The ACT's Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker was on Tuesday announced as the new drug and alcohol court judge.
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Ms Walker, who will take up the acting judge position for 12 months from August 1, will oversee the soon to be established court aimed at thwarting reoffending by helping people overcome drug and alcohol problems.
Ms Walker's move to the new court freed up the role of chief magistrate and chief coroner, which the government has also announced will be taken up by Magistrate Glenn Theakston in an acting capacity.
Mr Theakston has served on the bench since 2016.
The ACT's drug court has been years in the making and was modelled after a version in NSW, with the aim of stopping reoffending by sending eligible drug-dependent criminals to court-monitored rehabilitation instead of jail.
The ACT Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay said final arrangements were being made for the court to be up and running by the end of the year.
"The [drug and alcohol court] aims to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour by supporting offenders to deal with drug and alcohol addiction," Mr Ramsay said in a statement.
"The [court] will have significant long-term benefit for the ACT community through reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour."
Mr Ramsay said Ms Walker was well-respected throughout the legal profession and known to have a strong commitment to therapeutic jurisprudence.
Mr Theakston's elevation to acting chief magistrate was a testament to his strong leadership skills and positive contribution to the court, Mr Ramsay said.
Special Magistrate Margaret Hunter has also been reappointed for an additional year, to take her appointment to the end of December 2020.
The ACT Magistrates Court has undergone significant change in the recent past. Three new magistrates have already been sworn in the last 12 months, Magistrates Louise Taylor, James Lawton and James Stewart.
