Jayne Jagot

Summary

Jayne Margaret Jagot (/ˈnˈɡ/) is a justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian judicial system. She was appointed to the High Court in October 2022. Jagot was previously a judge of the Federal Court of Australia. Before that, she served as a judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales and a partner at the law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques.

Jayne Margaret Jagot
Justice of the High Court of Australia
Assumed office
17 October 2022
Nominated byAnthony Albanese
Appointed byDavid Hurley
Preceded byPatrick Keane
Judge of the Federal Court of Australia
In office
3 September 2008 – 16 October 2022
Judge of the Land and Environment Court (NSW)
In office
2006 – 2 September 2008
Personal details
Born19 June 1965
NationalityAustralian
SpousePeter McClellan
EducationBaulkham Hills High School
Macquarie University
University of Sydney
OccupationJudge, Lawyer

Early life and education edit

Jagot was born in England, and migrated to Australia with her family in 1968. Jagot studied at Baulkham Hills High School before receiving an arts degree from Macquarie University in 1987. She subsequently received a law degree with first-class honours from the University of Sydney in 1991. At her Federal Court swearing in ceremony, it was remarked that during her time there "she appears to have won every available prize in law".[1] She had won the Butterworths Prize for Most Proficient in First Year, the Pitt Cobbett Prize for Administrative Law, the Sir Alexander Beattie Prize in Company Law, the Margaret Ethel Peden Prize in Real Property, the Minter Ellison Prize in Intellectual Property, and the Nancy Gordon Smith Prize for Honours.[2][3]

Career edit

Jagot worked as a solicitor with Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons) from 1992 to 2002, specialising in planning and environmental law.[4] She was promoted to partner in 1997. She was admitted to the bar in 2002, after which she developed a successful practice as a barrister.

Land and Environment Court edit

Jagot was appointed as a Judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales in 2006. She also served as an acting judge of the Equity Division of the Supreme Court of New South Wales for a period.[2][5]

Federal Court edit

Jagot was appointed as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia on 3 September 2008.[6][7]

High Court edit

On 17 October 2022, Jagot was sworn in as a Justice of the High Court of Australia, replacing the retiring Justice Patrick Keane. On Jagot's appointment, the High Court of Australia had a majority of female Justices for the first time in its history.[8]

Personal life edit

Jagot is married to former New South Wales Supreme Court judge and royal commissioner Peter McClellan.[9]

See also edit

Legal offices
Preceded by Justice of the High Court of Australia
2022–present
Incumbent

References edit

  1. ^ http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/NSWBarAssocNews/2008/73.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Swearing in of Judge Jayne Jagot", Attorney-General's Department (NSW). Accessed 21 April 2009.
  3. ^ "The Hon Justice Jayne Jagot- Appointment" (PDF). (2006 Winter) Bar News: Journal of the NSW Bar Association 71.
  4. ^ Cameronne, Cindy (30 September 2022). "Law firm heads sing praises of 'compassionate' new High Court judge". Lawyerly. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  5. ^ Speech of Anna Katzmann QC at the swearing in of Jayne Jagot as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales Bar Association. Accessed 21 April 2009.
  6. ^ "Three new judges appointed to the Federal Court". Attorney-General's Department. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
  7. ^ "The Hon Justice Jayne Jagot - Appointment" (PDF). (2008 Summer) Bar News: Journal of the NSW Bar Association 99.
  8. ^ Karp, Paul (29 September 2022). "Jayne Jagot appointed to Australia's high court, creating first majority-female bench". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  9. ^ Pelly, Michael (7 August 2020). "High stakes in race to High Court bench". Australian Financial Review. Nine Entertainment Co. Retrieved 11 September 2022.