A military judge will join the bench of the ACT Magistrates Court, filling the gap left by outgoing Magistrate Maria Doogan.
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Colonel Peter Morrison was yesterday announced as the territory's newest magistrate, after several years spent on the benches of military courts and tribunals.
''It's a new role for me, and I think it's an exciting and challenging position,'' he said.
''And it's an opportunity to practice more broadly and utilise some of the skills and experience I gained from my years in civil practice.''
Attorney-General Simon Corbell said the government moved swiftly to cover for Ms Doogan's departure, and praised the departing magistrate for her ''long and distinguished service''.
Colonel Morrison was first admitted as a lawyer in Queensland in 1981. He then spent 25 years in private practice before moving to Canberra in 2007 to take up a job on the newly-formed Australian Military Court, later found to be constitutionally invalid.
Colonel Morrison, a father of four, has also served as a judge advocate and a defence magistrate.
The 53-year-old said there were similarities between the criminal work of the territory's magistrates and the work of military tribunals.
''Some of the offences that are dealt with are service-specific offences, but the military jurisdiction also deals with conduct which is an offence under the ACT legislation,'' he said.
But Colonel Morrison said his background in civil litigation from his private practitioner days would also be useful as the Magistrates Court comes to grips with an increased civil jurisdiction.
''We practiced right across the spectrum, from high-end commercial projects to 'mum and dad' type clients,'' he said.
ACT Bar Association president Philip Walker said Colonel Morrison spent years on the Bar's professional development committee.
''He was a thoroughly solid member of the association.''
''If you gave him a job you knew it would be done and done well - he will be an asset to the court.''
Colonel Morrison is expected to don magisterial robes for the first time after Ms Doogan resigns at the end of March. The former ACT prosecutor will leave the job after more than 13 years, seven months from her mandatory statutory retirement age of 65.
ACT Law Society president Noor Blumer praised the ACT government for quickly filling the gap created by Ms Doogan's impending departure.
But within coming months the Government will have to start scouting around for a new magistrate to replace Magistrate Grant Lalor, who turns 65 at the end of the year.
