NSW Chief Justice's honour exalts a rule of law champion

Law Society of NSW

Sunday, 25 January 2026

NSW Chief Justice’s honour exalts a rule of law champion

The awarding of Australia’s highest civil honour to NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell recognises a life and career focused on vigorous defence of the rule of law.

President of the Law Society of NSW Ronan MacSweeney congratulated Chief Justice Bell on becoming a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in this year’s Australia Day Honours.

“Since his appointment as Chief Justice in 2022 and before that as President of the NSW Court of Appeal, Chief Justice Bell has demonstrated exemplary leadership among his judicial colleagues and the entire NSW justice system. This award is due acknowledgement of the Chief Justice’s enormous contributions to NSW,” Mr MacSweeney said.

“The Law Society of NSW is grateful for the positive, constructive and open relationship Chief Justice Bell has engendered between the Supreme Court and the legal profession. This has been particularly important as lawyers grapple with the growing presence of Artificial Intelligence in legal practice, including in the courts.”

In being awarded the AC, Chief Justice Bell joins former NSW Chief Justices, the late Sir Laurence Street AC KCMG KStJ QC, Tom Bathurst AC KC FRSN, and Murray Gleeson AC GBS KC, the latter becoming a Chief Justice of the High Court.

Mr MacSweeney also congratulated other NSW legal figures to be included in the Australia Day Honours, including former NSW Chief Magistrate Peter Johnstone.

“I’m especially thrilled that Mr Johnstone is now a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), given his dedicated service to the Law Society including as Senior Vice President, the position from which he was appointed to the District Court bench. His visionary advocacy for and early stewardship of the Youth Koori Court while President of the Children’s Court of NSW, resulted in a decline of incarceration rates of young Indigenous people,” Mr MacSweeney said.

“I congratulate former Supreme Court Justices Geoff Bellew SC and David Kirby KC on being awarded their AMs, along with former District Court Judge Chris Robison, a former Councillor, Life Member and active Committee participant of the Law Society. My thoughts are with the family of the late District Court Judge Christopher Armitage, who was awarded a posthumous Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the judiciary and the church.”

Mr MacSweeney also acknowledged the AM awarded to prominent human rights lawyer George Newhouse who founded and leads the National Justice Project, who served as mayor of Waverley, and who has been a member of the Law Society for 35 years.

Gail Hambly, also a 35-year member, was awarded an AM in part for her service to the legal profession, and in the Military Division, 15-year member Air Commodore Maria Brick was awarded an AM for her legal military service with the Royal Australian Air Force.

Law Society members awarded OAMs also include:

• former President of the Southern Highlands Regional Law Society William Baker for service to the community of Queanbeyan;
• 44-year member Laurence Crennan, for service to the law and the community of Bathurst;
• Roger Downs, a 41-year member and former Chair of the Law Society’s Business Law Committee, for service to the community of the Illawarra;
• six-year member and Mayor of Kyogle Danielle Mulholland for service to local government and the community of Kyogle; and
• Miriam Stiel, a 28-year member, who serves as Deputy Chair of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Law Council of Australia, a national peak body of which the Law Society of NSW is a member.

Mr MacSweeney said the awards to lawyers in these Australia Day Honours recognise the key roles that members of the legal profession play in building a thriving, fair and stable nation.

“From the very pinnacle of our legal system to solicitors on a country town high street delivering legal advice to clients, lawyers continue to show that they are trusted leaders in their communities,” Mr MacSweeney said.

“Like the overwhelming majority of their colleagues, each of the lawyers recognised in this list have demonstrated the finest traditions of the legal profession, upholding the rule of law, defending the justice system, and acting as a bulwark for a free society. On behalf of the Law Society of NSW, I offer them my heartiest congratulations.”

MEDIA CONTACT:
Damien Smith | Director, Media and Public Relations
The Law Society of New South Wales
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