Relief for family law practitioners as a Launceston judge is appointed in Tasmania.
Justice Terence McGuire will replace Justice Stuart Roberts in northern Tasmania when he retires next month.
The news of the new appointment is relief to family law practitioners who have been concerned that custody and child support court cases in the area could be delayed in Justice Roberts was not replaced, the ABC reported.
He will be based in Launceston.
“It's a good result for access to justice in northern Tasmania,” said Tasmanian Law Society president Matthew Verney.
“We were very concerned that either there'd be no replacement or alternatively there would be a fly-in, fly-out judge, so to now learn that there's going to be a permanent appointment in Launceston and servicing the north-west is exactly what we were hoping to hear.
“It means our concerns about delays hopefully won't eventuate.
“The Federal Circuit Court deals with family law matters, property and children and those are cases [where] you just can't afford to have delays, it puts family’s lives on hold.”
McGuire, who studied at the University of Tasmania, has recently been a sitting judge in Melbourne.
