020-21 to ensure appropriate support and court security could be provided to maximise the efficiency of the new magistrate.
To be eligible for appointment, a candidate must be an Australian legal practitioner of not less than five years standing and be under the age of 72.
In May's Budget we also announced the Hodgman majority Liberal Government's committed to the appointment of a new Supreme Court judge as part of our plan for a more effective and efficient justice system, and a safer Tasmania.
