Anne Bampton is an Australian lawyer, who was a judge of the District Court of South Australia from 2010 until 2013 when she was appointed to the Supreme Court of South Australia.[1]
Anne Bampton | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia | |
| Assumed office 14 November 2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1961 or 1962 (age 61–62) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Judge, lawyer |
Career
editBampton was admitted as a legal practitioner in 1985. In 2006 she was appointed a Master of the Supreme Court. In February 2010 Bampton was appointed a judge of the District Court.[1]
Supreme Court of South Australia
editBampton was appointed to the Supreme Court in November 2013.[1] Bampton has sat on a number of high-profile cases, including finding that Cy Walsh was not guilty of the murder of his father Phil Walsh because he was mentally incompetent.[2] Bampton was a member of the Full Court of the Supreme Court that dismissed an appeal against a redistribution of the electoral districts of South Australia.[3]
Drink driving
editOn Saturday 30 November 2013, shortly after Bampton's appointment to the Supreme Court, she was driving after consuming alcohol when she hit and injured a cyclist at Glenside. A breath test indicated that Bampton had a blood alcohol content of 0.121%, a category 2 offence,[4] and was immediately disqualified from driving for six months.[5] Bampton pleaded guilty to driving with excess blood alcohol and driving without due care, was fined $1,300, plus court costs of $260 and disqualified from driving for a further eight months and 14 days.[6]
Bampton was the fourth Australian judge to commit a drink driving offense, after District Court (SA) judge Neal Hume (2002),[5] Supreme Court (NSW) judge Jeff Shaw (2004),[7] and acting Judge of Appeal (NSW) Roderick Howie (2011).[8] Hume and Shaw resigned their commissions while Howie's acting commission was allowed to lapse. In South Australia a judge can only be removed by the Governor upon the address of both Houses of the Parliament.[9][10] Bampton did not resign nor did the Parliament seek her removal. The Chief Justice Chris Kourakis decided that for twelve months Bampton would not be allocated to cases involving a driving offence nor where an offender was "materially affected by alcohol".[6] Subsequently, NSW Court of Appeal Judge Anthony Meagher was found to be driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.053%, however he too remained on the bench.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Anne Bampton and Greg Parker appointed to the Supreme Court" (PDF). Attorney-General's Department. 14 November 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
- ^ "Drink driving former judge sentenced". ABC News. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
- ^ Martin v Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission [2017] SASCFC 18, Supreme Court (SA).
- ^ Road Traffic Act 1961 (SA) s 47B Driving while having prescribed concentration of alcohol in blood.
- ^ a b "Future of newly-appointed SA Supreme Court Justice Anne Bampton in doubt after allegedly collided with cyclist while drink-driving". The Advertiser. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Drink driving judge banned from sentencing drunk offenders". The Guardian. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
- ^ Robinson, Georgina (11 May 2010). "Former NSW attorney-general Jeffrey Shaw dead". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
- ^ "Cy Walsh committed to psychiatric institution". SkyNews. 20 December 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
- ^ Constitution Act 1934 (SA) s 75 Removal from office of Judges.
- ^ Appleby, G & Le Mire, S. "Judicial Conduct: Crafting a System That Enhances Institutional Integrity". [2014] Melbourne University Law Review 9.
- ^ "Court of Appeal Judge Anthony Meagher 'deeply ashamed' after-low range drink driving charge". Sydney Morning Herald. 24 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2017.