Beazley gets the nod

The NSW Cabinet meets on Monday (Dec. 17) and is likely to approve Margaret Beazley's appointment as President of the Court of Appeal ... It's understood that Tom Bathurst had also been toying with other names 

WORD on the Rialto is that tomorrow (Monday, Dec. 17), at the last meeting of the NSW cabinet for the year, ministers will approve the appointment of Margaret Beazley as President of the Court of Appeal. 

She is the second ranking court of appeal judge and missed out on the top job last time, when Jim Allsop was appointed. 

It's understood that Chief Justice Tom Bathurst did have another contender in mind, but Attorney General Smif has backed Beazley for the job. 

An accomodation must have been reached because it is unlikely the government would press ahead with an appointment to which the chief justice had strong objections. 

Serious legal minds have filled the slot in recent living memory, including Michael Kirby, Keith Mason and James Allsop. 

Beazley is well aware of the size of the boots she has to fill. 

Given that the appointment does not take effect till March next year it is curious the government wants to nail it down now.

See earlier story, Bench jockeys 

Biographical details are thin. 

Beazley graduated with honours in law from the University of Sydney in 1974. 

She was a judicial member of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal from 1984-88; an Acting District Court judge from 1990-91; and from 1991-92 she served as an assistant commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

She was a judge of the Federal Court from 1993-96 and a judge of the Industrial Relations Court of Australia from 1994-1996. 

She went to the Court of Appeal in 1996. 

Justice Beazley was previously married to Alan Sullivan QC.