There Are Now Three Female Judges In The High Court

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The Abbott government has made its second judicial appointment to the high court, and this time they’ve made history. When Michelle Gordon is sworn in on June 9 she will be the third woman currently sitting on the High Court bench (alongside Justice Virginia Bell and Justice Susan Kiefel), out of a possible seven judges.

Gordon – who is a respected commercial litigator based out of Melbourne – will replace Justice Kenneth Hayne, who will reach the forced retirement age of 69 on June 5. In a twist of fate Gordon and Hayne also happen to be married to each other. This will be the first time a sitting judge will be replaced on the bench by his or her partner.

At 51, Gordon will also be the youngest judge of the bench and will serve as a justice of the High Court until her forced retirement in 2035. She’s also the fifth woman ever to be appointed to the High Court bench (out of a total of 52 justices).

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