Justice margaret nyland biography channel
Margaret Nyland
Australian lawyer (born )
Margaret Jean NylandAM (born November ) is an Australian lawyer, who was a judge of the District Court of South Australia from until when she was appointed to the Supreme Court of South Australia. Nyland retired in [1]
Early life and education
Nyland was born in in Adelaide, South Australia.
Justice margaret nyland biography channel 7 The Hon. One of only three women admitted to practice in the State in , Nyland obtained articles and in time became the senior partner in her own law firm. She later enjoyed a successful career, where her area of specialisation was family law. Nyland was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the judiciary, human rights and the equal status of women, and to the community through a range of cultural organisations. Margaret Nyland was born into a family which was keenly aware of the power of education to change society.Her mother was an egg wiper, later becoming a tent, sail and flag maker. Her father, John Johnson (Jack) Nyland was a boilermaker then taxi driver, later becoming the State Secretary of the Transport Workers Union (SA).[2] Nyland went to Gilles Street Primary School and the Adelaide Girls High School. Nyland had determined her choice of career at a young age, writing "lawyer" on each occasion the school asked to list her intended occupation.[1] Nyland received a Commonwealth Scholarship which enabled her to study law at the University of Adelaide,[2] where one of her lecturers was Roma Mitchell.
Nyland graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in and was one of three women admitted as legal practitioners in [3]
Career
To be admitted as a solicitor, Nyland required both a law degree and a period as an articled clerk and she had difficulty finding someone to take her, eventually being taken on by Pam Cleland.
Nyland later entered into a law partnership with Cleland, before going into partnership with David Haines QC in the firm Nyland, Haines & Co which specialised in family law.
Justice margaret nyland biography channel Throughout her career Her Honour has demonstrated a commitment to the values that underpin WLASA and is an inspiring example to our members. She provides the Committee with valuable support and encouragement. Her Honour studied law at Adelaide University in the early sixties and was admitted in March At a time when it was extremely difficult for women to find a place to complete articles, she was fortunate to be articled by Pam Cleland at the Adelaide firm Genders, Wilson and Bray. Following her admission she continued working with Pam Cleland and followed her when Pam set up on her own practice in at Azalea House in Waterfall Gully.Nyland was the Chair of the Commonwealth Social Security Appeals Tribunal from until , Chair of the South Australian Sex Discrimination Board from until and then Deputy Chair of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal (SA). In Nyland became only the second woman to be appointed to the District Court.[3]
After her retirement from the Supreme Court, Nyland was appointed in August to conduct the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission, to investigate the adequacy of the child protection system in South Australia.[4]
Supreme Court of South Australia
In , Nyland was elevated to the Supreme Court.
South Australia was the first commonwealth jurisdiction to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court when Roma Mitchell was appointed in Mitchell retired as Dame Roma in , and it took a further ten years before the second woman, Nyland, was appointed to the Supreme Court.[3]
Nyland was the judge in a number of high-profile criminal trials, including that of Michelle Burgess and Kevin Matthews for the murder of Carolyn Matthews,[5]Mark Errin Rust for the murders of Maya Jakic and Megumi Suzuki,[6] and sentencing a teenager for the murder of Pirjo Kemppainen.[7]
By , two more women had been appointed to the Supreme Court, Ann Vanstone and Robyn Layton.
Together they formed the first all female Court of Criminal Appeal in South Australia.[3][8]
Nyland retired from the Supreme Court in November as a result of reaching the statutory retirement age of [1]
Honours
Nyland was made a Member of the Order of Australia "For service to the judiciary, to human rights and the equal status of women, and to the community through a range of cultural organisations" on 26 January [9]