1 week Ago By Damien Madigan
Quick Links Network He's a proud Penrith Panthers fan and even prouder graduate of Springwood High School, but come May 12 Stephen Free will also be the state's latest Supreme Court Justice. Create a free account to read this article The highly respected barrister was appointed as a Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court of NSW by the state's Attorney-General Michael Daly on April 2. It's a long way from his childhood in the Blue Mountains where Mr Free attended Faulconbridge Public School and Springwood High School, completing his HSC in 1992.
School principal, Stuart Harvie, said the entire Springwood High community is very proud of their former student's achievement, describing it as "wonderful news". "Stephen still maintains a strong connection to our school, and his mother, Margaret, was a teacher at our school. Stephen still presents an award on his mother's behalf at our annual award presentation.
" Mr Free did his undergraduate degree at the Australian National University in Canberra before continuing his tertiary studies at Magdalen College in Oxford from 1999-2002. Over the past two decades, he has built a distinguished practice spanning commercial law, public law, regulatory matters and appellate advocacy. He has acted in some of Australia's most significant constitutional and commercial cases, appearing in the High Court of Australia, Federal Court and superior courts throughout NSW.
Mr Free has also appeared in various high-profile royal commissions and commissions of inquiry including as Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. He was called to the Bar in 2006 and appointed Senior Counsel in 2018. Outside of court, Mr Free serves as a member of the Appeals and Disciplinary and Ethics Committees of Football Australia, contributing to the governance of professional football in Australia.
He is a season ticket holder at Penrith Panthers. Attorney General Michael Daley said: "Stephen Free SC bring a wealth of experience across some of the nation's most complex and high-profile legal matters. "He is widely regarded as one of the leading silks in the country and known for his intellectual rigour, sound judgment and a deep commitment to the law.
"I expect he will make a significant contribution to the court and the people of New South Wales, and I congratulate him on his appointment to the Supreme Court of New South Wales as a Judge of Appeal." Get the latest Katoomba news in your inbox.
