ACT Bar president appointed judge of Federal Circuit and Family Court

Rebecca Curran, president of the ACT Bar Association, has been appointed as a judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA), according to an announcement made by the commonwealth attorney-general last week.

Curran was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in 1993 and was called to the Bar in 2012. Since joining the Bar, her practice has included family law, wills and estates and coronial inquests. She has also received national accreditation as a mediator and arbitrator, practicing in a range of areas, including family law, institutional abuse, personal injury and administrative law.

The ACT Bar Association called Curran a “formidable contributor” in reference to her work as part of the council in the past six years. She has held various roles within the association, such as chairing the Family Law and Women Barristers sub-committees. Earlier this year, she became the first female ACT Bar president.

Prior to being called to the Bar, Curran had an established career in private practice in Canberra and Brisbane and served as a Deputy Registrar of the Family Court of Australia. She graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws in 1993.

Attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said Curran was selected among a list of “suitable candidates” that had been assessed by an advisory panel comprising the Hon William Alstergren AO, Chief Justice of the FCFCOA, the Hon Diana Bryant AO KC, former Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia, and a senior officer of the attorney-general’s department. She will commence on February 6 in the Sydney Registry.

“On behalf of the Australian Government I congratulate Ms Curran on her appointment and thank her for her willingness to serve the people of Australia as a judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia,” Dreyfus said in his statement last week.