The Hon Sarah Catherine DERRINGTON AM

Judge, Federal Court of Australia: 10.01.2018
Location: Brisbane

Other Commissions/Appointments:
Australian Competition Tribunal – Deputy President

Justice Sarah Derrington was appointed to the Federal Court of Australia on 10 January 2018. 

She was educated at the University of Queensland, from where she holds a BA (in French and German), an LLB (Hons), an LLM, and a PhD in the field of marine insurance law. In 1990, she was admitted to the Bar in Queensland and as a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of the ACT.

Justice Sarah Derrington pursued dual careers at the Bar and in the Academy and was appointed Professor of Admiralty Law in 2008. Immediately prior to her appointment to the Court, she was the Dean of Law at the University of Queensland. She is the author (with James M Turner QC of the English Bar) of The Law and Practice of Admiralty Matters, now in its second edition (OUP, 2016) and (with Dr Michael White OAM QC) of Australian Maritime Law (4th edn, Federation Press, 2020). 

Justice Sarah Derrington is Past President of the Maritime Law Association of Australian and New Zealand (MLAANZ) and, from 2012-2017 served on the Board of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). She has been a member of the Admiralty Rules Committee since 2006, and was a member of the Council of the Australian Maritime College (AMC) from 2012 -2023. She continues to serve on the Council of the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM). She is the Chair of the United Nations Coordination Committee for Australia (UNCCA). She was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Law in 2009, of the Nautical Institute in 2013, of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2018, and an Honorary Bencher of Gray's Inn in 2021. From 9 January 2018 to 9 January 2023, she was the President of the Australian Law Reform Commission. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List of 2022.

Associateship applications

Justice Sarah Derrington has appointed her Associates for 2025, 2026 and 2027. 

Chambers will invite applications in mid-2026 for the role of Associate in 2028. 

General information about Associate positions can be found on the Judges' Associates page of the Employment section of the Federal Court website. 

Updated June 2024