COURTS ADMINISTRATION AUTHORITY

Media and Communications Office: ph (08) 8204 0403 Mobile 0421 617 20 !e"el 1 #i$ #amuel %a& 'uildin() *icto$ia #+ua$e) ,delaide #, 000

MEDIA STATEMENT

1 -anua$& 2014 .he /onou$able Ch$is 0ou$a1is) Chief -ustice of #outh ,ust$alia) has toda& issued this statement: 2-ustice 'ampton 3as appointed to the office of a -ud(e of the #up$eme Cou$t b& the 45ecuti"e 6o"e$nment on 14 7o"embe$ 20138 On appointment to that office -ustice 'ampton 3as both entitled and bound in la3 to discha$(e the duties of a -ud(e of this Cou$t8 .he Chief -ustice has no autho$it& to suspend the constitutional ope$ation of a 9udicial appointment8 :t is a condition of the e5e$cise of 9udicial duties that a -ud(e ta1es the -udicial Oath and Oath of ,lle(iance8 ,cco$din(l&) : administe$ed the -udicial Oath and Oath of ,lle(iance to -ustice 'ampton in m& chambe$s on 2 ;ecembe$ 20138 /o3e"e$) : had al$ead& dete$mined that -ustice 'ampton 3ould not hea$ matte$s associated 3ith d$i"in( offences until an& cha$(es 3hich mi(ht be laid 3e$e finalised8 : made a public statement to that effect on 1 ;ecembe$ 20138 ,s the Chief -ustice m& autho$it& 3ith $espect to the 9udicial duties of the othe$ -ud(es of this Cou$t is limited to fi5in( $oste$s and supe$"isin( the assi(nment of matte$s to them8 : ha"e a(ain conside$ed the +uestion of the matte$s 3hich should be allocated to -ustice 'ampton in the li(ht of the ci$cumstances of the offences of 3hich he$ /onou$ has been con"icted8 :n m& "ie3 the $easonable conce$ns of the public a$isin( out of offendin( of this 1ind b& a se$"in( 9udicial office$ can be ade+uatel& add$essed b& p$o"idin( that fo$ a pe$iod of 12 months f$om toda&) -ustice 'ampton shall not sit on an& matte$: conce$nin( a d$i"in( offence o$ a ci"il claim a$isin( out of a d$i"in( offence< 3hich in"ol"es a dispute o"e$ the mental element of an offence a$isin( out of a defendant=s consumption of alcohol< conce$nin( the sentencin( of an offende$ 3ho 3as mate$iall& affected b& alcohol8> .he$e is no fu$the$ comment f$om the Chief -ustice and no comment f$om -ustice 'ampton8 Released by Sharon Moloney: phone 82040403 or 0421 617 205