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Another new leadership appointment has been announced for the NSW Local Court, this time the role of Deputy Chief Magistrate, which will be taken up by Magistrate Michael Antrum.

First appointed to the court in 2011, Antrum has served in courts throughout the state, including Wagga Wagga, Queanbeyan, Gosford and Sydney’s Downing Centre.

He studied communications at university, followed by law. He later completed a Graduate Diploma in Military Law at the Australian National University.

Antrum has been an Officer in the Australian Army Legal Corps since 2005.

In 2015, while serving in the Queanbeyan and Cooma Local Courts, he told LSJ that being a magistrate was a privileged position.

“You can bring to bear your own experience of life and your training, and you’re given a very sober job to do – handing out punishments, penalties and probation orders,” he said at the time.

“These things, for better or worse, have major impacts on people’s lives. I feel that responsibility very keenly.”

Before going to the bench, Michael Antrum worked as a solicitor in Dubbo, Narrabri and Sydney.

He worked with the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre and was General Counsel at the NSW Police Force, among other roles.

In June, the NSW Government announced the appointment of Judge Michael Allen as Chief Magistrate, to succeed the retiring Judge Peter Johnstone.

Announcing this latest appointment, Attorney General Michael Daley said Antrum would bring more than three decades of experience to the role.

“He has already been a leader of the Local Court, as a member of its Education Committee and the orientation team for new Magistrates, in addition to his leadership role at the Mental Health Review Tribunal.

“This appointment … recognises Magistrate Antrum’s outstanding contribution to the law, and to the community more generally,” said Daley.

Magistrate Antrum will take up the position of Deputy Chief Magistrate on 28 October.