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The total number of magistrates in NSW will reach 159, after what’s been described as one of the largest appointments of judicial officers in the state’s history.

Solicitors make up eight of the 11 new appointments, which are also comprised of barristers, one of whom previously served as a police prosecutor.  

They come from a diverse range of backgrounds, including the public and private sectors, as well as having regional, interstate, and international experience. 

Attorney General Michael Daley says he’s delighted to be announcing the appointments. “The Local Court is the backbone of the NSW justice system, with magistrates responsible for more than 90 per cent of judicial decisions in the state, including increasingly complex cases,” he says. 

Six of the appointments will take over from magistrates moving to other courts, retiring or becoming part-time but the other five are entirely new positions. 

Law Society of NSW President Brett McGrath says it’s a welcome investment in Australia’s busiest court.

“The appointment of these magistrates represents a regeneration of the judicial talent of the Local Court and the expansion of the bench by five will help meet the ever-increasing demands on the court as our population continues to grow,” he says.

Among the appointments is Lisa Graham, who’s been with the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for more than 30 years. She’s currently a charge certifier and solicitor with carriage of serious matters. 

Shaun Mortimer is currently the Principal Solicitor of Criminal Practice at the Aboriginal Legal Service. He was awarded Specialist Accreditation in Criminal Law in 2013 and started out as a criminal defence lawyer with the ALS in Dubbo in 2008. 

Michael Blair is the Principal Solicitor and Director of his own law firm and has two decades of experience as a criminal defence solicitor. 

Razia Shafiq is a barrister who’s worked in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. She’s previously been a Senior Solicitor with the ODPP in Parramatta. 

Now a Crown Prosecutor, Jeff Tunks previously led the Criminal Law Division at Marsdens Law Group for nearly a decade, before becoming a barrister. He briefed in matters in the District, Supreme and Appeal Courts, as well as the ICAC. He also previously served as a prosecutor for NSW Police. 

The appointments also include Legal Aid trial advocate Elizabeth Bushby, Crown Prosecutor Rosheehan O’Meagher, barrister Bryan Robinson, Penrith-based Legal Aid Solicitor Advocate Chris Brown, private solicitor Arthur Aguirre and Legal Aid senior Early Appropriate Guilty Plea solicitor Pilar Lopez. 

After initial postings across the state, they’ll be given more permanent locations. 

The group will be sworn in as magistrates in early 2025 and will eventually be known as judges, under the planned change of title previously announced by the government.