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Associate judges are appointed by the Governor of Victoria and exercise judicial powers in civil matters as specified under the Supreme Court Rules. As judicial officers, associate judges have the authority to hear and determine certain civil matters and make decisions on applications to appeal from lower courts.

In some civil disputes, associate judges conduct judicial mediations to resolve the matter, or to assist parties with narrowing issues in contention before trial.

Associate judges also preside over trial proceedings, both within their original jurisdiction, and as referred by judges of the Trial Division. This empowers associate judges to hear complex matters outside of their original jurisdiction and enables the Court to hear urgent or unexpected applications that arise prior to trial.

In getting matters ready for trial, hearing interlocutory disputes, and resolving matters through mediation, associate judges play an important role in the expeditious resolution of matters and saving of Court costs for parties to proceedings.

Below is a list of current associate judges.

Associate judges Period of office
The Hon. Melissa Lee Daly 10 October 2006 -
The Hon. Simon Peter Gardiner 6 November 2008 -
The Hon. Mary-Jane Ierodiaconou 12 May 2015 -
The Hon. Julian Michel Kalman Hetyey  (2014*) 11 February 2020 -
The Hon. Ian Irving (2016*) 27 July 2021 -
The Hon. Fiona June Steffensen (2020*) 12 April 2022 -
The Hon. Matthew Pierre Barrett 21 June 2022 -
The Hon. Catherine Flavia Gobbo 15 August 2023 -
The Hon. Caroline Anne Goulden 02 November 2023 -

* Date appointed as Judicial Registrar

Reserve associate judge Period of office
The Hon. Mark Derham 10 January 2020 -
The Hon. Alexander Jamie Wood 26 June 2021 -
The Hon. John Efthim 9 April 2022 -

For more information, visit the associate judges of the Supreme Court page.