NSW Attorney General, Mark Speakman, today announced the appointment of barrister, Dr Sarah Pritchard SC, as a judge of the Land and Environment Court.
Mr Speakman said Dr Pritchard (pictured) had forged an outstanding 36-year career in the legal profession.
“Her extensive legal experience spans many areas of practice, including environment, planning and property law, constitutional law and administrative and public law,” Mr Speakman said.
“She has appeared in the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of NSW (including the Court of Appeal), the Land and Environment Court, the Local Court of NSW and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. She also appears regularly in inquests, royal commissions and inquiries.
“I congratulate Dr Pritchard and wish her well in her new role.
He said the NSW Government continued to commit significant resources to expand the pool of Acting Commissioners and to reduce the time it takes to have a matter resolved in the Land and Environment Court.
“In the most recent Report on Government Services data, the Land and Environment Court achieved an over 100% clearance rate for the second year in a row, meaning the Court finalised more matters than it registered.”
“This is the first time this has been achieved in consecutive years since 2009-10. In this year’s Budget, the NSW Government committed $1.2 million to continue an additional two Land and Environment Court Commissioners.”
Mr Speakman said Dr Pritchard will be sworn into her new position in a ceremony on 15 November.
Dr Pritchard is currently Environmental Counsel to the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the EPA Board.
