Sarah McNaughton
Sarah McNaughton is an Australian judge and former barrister who has served as a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales since 10 October 2022. Prior to her appointment to the judiciary, she served as the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions from 16 May 2016[1] to 2 September 2022.[2]
Sarah McNaughton | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales | |
| Assumed office 10 October 2022 | |
| 8th Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions | |
| In office 16 May 2016 – 2 September 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Bromwich |
| Succeeded by | Scott Bruckard PSM (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | University of Sydney (BA (Hons), LLB (Hons), LLM) |
| Occupation | Judge, Barrister |
Biography
McNaughton studied arts and law at the University of Sydney, and after completing university worked as an Associate to Justice Michael Kirby, at the time President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal and later Justice of the High Court.[3]
After being admitted as a solicitor, McNaughton worked for Freehill, Hollingdale and Page (now Herbert Smith Freehills) until 1990, then moved to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions where she worked as a senior and later principal legal officer.[3] In 1996, McNaughton joined the New South Wales Bar,[4] initially working in-house at the CDPP but later moved to private practice where she specialised in criminal matters, including large scale complex criminal trials, including for fraud, taxation, corporations, drug importation and terrorism offences.[3] She became Senior Counsel in 2011.[4]
While at the private bar, McNaughton was Counsel for New South Wales in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and later Senior Counsel Assisting in the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption.[5]
In May 2016, McNaughton was appointed by then-Attorney-General of Australia, George Brandis as the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for a five-year term, replacing Robert Bromwich who had been appointed as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia.[4] She commenced the role on 16 May 2016.[1]
During McNaughton's tenure as Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, the agency managed a number of high-profile matters, including the prosecution of "Witness K" and Bernard Collaery,[6] ADF whistleblower, Major David McBride, and ATO whistleblower, Richard Boyle, and potential prosecutions arising out of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry,[7]
In September 2022, McNaughton was appointed by New South Wales Attorney-General Mark Speakman as a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.[8] She resigned as Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions effective 2 September 2022 to take up the new appointment.[2]
References
- "About Us - Director". Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- "Sarah McNaughton SC resigns as Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions". Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. Commonwealth of Australia. 2 September 2022. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- "Sarah McNaughton SC - Appointment". Bar News: Journal of the NSW Bar Association (2016, Spring): 69. 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- Brandis, George (5 May 2016). "Appointment of Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions". Attorney-General for Australia: Senator the Hon George Brandis QC. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- Heydon, Dyson (28 December 2015). Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption Final Report–Volume 1 - Introduction and Overview (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. p. 80. ISBN 9781925290554. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- Knaus, Christopher (19 September 2018). "Senator asks why prosecutors sat on Witness K evidence for three years". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- Roddan, Michael (18 October 2018). "DPP needs extra funding needed for banking cases, Christian Porter warned". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- Speakman, Mark (2 September 2022). "Leading prosecutor appointed to supreme court". New South Wales Government. Government of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.