Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker (third from right) has announced her retirement. Photo: Albert McKnight.
An inspiring legal advocate who rose to become the ACT’s top magistrate has announced she will retire after serving 15 years on the bench.
Lorraine Walker was appointed to the ACT Magistrates Court in 2010, then became its chief magistrate just one year later, making history as the first woman to hold the role.
In addition, she was sworn in as an acting judge of the ACT Supreme Court in 2019 to establish the ACT’s Drug and Alcohol Court before resuming her work as Chief Magistrate in 2020.
Earlier this month, she announced her final sitting day as Chief Magistrate would be 27 March, 2026.
“The ACT Government sincerely thanks Chief Magistrate Walker for her significant contribution to the ACT community,” a government spokesperson said.
“Formal acknowledgement and recognition of Chief Magistrate Walker’s achievements and tenure will take place in March.”
The ACT Law Society said her appointment as a magistrate and subsequent elevation as the ACT’s first female chief magistrate marked a period of significant growth and change for the court.
“Throughout her time on the bench, Her Honour has been a consistent advocate for strengthening the profession, supporting initiatives that promote ongoing professional development for both the judiciary and ACT practitioners,” Law Society president Vik Sundar said.
Before serving on the bench, Chief Magistrate Walker was a legal officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and worked in the UK Crown Prosecution Service.
She returned to Australia in 1996 and became a partner at law firm Barker Gosling, then practised as a barrister in the ACT for 10 years.
She has served on the boards of the ACT Law Society, the ACT Bar Association and the Canberra Institute of Technology. She has also tutored at the Australian National University.
“Recruitment for a new chief magistrate will begin in the new year,” a government spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, earlier this December, experienced lawyer and ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal member Heidi Robinson was appointed as the ACT’s 10th magistrate.
Also, Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson retired from the Supreme Court earlier this month.
“It was the honour of my life to serve as a judge of the Supreme Court of the ACT: the jury (by way of the statistics) is in; the ACT is at the top of the educated, progressive and civil places to live in Australia,” she said.
Justice Loukas-Karlsson has previously announced that she was diagnosed with cancer.
A government spokesperson said she was appointed in 2018 and served with distinction across complex civil and criminal matters, contributing to the development of ACT jurisprudence and modelling the highest standards of judicial independence, fairness and compassion.
“The ACT Government will soon commence the appointment process for a new Supreme Court judge,” the government spokesperson said.
