Tasmania’s new Chief Justice, Chris Shanahan SC, sworn in at Government House
A former head of the Corruption and Crime Commission of Western Australia has been officially sworn in as the fifteenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Tasmania.
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A former head of the Corruption and Crime Commission of Western Australia has been officially sworn in as the fifteenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Tasmania during a ceremony at Government House in Hobart.
Mr Chris Shanahan SC, who was last month announced as the successor to outgoing Chief Justice Alan Blow, took the oath of office on Monday morning before Her Excellency, the Honourable Barbara Baker, AC.
The new Chief Justice was also sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Guy Barnett, welcomed Chief Justice Shanahan to his new role.
“Today is a very special day for the Tasmanian justice system and I both congratulate and warmly welcome the fifteenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Tasmania, Mr Chris Shanahan,” the Attorney-General said.
“The Chief Justice has had an extensive and esteemed career over a number of decades.
“The importance of an independent judiciary and the rule of law are paramount in our modern society.
“As such, Tasmania’s Supreme Court has a proud 200-year legacy, the oldest in the nation, and I look forward to the new Chief Justice continuing to build upon this important work.
“Providing Tasmanians access to justice and confidence in our judiciary are important priorities of our Government and the Chief Justice plays an integral role in ensuring this is successful.”
At a press conference earlier on Monday, Minister Felix Ellis defended the government’s decision not to install the first female Chief Justice in Tasmania’s history, and to appoint a legal practitioner from outside the state to lead Tasmania’s courts, and said
“The most important thing for Tasmanians is that we have the best person for the job, and that’s exactly what we’ve delivered,” Mr Ellis said.
“The new Chief Justice will be outstanding.”
Chief Justice Shanahan was admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 1984, to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1989 and the High Court of Australia in 1990, and he was appointed Senior Counsel in 2004.
More recently, he was Acting Commissioner of the Corruption and Crime Commission of Western Australia and a Senior Sessional Member of the State Administrative Appeal Tribunal.
Former Chief Justice Blow was first appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Tasmania in 2000, before being elevated to the top job in April 2013 upon the retirement of former Chief Justice, The Honourable Ewan Crawford.
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Originally published as Tasmania’s new Chief Justice, Chris Shanahan SC, sworn in at Government House
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