The Federal Government has accepted the recommendation of Governor General Quentin Bryce and appointed Patrick Keane as the country’s new Justice of the High Court of Australia and James Allsop as the next Chief Justice of the Federal Govurt.

 

Currently heading the Federal Court, Chief Justice Keane will be the 50th person appointed to the post of Justice of the High Court since Federation in 1901.

 

Chief Justice Keane will take up the post following Justice John Dyson Heydon’s retirement in March next year following 10 years of service on the Court.

 

Chief Justice Keane has served as Chief Justice of the Federal Court since March 2010. Prior to that he served as a Judge on the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Queensland, and was Solicitor-General for Queensland for 13 years. Chief Justice Keane will join Justice Susan Kiefel as the second Queenslander on the bench of the High Court and he will be the eighth Queenslander ever to be appointed a High Court Justice.