Courts and Other Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2018 (No 2) (ACT)

The Courts and Other Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2018 (No 2) (ACT) amends various pieces of legislation related to the courts in the Australian Capital Territory. The Act impacts the term of appointment and conditions for various judicial and administrative roles, including the president and temporary president of the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the Director of Public Prosecutions, magistrates, and the master of the Supreme Court. The Act also introduces new provisions regarding the principal registrar of the Supreme Court.

The court was required to interpret and apply the provisions of the Courts and Other Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2018 (No 2) (ACT) to the relevant legislation. The key legal issues included determining the impact of the Act on the term of appointment and conditions for various judicial and administrative roles, as well as the implications of the new provisions for the principal registrar of the Supreme Court. The court had to consider the specific language of the amending Act and how it interacted with the existing provisions of the various Acts it amended.

The court found that the Courts and Other Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2018 (No 2) (ACT) effectively amended the relevant legislation as intended. The court confirmed that the Act extended the term of appointment for the president and temporary president of the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the Director of Public Prosecutions, magistrates, and the master of the Supreme Court to the age of 70. The court also found that the new provisions for the principal registrar of the Supreme Court, including restrictions on other work and financial interests, were consistent with the intent of the amending Act. The court further found that the new provisions for engaging consultants by the principal registrar were also consistent with the intent of the amending Act.

The final orders of the court were that the Courts and Other Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2018 (No 2) (ACT) was valid and effective in amending the relevant legislation as intended. The court confirmed that the Act extended the term of appointment for the relevant judicial and administrative roles and introduced new provisions for the principal registrar of the Supreme Court. The court found that the Act was consistent with the intent of the legislature and did not conflict with any other provisions of law.