A/Prof Anthony Hopkins appointed Acting Judge of ACT Supreme Court
Associate Professor Anthony Hopkins, who has been a Special Magistrate of the ACT Magistrates Court since April 2021, assumed his new role as Acting Judge of the ACT Supreme Court on 1 December 2023. Photos: Jane Duong, ACT Courts
The Australian National University (ANU) College of Law is proud to announce the appointment of Associate Professor Anthony Hopkins as an Acting Judge of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Supreme Court.
Alongside Acting Justice Rebecca Christensen SC, he will assume the responsibility of presiding over the Drug and Alcohol Sentencing List. This appointment signifies a milestone in the pursuit of evidence-based justice, building on the impactful work of Acting Justice and ANU Honorary Professor Richard Refshauge.
In a groundbreaking move for the ACT, Acting Justices Hopkins and Christensen will hold dual roles as Special Magistrates and Acting Judges. This dual appointment underscores their commitment to supporting and enhancing the capacity of both courts to deliver therapeutic justice outcomes.
A legal practitioner, educator and researcher, Dr Hopkins is a leading authority on therapeutic jurisprudence in Australia and has deep expertise in criminal law. He was appointed as a Special Magistrate in 2021 to the Galambany Circle Sentencing Court, a specialised 'circle-sentencing' court that provides a community-engaged, culturally appropriate, restorative and effective sentencing process for Indigenous offenders.
““What research and experience tell us is that we must listen deeply to understand the diverse experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across this vast continent to which they belong, and which belongs to them, in order to take steps towards a fuller realisation of justice.””
Dr Hopkins will continue serving as a Special Magistrate on the Galambany Court, leveraging his experience and relationships to strengthen the cultural supports available to Indigenous individuals subject to drug and alcohol treatment orders in the Supreme Court.
“What research and experience tell us is that we must listen deeply to understand the diverse experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across this vast continent to which they belong, and which belongs to them, in order to take steps towards a fuller realisation of justice," he said.
"This holds true at a constitutional, political and institutional level, as it does on a personal level. In the context of the criminal justice system, this involves listening to understand how the past lives in the present, how intergenerational trauma shapes lives and how intergenerational, community and individual strength can offer a pathway to healing, and out of cycles of offending."
Dr Hopkins added that he had been "humbled" by his work with Elders in the Galambany Court and with the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people "who have so generously taught me how to listen".
"I am grateful that I can continue this work and bring this approach to my future work with participants in the Drug and Alcohol Sentencing List who are facing the challenge of addiction, which is so often born out of childhood and intergenerational trauma,” he said.
This dual appointment recognises Dr Hopkins' extensive contributions to strengths-based Indigenous and therapeutic justice. It marks another impressive milestone in his legal-academic career that includes serving as an Aboriginal Legal Service lawyer in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, practising as a barrister in Kamberri/Canberra from 2010-2021, and joining the ANU College of Law in 2015.
Dr Hopkins will continue his work with the ANU College of Law supporting the continued offering of the groundbreaking Indigenous-led on Country course, Legal Education for True Justice: Indigenous Perspectives and Deep Listening on Country, delivered in Central Australia in partnership with Traditional Owners, Aboriginal lawyers, justice professionals, educators and interpreters which is designed to transform legal education, giving primacy to the authority of Indigenous voices and perspectives, and to Country itself.
Dr Hopkins expressed his gratitude for being given the opportunity to further serve the ACT community in the delivery of holistic evidence-based approaches, underscoring the importance of compassion, empathy and understanding in the pursuit of justice.
