FORMER NSW Supreme Court judge Justice Lucy McCallum has been appointed as the next Chief Justice of the ACT Supreme Court.

Justice McCallum is expected to start her role as the sixth Chief Justice of the ACT Supreme Court in March next year.

Justice McCallum replaces outgoing Chief Justice Helen Murrell, who was the ACT’s first female Chief Justice.

Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury said Justice McCallum brings a wealth of experience to the role, having been appointed as a judge of the NSW Supreme Court in 2008 and the NSW Court of Appeal in January 2019.

“Justice McCallum’s legal career spans more than 30 years and she has cemented her standing in the Australian legal profession,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“Her appointment follows an extensive search which drew a high-calibre field.”

Justice McCallum started her legal career in 1986, with a stint as a prosecutor in Canberra from 1988 to 1990.

“I am very excited to be returning to the ACT to take on this role,” Justice McCallum said.

“I’m looking forward to working with Canberra’s judges and magistrates and the broader legal community to build on the achievements of Chief Justice Murrell and cement the Territory’s reputation as a place of excellent jurisprudence.”