Suggested Criteria for Judicial Appointment (2024 update)

In September 2015, the AIJA published a short booklet, Suggested Criteria for Judicial Appointments. The purpose of the booklet was to contribute to and inform public discussion and debate which was taking place at that time. The AIJA specifically determined that the booklet would not deal with issues relevant to procedures for appointment on the basis that procedures for appointment were exclusively in the domain of the executive.

Given renewed interest in the topic in recent years, the AIJA commissioned Emerita Professor Kathy Mack of Flinders University to review and update the work in 2023.

As a result of Professor Mack's expert and comprehensive review of the guide, its usefulness as a resource for governments and courts has been greatly enhanced by:

updated references to other relevant Commonwealth jurisdictions;
explicit and clearly articulated updated criteria; and
new content and expert commentary on the judicial appointment process, including approaches to possible criteria such as:
potential character impediments,
diversity and merit,
decision-making abilities,
communication,
emotion and emotion management, and
leadership.