The appointments aim to strengthen the court's capacity to address significant backlogs
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has announced the appointment of eight new judges to the Federal Court.
The new appointees are Samuel Vandongen, Cameron Moore SC, Nicholas Owens SC, Professor James Stellios, Houda Younan SC, Elizabeth Bennett SC, Erin Longbottom KC and Amelia Wheatley KC. Their appointments are intended to strengthen the Federal Court’s ability to tackle significant backlogs in migration cases and unresolved native title claims, among other issues.
Vandongen will join the WA Registry on 17 December. A graduate of the University of Western Australia, Vandongen was appointed to the WA Supreme Court in 2022 and has served as justice of appeal since 2023.
Moore will begin his role in the NSW Registry on 18 December. He has practised law for over three decades. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Queensland and was appointed senior counsel in 2011.
Also joining the NSW Registry is Owens, whose appointment commences on 18 December. Owens is a distinguished legal professional with qualifications from the University of Adelaide and Harvard Law School. He has been a senior counsel since 2016.
Stellios will commence at the NSW Registry on 19 December. A former academic, he graduated from the Australian National University with degrees in economics and law. He has contributed significantly to legal education and was called to the NSW Bar in 2013.
Younan is starting her role at the NSW Registry on 19 December. She graduated with dual honours degrees in arts and law from the University of Sydney. She was appointed senior counsel in 2020 after practicing at the NSW Bar since 2007.
Bennett will take up her position in the Victorian Registry on 20 December. She is a graduate of Monash University and became senior counsel in 2021. She has an extensive litigation and legal advocacy backgrounf.
Longbottom begins her new role at the Queensland Registry on 20 December. She graduated with honours from the University of Queensland and was appointed King’s Counsel in 2019.
Wheatley will commence at the Queensland Registry on 6 January 2025. A graduate of James Cook University and Queensland University of Technology, she has practised law since 1999 and became King’s Counsel in 2019.
The appointments follow a nationwide call for expressions of interest, evaluated by an advisory panel. The attorney-general expressed gratitude to the new judges for their commitment to serving the Australian public.
