Chief Magistrate and Magistrates

Chief Magistrate and Magistrates

The Chief Magistrate is the principal Judicial Officer of the Local Court of New South Wales and is appointed by the Governor of New South Wales pursuant to the Local Court Act 2007. The Chief Magistrate is His Honour Judge Michael Allen.

Chief Magistrate

His Honour Judge M Allen, Chief Magistrate

Deputy Chief Magistrates

His Honour Deputy Chief Magistrate M Antrum

Her Honour Deputy Chief Magistrate S Freund

His Honour Deputy Chief Magistrate T Tsavdaridis

State Coroner of NSW

State Coroner Her Honour Magistrate T O'Sullivan

For Deputy State Coroners, see the Coroners website.

Magistrates and Assessors

Chief Magistrate's Office

Under the direction of the Chief Magistrate, the staff of the Chief Magistrate’s Office provide statewide administrative support to the Magistrates of the busiest Court in Australia.

One of the primary functions of the Chief Magistrate’s Office is to assist the Chief Magistrate in organising and managing the sittings of the Local Court throughout New South Wales.

The Chief Magistrate’s Office is responsible for the publication of sittings schedules, rosters, Chief Magistrate's Circulars, Local Court Practice Notes, listing of cases and collation of statistical information. The Chief Magistrate’s Office coordinates Magistrates travel across the state to ensure requirements for sittings are met and coordinates Magistrates’ attendance at various conferences throughout the year.

The Chief Magistrate’s Office also facilitates strategic and effective working relationships with stakeholders and provides research and project support as required by the Chief Magistrate. The Chief Magistrate’s Office also supports the Chief Magistrate in submissions to Government on legislative change and policy proposals.

Contact the Chief Magistrate’s Office

Postal Address:

PO Box A4, SYDNEY SOUTH NSW 1235

Street Address:

Level 5, Downing Centre

143-147 Liverpool St, SYDNEY NSW 2000

Email: cmo@justice.nsw.gov.au

Complaints about Judicial Officers

Magistrates of the Local Court of New South Wales are independent Judicial Officers, and the Chief Magistrate has no supervisory function over Magistrates in the exercise of their judicial authority. The Chief Magistrate cannot direct a Magistrate to make particular decisions, nor can the Chief Magistrate review or overturn any decisions made by a Magistrate. If you wish to appeal a decision of the Court, you should seek legal advice. Information about where you can find legal advice can be found here.

The Judicial Commission of New South Wales deals with complaints against Judicial Officers. The Judicial Commission also cannot review or overturn a decision made by a Judicial Officer. The Judicial Commission only addresses complaints about the conduct of Judicial Officers.