The Chief Justice of New South Wales is the senior judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales

Supreme Court of New South Wales

The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...

 and the highest ranking judicial officer in the Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n state of New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

. The Chief Justice is both the judicial head of the Supreme Court as well as the administrative head. He or she is responsible for arranging the business of the court and establishing its rules and procedures.

The current Chief Justice is Tom Bathurst

Tom Bathurst

Thomas Frederick Bathurst QC is an Australian judge. He was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales from 1 June 2011.-Early years and education:...

, who was appointed by Governor Marie Bashir

Marie Bashir

Marie Roslyn Bashir AC, CVO is the present Governor of New South Wales since 2001 and also the Chancellor of the University of Sydney since 2007. Born in Narrandera, New South Wales, Bashir graduated from the University of Sydney in 1956 and held various medical positions, with a particular...

 to succeed Jim Spigelman, effective 1 June 2011.

List of Chief Justices of New South Wales

No.	Image	Chief Justice	Term of Office	Governor appointed
1		Sir Francis Forbes Francis Forbes Sir Francis Forbes was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland, and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.-Early life:...	13 October 1823 - 1 July 1837	Sir Thomas Brisbane Thomas Brisbane Major-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet GCH, GCB, FRS, FRSE was a British soldier, colonial Governor and astronomer.-Early life:...
2		Sir James Dowling James Dowling Sir James Dowling was an English-born Australian jurist in New South Wales, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales 1837 – 1844....	30 August 1833 - 27 September 1844	Sir Richard Bourke Richard Bourke General Sir Richard Bourke, KCB was Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, Australia between 1831 and 1837.-Early life and career:...
3		Sir Alfred Stephen Alfred Stephen Sir Alfred Stephen was an Australian judge and chief justice of New South Wales.Stephen was born at St Christopher in the West Indies. His father, John Stephen , was related to Henry John Stephen, Sir James Stephen and Sir James FitzJames Stephen, all men of great distinction in England...	7 October 1844 - 6 November 1873	Sir George Gipps George Gipps Sir George Gipps was Governor of the colony of New South Wales, Australia, for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship was during a period of great change for New South Wales and Australia, as well as for New Zealand, which was administered as part of New South Wales for much of this...
4		Sir James Martin James Martin (Australian politician) Sir James Martin, KCB, QC was three times Premier of New South Wales, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales from 1873 to 1886.-Early career:...	19 November 1873 - 4 November 1886	Lord Rosmead Hercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead Hercules George Robert Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead, GCMG, PC was a British colonial administrator who became the 5th Governor of Hong Kong...
5		Sir Julian Salomons Julian Salomons The Honourable Sir Julian Emanuel Salomons was a barrister, royal commissioner, solicitor-general, chief justice and member of parliament. He was the only chief justice in New South Wales to be appointed and resign before he was ever sworn into office...	12 November 1886 - 27 November 1886	The Marquess Lincolnshire
6		Sir Frederick Darley Frederick Matthew Darley Sir Frederick Matthew Darley GCMG PC was the sixth Chief Justice of New South Wales, an eminent barrister, a member of the New South Wales Parliament, a Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales, and a member of the British Privy Council.-Early years:Darley was born in Ireland, the first child of...	29 November 1886 - 4 January 1910	The Marquess Lincolnshire
7		Sir William Cullen William Portus Cullen Sir William Portus Cullen KCMG was Chief Justice of New South Wales, Australia.-Early life:Cullen was born at Mount Johnston, near Jamberoo, New South Wales, the seventh son of John and Rebecca Cullen. A brother, Joseph Cullen, was a Member of Parliament for both New South Wales and Western...	28 January 1910 - 27 January 1925	The Viscount Chelmsford
8		Sir Philip Street Philip Whistler Street Sir Philip Whistler Street KCMG was the eighth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Street was a distinguished lawyer, patron of many benevolent institutions and also the lieutenant governor of New South Wales. Biographer Percival Serle states "Street had the culture, dignity...	28 January 1925 - 31 January 1934	Sir Dudley de Chair Dudley de Chair Admiral Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair, KCB, KCMG, KBE, MVO was a Naval Officer and Governor. De Chair joined the Royal Navy from the age of 16 and served in the Anglo-Egyptian War and later as an Admiral in the First World War. He was appointed as Governor of New South Wales in 1923...
9		Sir Frederick Jordan Frederick Richard Jordan Sir Frederick Richard Jordan KCMG was a barrister, chief justice and lieutenant governor of New South Wales.. He was the ninth Chief justice of New South Wales, a state of Australia. Jordan was a distinguished lawyer as well as the Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales...	1 February 1934 - 4 November 1949	Sir Dudley de Chair Dudley de Chair Admiral Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair, KCB, KCMG, KBE, MVO was a Naval Officer and Governor. De Chair joined the Royal Navy from the age of 16 and served in the Anglo-Egyptian War and later as an Admiral in the First World War. He was appointed as Governor of New South Wales in 1923...
10		Sir Kenneth Street	6 January 1950 - 27 January 1960	Sir John Northcott John Northcott Lieutenant General Sir John Northcott KCMG, KCVO, CB was an Australian Army general who served as Chief of the General Staff during World War II, and commanded the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the Occupation of Japan...
11		Herbert Evatt H. V. Evatt Herbert Vere Evatt, QC KStJ , was an Australian jurist, politician and writer. He was President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1948–49 and helped draft the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights...	15 February 1960 - 24 October 1962	Sir Eric Woodward Eric Woodward Lieutenant General Sir Eric Winslow Woodward KCMG, KCVO, CB, CBE, DSO was an Australian military officer and Viceroy...
12		Sir Leslie Herron Leslie Herron Sir Leslie James Herron, KBE, CMG, KStJ was a prominent Australian barrister, judge, chief justice and lieutenant governor of New South Wales. Biographer Martha Rutledge describes him as being “interested, interesting and with a lively sense of humour”, but that he “conducted his court with...	25 October 1962 - 22 May 1972	Sir Eric Woodward Eric Woodward Lieutenant General Sir Eric Winslow Woodward KCMG, KCVO, CB, CBE, DSO was an Australian military officer and Viceroy...
13		Sir John Kerr	23 May 1972 - 27 June 1974	Sir Roden Cutler Arthur Roden Cutler Sir Roden Cutler, was an Australian diplomat, the longest serving Governor of New South Wales and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth armed forces.-Early life:Arthur Roden Cutler was born on...
14		Sir Laurence Street Laurence Street Sir Laurence Whistler Street AC, KCMG, QC is an Australian jurist and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.-Family:...	28 June 1974 - 1 November 1988	Sir Roden Cutler Arthur Roden Cutler Sir Roden Cutler, was an Australian diplomat, the longest serving Governor of New South Wales and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth armed forces.-Early life:Arthur Roden Cutler was born on...
15		Murray Gleeson Murray Gleeson Anthony Murray Gleeson AC QC is a former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.-Biography:Gleeson was born in Wingham, New South Wales, the eldest of four children...	2 November 1988 - 31 March 1998	Sir James Rowland James Rowland (Australia) Air Marshal Sir James Anthony Rowland, AC, KBE, DFC, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force, serving as Chief of the Air Staff from 1975 to 1979. He later held office as Governor of New South Wales from 1981 to 1989, and was Chancellor of the University of Sydney from 1990...
16		James Spigelman James Spigelman James Jacob Spigelman AC QC is a former Australian judge. He served as Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales from 19 May 1998 until 31 May 2011.-Early years and education:...	19 May 1998 - 31 May 2011	Gordon Samuels Gordon Samuels Gordon Jacob Samuels AC, CVO, QC , was a British-Australian lawyer, Judge and Governor of New South Wales from 1996 to 2001. Born in London in 1923, Samuels was educated at University College School and Balliol College, Oxford. After serving in the Second World War, he was called to the bar and...
17		Tom Bathurst Tom Bathurst Thomas Frederick Bathurst QC is an Australian judge. He was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales from 1 June 2011.-Early years and education:...	1 June 2011 – present	Marie Bashir Marie Bashir Marie Roslyn Bashir AC, CVO is the present Governor of New South Wales since 2001 and also the Chancellor of the University of Sydney since 2007. Born in Narrandera, New South Wales, Bashir graduated from the University of Sydney in 1956 and held various medical positions, with a particular...