JUDICIARY (DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION) ACT 1977

No. 115 of 1977

An Act relating to the appointment of the Honourable Russell Walter Fox as an Ambassador-at-large.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Judiciary (Diplomatic Representation) Act 1977.

Commencement

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Acceptance of appointment as Ambassador-at-large

3. The Honourable Russell Walter Fox, the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia, may accept appointment as an Ambassador-at-large for the Australian Government in relation to matters concerning nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear safeguards, and, if he accepts that appointment—

(a) his service as such an Ambassador-at-large shall, for all purposes, count as service in any judicial office held by him during his appointment as such an Ambassador-at-large; and

(b) he shall, whether or not he resigns as such Chief Judge, continue to be entitled to receive, during his appointment as such an Ambassador-at-large but not after pension becomes payable to him under the Judges’ Pensions Act 1968, the salary and annual allowance payable from time to time to a person who holds both the office of the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and the office of a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia.

Application of Judges’ Pensions Act 1968

4. (1) If the Honourable Russell Walter Fox resigns from the office of Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and, either before or after so resigning, he accepts the appointment referred to in section 3, the Judges’ Pensions Act 1968 shall apply in relation to him upon his ceasing to hold any office of Judge (whether by retirement or death) as if, immediately before so ceasing, he had held office as Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in addition to any other office of Judge held by him.

(2) In sub-section (1), “Judge” has the same meaning as in the Judges’ Pensions Act 1968.