Since being sworn in, the territory's top judge has overseen a jurisdiction publicly bulldozed by the Parliament House rape case and consequently exposed to an unwavering media spotlight. Subscribe now for unlimited access . $ 0 / (min cost $ 0 ) Login or signup to continue reading Continue with Email Continue with Google Continue with Apple See subscription options Rock climbing is how ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum stays sane.
"When you're worrying about what might happen if you fall off a rock, it's hard to think about anything else," she says. Her idea of a "very, very good escape" is more extreme than the average person's. If it wasn't for the logistical issue presented by tall doorways, the judge would have installed pull-up bars in her chambers in early 2022 when she became the territory's sixth Chief Justice.
"I did ask," she says. The judicial officer is more comfortable sharing pictures of herself hanging off vertigo-inducing cliff sides than posing for a portrait shot. Chief Justice Lucy McCallum.
Picture by Elesa Kurtz But she does appear comfortable speaking candidly outside her courtroom, sitting down with The Canberra Times to talk media scrutiny, court leniency, AI, "moral duty", and even a certain defamation judgment. "There are some topics where you just shouldn't go, it's not our business. But there are some topics where I think it's not inappropriate for judges to speak their mind," she says.
'Unprecedented' media attention "The administration of justice .
