Retirement of Chief Magistrate of the Local Court, Graeme Henson AM

After more than 33 years on the bench and 15 years as the head of the NSW Local Court, Chief Magistrate Graeme Henson AM, will retire this Friday. All criminal cases and a large proportion of civil cases begin in the Local Court. It is the backbone of our state’s court system.

Judge Henson’s tenure as Chief Magistrate has been defined by his Honour’s passion for justice, his commitment to achieving gender parity on the bench and ensuring transparency in the court process. In a profession that is traditionally resistant to change he always had an eye to the future, pushing for the courts to adopt technology that increases access to justice. 

Judge Henson has also played a really significant role in opening up an important conversation about the mental health and wellbeing of the judiciary. He’s also displayed significant leadership in guiding the courts through the uncertainties of the pandemic and ensuring the health and safety of those who come in contact with the courts while keeping the wheels of justice turning. This included increasing the use of audio visual link, postponing certain non-urgent hearings and keeping foot traffic in courts to a minimum.

I have really appreciated the close and productive relationship that Judge Henson has fostered with the Law Society and the legal profession, not just during the pandemic but over many, many years. On behalf of the state’s solicitors, I would like to thank Judge Henson for his decades of service to the law.

I hope Judge Henson enjoys a happy and fulfilled retirement after such a significant contribution to society and I wish him all the best for the future.

Future of Innovation in the Legal Profession

This Wednesday, our FLIP “Behind the Buzzwords” series will tackle the rather topical subject of Alternative Pricing. This session will examine the innovative methods of charging that are developing and provide attendees with practical tips on how to price legal services. Register here.

It’s also not too late to take advantage of early bird registrations for our annual Future of Law and Innovation in the Legal Profession (FLIP) conference, which will be held as an online event on Wednesday 13 October. It’s part of our ongoing commitment to empowering practitioners in the face of continuous change and technological innovation. Given the historic changes that we’ve all experienced in the delivery of legal services during the past 18 months, and the ongoing impact of the current lockdown, this is an event that you really cannot afford to miss.  The full program for the FLIP Conference will be released on 1 September 20201.

Until then, please stay safe and well.

Juliana Warner, President, the Law Society of NSW

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