ACT appoints Australia's first female Indigenous Supreme Court judge

Kamilaroi woman Louise Taylor has been appointed as a judge to the Supreme Court in the Australian Capital Territory, making her the first Indigenous woman to be appointed to a Supreme Court in Australia.

Justice Taylor was appointed to the ACT Supreme Court in July, as the territory's sixth judge.

"This is, of course, a very proud day for my family and I, and I hope a very proud day for First Nations people, in particular First Nations women," she said.

"At my appointment, I'm conscious of the significance of it and I'm very proud to accept this appointment."

During the announcement, ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury said the government was pleased to be able to appoint a local judge, who he hoped would inspire others to follow in her footsteps.

This is the second time Justice Taylor has made history - in 2018 she became the first Aboriginal person to be appointed as a judicial officer in the Australian Capital Territory. It is hoped she will be the first of many Indigenous women to sit on the bench of the highest courts in Australia.

In 2009, Ms Taylor was named the ACT Woman of the Year, recipient of the ACT International Women’s Day Award. She is also a past member of the ACT Domestic Violence Prevention Council and the former Chair of the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Women. In 2019, she was awarded the Indigenous Alumna of the Year Award from the Australian National University in recognition of her contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights and access to justice for women.

She has also spent 10 years as the Chair of the ACT Women’s Legal Centre.