Attorney-General Martin Pakula today announced the appointment of County Court judge Maree Kennedy as a judge of the Supreme Court.
Judge Kennedy was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1990 and was appointed as a Senior Counsel in 2002, where she appeared before the Supreme, County and Federal courts in commercial and public law matters.
In 2007, she was appointed as a County Court judge and helped to establish the commercial list, which became a division of the court in its own right in 2014.
During her time as the Judge in Charge of the Commercial Division, Judge Kennedy was responsible for introducing a number of reforms including the appointment of two judicial registrars and a commercial list coordinator.
Under her leadership, the commercial division made a number of improvements including, early trial dates set within six months of a first appearance and the number of trial dates not able to proceed within a financial year kept to a minimum.
Judge Kennedy was also responsible for the development of a protocol between self-represented litigants and the Victorian Bar, as well as an expansion of alternative dispute resolution services within the court.
Quotes attributable to Attorney General Martin Pakula
“Judge Kennedy has shown exceptional leadership as a County Court judge and she will bring a wealth of experience to her new role.”
“The reforms she has helped introduce are a testament to her dedication and talent, particularly in commercial law, and are attributes that will make her an excellent judge of the Supreme Court.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020