(1) The Governor, by
commission under the Public Seal of the State, may appoint as many persons as
are needed for the purposes of this Act to be Family Court judges.
(2) The Governor is to
appoint one of the judges to be the Chief Judge of the Court and may, at any
time, revoke the appointment as Chief Judge.
(3) A person is not
eligible for appointment as a Family Court judge unless the person —
(a) is a
lawyer and has had not less than 8 years’ legal experience; and
(b) by
reason of training, experience, and personality, is a suitable person to deal
with matters of family law.
(3a) In subsection
(3)(a) —
legal experience means —
(a)
standing and practice as a legal practitioner; or
(b)
judicial service (including service as a judge of a court, a magistrate or
other judicial officer) in the State or elsewhere in a common law
jurisdiction; or
(c) a
combination of both kinds of legal experience mentioned in paragraphs (a) and
(b).
(4) A person so
appointed is a judge for the whole of the State and can constitute the Court
sitting at any place in the State.
[Section 11 amended: No. 21 of 2008 s. 663(3); No.
9 of 2022 s. 424.]