Judicial Registrar - Common Law, County Court of Victoria (See Advertisement)

at  County Court

JOB DESCRIPTION

Location: Melbourne | CBD
Job type: Full time / Five year appointment
Organisation: County Court
Salary: Salary not specified
Occupation: Legal
Reference: VG/CC1243

ABOUT US

The County Court of Victoria is established pursuant to the County Court Act 1958. It has original and appellate jurisdiction and is the principal trial court in the State of Victoria. The Court hears over 12,000 criminal, common law, and commercial cases each year. The County Court has unlimited monetary jurisdiction in common law and commercial matters. In its criminal jurisdiction, the Court hears all indictable offences except treason, murder, and related offences.
There are a total of 80 Judges of the Court and over 300 staff, including judicial support staff. The County Court regularly conducts circuit sittings at 12 circuit courts situated in major centres throughout regional Victoria.

The Chief Judge of the County Court of Victoria seeks expressions of interest from qualified persons for appointment as a Judicial Registrar of the County Court.
Judicial Registrars are members of the Court, appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Attorney-General, who exercise delegated judicial functions. All expressions of interest are treated confidentially. The position is located in Melbourne.
The Judicial Registrar will be assigned to the Court’s Common Law Division.
The Common Law Division has a broad jurisdiction that includes workplace, transport accident and medical negligence claims, and claims by a beneficiary under a will. There are ten Lists in the Division, each with its own judge in charge. The Lists include Defamation, Medical, General and Serious Injury and Appeals and Post Sentence Applications (APSA).

The Judicial Registrar position will involve the following:

• Presiding over interlocutory applications, directions hearings, objections and summons in the General List and other Lists within the Common Law Division as required.
• Presiding over mediations and judicial settlement conferences.
• Presiding over directions hearings in the APSA List.

The position requires a legally qualified (admitted for not less than five years), highly motivated with extensive experience in the practice of civil litigation, as well as an in-depth demonstrated understanding of court processes and procedures. It also requires superior communication skills and an ability to make timely decisions according to law. Experience and expertise in conducting mediations is highly desirable.
The Judicial Registrar will work closely with the Head of the Common Law Division and those Judges in Charge of a List. Regard should be had to the provisions of Part 1 Division 3B of the County Court Act 1958 and the County Court (Chapter 1 Judicial Registrars Amendment) Rules 2015.