Prominent and well-respected Canberra barrister Shane Gill has been appointed to the bench of the Family Court.
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Federal Attorney-General George Brandis on Friday announced Mr Gill, who is president of the ACT Bar Association, would take up the position later this month.
Mr Gill became one of the youngest presidents in the ACT bar's history when he took on the top job in October 2014.
He is a long-term Canberra resident who moved from Orange to study law at the Australian National University in 1986.
Mr Gill on Friday acknowledged the shift from barrister to Family Court judge would be "quite a change" but said he was excited by the opportunity.
"You're dealing with people who've come to a critical point in their lives and it's a privilege, a heavy privilege, to provide justice to a person at that point.
"There's a real sense that you can make a difference."
His appointment comes as funding pressures and heavy caseloads have strained the country's family law courts, and Mr Gill said it was impossible to take on the role without being aware of the "strong demands" on the system.
He also said a court's requirement to show "empathy, compassion, rigor and mercy" was particularly important in the Family Court because of the intimate matters judges dealt with.
Mr Gill's appointment to the bench was welcomed by members of Canberra's legal profession, including ACT Law Society president Martin Hockridge.
"He is a respected member of the Canberra legal community, and he will be a vibrant addition to the Family Court bench."
Incoming ACT Bar Association president, Ken Archer, said Mr Gill had provided leadership in areas including substantive law, law reform, advocacy and access to justice.
"He has continued this leadership during his two-year tenure as president of the ACT Bar Association."
Mr Gill said the Bar Association would be in "excellent hands" under Mr Archer's leadership.
His new role was one of four federal court appointments announced on Friday by Mr Brandis, who said the new judges would bring a wealth of experience to the bench from a wide range of practice areas.
He will begin his new role at the court's Canberra registry on May 16.
