Louise Taylor: First Indigenous woman appointed as Supreme Court judge

Louise Taylor became the first Indigenous jurist in the Australian Capital Territory when she was made a magistrate five years ago.

Louise Taylor is Australia's first female Indigenous judge.

Louise Taylor is the first Indigenous woman to become a Supreme Court judge in Australia.

The Kamilaroi woman became the first Indigenous jurist in the Australian Capital Territory when she was made a magistrate five years ago.

Judge Taylor has a particular interest in women’s issues especially in relation to family, domestic and sexual violence. She has previously said she is passionate about the importance of access to justice for women, particularly for Aboriginal and other marginalised women. She has worked as a prosecutor and a defence lawyer and served as chair of the Women‘s Legal Centre in the ACT. Judge Taylor was also chair of the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Women and the ACT Domestic Violence Prevention Council. Judge Taylor’s father Russ Taylor, who died in April, was apointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2015 for his significant service to the community as a cultural leader and public sector executive in Indigenous affairs.

On Wednesday, Uluru Dialogue co-chairs Megan Davis and Pat Anderson congratulated Judge Taylor on her appointment to the ACT Supreme Court.

Professor Davis, a Cobble Cobble woman from Queensland and Balnaves Chair in Constitutional Law at the University of New South Wales, said: “This is a joyous day for First Nations Peoples, especially for Indigenous women and girls”.

“They say, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’ and Louise’s appointment will be one many young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander womenand girls in our community will be hearing about and feeling proud and inspired,” Professor Davis said.

“It is a historic day for Australia and for our people.

“We, the women who have led this process towards constitutional recognition for seven years, congratulate Louise, a trailblazing lawyer, on this momentous achievement.”

Professor Davis and Judge Taylor studied together at the Australian National University and have been friends for decades. They worked together as part of the University of NSW Indigenous law centre’s work on family violence and Indigenous women.

When ANU’s college of law honoured Judge Taylor in 2020, she named Professor Davis and Ms Anderson among the women she admired most.

Ms Anderson said: “We hope Louise’s achievement will inspire young First Nations women and all young First Peoples across thecountry to pursue their ambitions and believe that they can succeed in any profession they choose”.