Media Release: Appointments highlight career pathway through Courts to judicial office

On 8 September, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) (‘the Court’) celebrated 6 judicial appointments, made by the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Honourable Michelle Rowland MP. Of those 6 appointments, 5 were sitting as Senior Judicial Registrars of the Court. The appointments were as follows:

The Chief Justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) and Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) (‘the Courts’), the Honourable William Alstergren AO, particularly commended the Attorney-General’s insight in elevating Senior Judicial Registrars to Judges.

“Twenty one of our current family law and general federal law Judges previously served as Registrars of our Courts. The role of Judicial Registrar or Senior Judicial Registrar is the perfect environment in which to prepare for judicial office. Those roles provide unique experience and insight into being a judicial officer, and that our Registrars are being recognised in this way is a matter of great pride for the Courts.”

Senior Judicial Registrars sit in Court and hear matters similarly to Judges, and hold delegated judicial powers to do so. The appointments in the family law jurisdiction recognise the enormous experience and skill of those serving in the role of Senior Judicial Registrar and that it is an appropriate pathway to judicial appointment, as is the role of senior solicitor or barrister.

In addition to these appointments, which will serve the Courts’ family law jurisdiction, exciting career pathways are found in the Courts’ general federal law and migration jurisdiction. Among the many former general federal law Registrars now holding positions in the Courts are Judge Peter Fary and CEO / Principal Registrar, Mr David Pringle PSM.

Judge Celia Conlan said:

“I came to the FCFCOA having practiced in family law and associated jurisdictions for over 25 years, including as a barrister. I hoped for an opportunity to engage with and give back to the larger family law community, including the parties and the stakeholders who support them. The reality of working here as a Senior Judicial Registrar has far exceeded my hopes and has provided me with a sense of meaning and purpose that I had not experienced previously in my career.

In my role as a Senior Judicial Registrar my main responsibility was to determine interim matters, including Evatt and Magellan matters as well as urgent applications, such as recovery orders. This responsibility was invigorating and engrossing, with every matter presenting new issues for families in very real distress. It is immensely gratifying to assist those families to at least progress their issues and often to resolve them.

In addition, I have enjoyed the wonderful experience of collaborating with an extraordinary array of talented professionals such as our Court Child Experts and our co-located organisations with the aim of continuing to hone and improve the services the FCFCOA provides to the community. This has been a highlight of my time at the FCFCOA to date. I will take this collaborative experience and the skills I have gleaned from these interactions with me into my new role as a Judge and I have no doubt I will provide a better service to the community as a result.”

Judge Kara Best said:

“It has been a particular privilege and deeply enriching to work for the last four years within a team that has been unapologetically focussed on delivering safer outcomes to the children of separated parents under a Registrar-driven case management model.

It has been such a privilege and joy to work within the Registrar cohort, a group of exceptionally talented and driven lawyers.

The Court affords its Registrars the opportunity to work with a dynamic group of Legal Case Managers and Associates, whom represent the best and brightest of the next generation. That capacity to teach, to mentor and to learn from a truly collegiate environment is a significant feature of working within the FCFCOA.

Whilst the work that we do is challenging, and heartbreaking at times, it is highly rewarding, and we are supported by a remarkable level of infrastructure, including particular focus on our personal and professional development.

I am so encouraged by the recent national elevation of a significant number of our Senior Judicial Registrars to Judge.  Each have served a remarkable apprenticeship of sorts in the exercise of delegated judicial power at the coal face of the work that we do, making decisions under pressured circumstances, often in the face of contentious evidence and with significant risks arising to children and their carers.  My hope is that the privilege of this work will allow for each of us to contribute significantly from Day 1 as Judges of Division 2 of the Court.”

Judge Kathryn Heuer said:

“The appointment of Senior Judicial Registrars is testament to the success of the Courts’ revised case management system.

The high volume and complex nature of interim work done by Senior Judicial Registrars demands the ability to work calmly and effectively under pressure whilst addressing risk and delivering prompt and sound decisions. These are some of the many attributes of the judges in our courts. The skills of the SJRs, together with the Courts’ extensive focus on continuing legal development particularly in the area of family violence, ensures SJRs hit the ground running and immediately contribute to the delivery of services to the families in our court.

A desire to help people is why I became a family lawyer. Each step in my career has honed my ability to achieve that goal in a meaningful way. As a Judge I will be able to do that in a way that addresses the particular needs of children and their families experiencing the challenges of separation.”

All Judges commenced on 17 September 2025.

The Courts are now seeking applications to fill several Senior Judicial Registrar positions in multiple locations nationally. Click here for further details about the roles and to apply.

Biographical details:

Senior Judicial Registrar Celia Conlan – Melbourne Registry

Senior Judicial Registrar Conlan graduated from Monash University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws and was admitted as an Australian Legal Practitioner in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1993.  From 1995 to 1996, Ms Conlan completed an Associateship with the Honourable Peter Heerey AM (a former Judge of the Federal Court of Australia), before signing the Bar Roll in 1996. 

Ms Conlan entered practice as a family law solicitor at Victoria Legal Aid in 1998, where she held roles as Independent Children’s Lawyer and Senior Lawyer until 2010. Ms Conlan practised as an International Lawyer in Vietnam at Allens (then, Allen Linklaters) from 2008 to 2009.  Ms Conlan became a member of the Victorian Bar in 2010, appearing before the then Federal Circuit Court of Australia, Family Court of Australia, the Children’s Court and Magistrates’ Court.

In August 2021, Ms Conlan was appointed as a Senior Judicial Registrar in the FCFCOA (Division 1) & FCFCOA (Division 2) in the Melbourne Registry, and currently holds the position of National Coordinating Senior Judicial Registrar. Ms Conlan holds a Masters of Applied Law (Family Law) and is an AIFLAM accredited Mediator and Arbitrator.

Senior Judicial Registrar Kara Best – Brisbane Registry

Senior Judicial Registrar Best graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in 2000 and was admitted in the Supreme Court of Queensland as a Barrister in 2001 and as a Solicitor in 2004.

Ms Best commenced her legal career at the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, before undertaking an Associateship with the Hon Mr Neil McLauchlan KC (a former Judge of the District Court of Queensland) until 2001.  From 2002 until 2003, Ms Best served as Legal Associate and Appeals Associate to the Hon Michelle May AM KC.

Ms Best commenced practise as a family law solicitor at Barry Nilsson in 2004, before serving as Senior Legal Associate to the Hon Diana Bryant AO KC, former Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia, from 2006 to 2007. Ms Best then held the position of Managing Director, Best Wilson Buckley Family Law, a specialist family law firm until her appointment as a Senior Judicial Registrar in the FCFCOA (Division 1) & FCFCOA (Division 2) in 2021. 

Ms Best gained Specialist Accreditation in Family Law from the Queensland Law Society in 2007 and served on the Independent Children’s Lawyer Panel at Legal Aid Queensland in 2009. 

Ms Best completed Advanced Collaborate Law Training in 2012 and is an AIFLAM accredited Mediator and Arbitrator. Prior to her appointment as a Senior Judicial Registrar, Ms Best served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern Queensland.

Senior Judicial Registrar Sharney Jenkinson – Melbourne

Senior Judicial Registrar Jenkinson completed a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Behavioural Science at La Trobe University in 2007 and was admitted as an Australian Legal Practitioner in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2007. Ms Jenkinson commenced her legal career as a volunteer clerk with Victoria Legal Aid in 2006. In 2007, Ms Jenkinson commenced practice as a family law solicitor at Macgregor Barristers and Solicitors, specialising in family law.

Ms Jenkinson completed a Master of Laws in 2009 and signed the Bar Roll in Queensland in 2011. Ms Jenkinson joined the Victorian Bar in 2012 and established a practice in all aspects of family law, particularly as Counsel on behalf of the Independent Children’s Lawyer.

In 2021, Ms Jenkinson was appointed as a Senior Judicial Registrar of the FCFCOA (Division 1) & FCFCOA (Division 2) in the Sydney Registry, before transferring to the Melbourne Registry in 2023. Ms Jenkinson is an AIFLAM accredited Mediator and Arbitrator.

Senior Judicial Registrar Kathryn Heuer – Adelaide Registry

Senior Judicial Registrar Heuer completed a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws at Australian National University and was admitted as an Australian Legal Practitioner in the ACT and NSW in 1989.

Ms Heuer commenced practice as a solicitor in Canberra at John Faulks & Co in family law. In 1992, Ms Heuer gained accreditation as an AIFLAM Mediator. From 1995 to 1997, Ms Heuer was the Director of Mediation at Relationships Australia (Canberra and Region). In 2001, Ms Heuer was appointed as a Registrar of the then Family Court of Australia.

In 2005, Ms Heuer returned to private practice in both family law and wills and estates and was a founding member of the National Centre of Collaborative Law. Ms Heuer was made a Director of Family Law at Farrar Gesini Dunn in 2007, and a Director of the Wills and Estates team at Certus Law.

In 2020, Ms Heuer was appointed as a Senior Judicial Registrar of the FCFCOA (Division 1) & FCFCOA (Division 2) in the Adelaide Registry.

Senior Judicial Registrar Amy McGowan – Parramatta

Senior Judicial Registrar McGowan completed a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) and a Bachelor Laws at the University of Newcastle in 2004 and was admitted as an Australian Legal Practitioner in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2009.

From 2006 to 2009, Ms McGowan served as an intern at the New South Wales Disability Discrimination Legal Centre, and later as a Project Officer in the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. Ms McGowan commenced practice as a family law solicitor in the Family Violence Prevention Service at New South Wales Women’s Legal Services and served as Acting Principal Solicitor at Inner City Legal Centre until 2014. From 2014 to 2022, Ms McGowan held the position of Senior Associate and then as Partner at Kyle & McGowan Family Law.

In 2022, Ms McGowan was appointed as a Senior Judicial Registrar to the FCFCOA (Division 1) & FCFCOA (Division 2) in the Newcastle Registry.

Prior to her appointment as Senior Judicial Registrar, Ms McGowan was the Director of Advocacy, Rainbow Families. Ms McGowan holds a Masters of Applied Law (Family Law) and is an accredited Family Law Specialist recognised by the Law Society of New South Wales.

Dr James Renwick AM CSC SC – William Street Registry, Sydney

Dr Renwick completed a Bachelor of Laws at Sydney University and was admitted as an Australian Legal Practitioner in 1985. Dr Renwick signed the Bar Roll in NSW in 1996 and was later appointed as Senior Counsel in and for the State of New South Wales in 2011.

Dr Renwick is Deputy Judge Advocate General – Navy in the Australian Defence Force and a Commodore in the Royal Australian Navy. He is an accredited mediator and former Senior Member at NCAT and was the third Australian Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM). Dr Renwick has extensive experience with Alternative Dispute Resolution, including conducting hearings as INSLM and as a Tribunal Member. Dr Renwick also holds a practising certificate in Papua New Guinea.

Prior to appointment, Dr Renwick has had a diverse appellate, administrative and public law, commercial, regulatory and inquiry practice.

Dr Renwick completed his doctorate in constitutional law at Australian National University, was elected as an Honorary Master of the Bench at Inner Temple, London and is a Fellow at the Australian Academy of Law.

Dr Renwick was inducted as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2023 for ‘significant service to the law and to national security’.