Chief Justice Helen Murrell, Justice John Burns to retire from ACT Supreme Court

Chief Justice Helen Murrell will retire in March 2022, after more than 25 years as a judge.

Justice John Burns, meanwhile, will step down in August this year, by which time he will have spent more than 30 years as a magistrate or judge.

Chief Justice Murrell has been a judicial officer since becoming a NSW District Court judge in 1996.

Her subsequent achievements include playing a key role in the establishment of the Drug Court of NSW, which was the first of its kind in Australia.

She served as the inaugural senior judge of that court, and moved to Canberra in 2013 to become the first woman to hold the top post at the ACT Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Murrell has since introduced a number of case management procedures and made significant changes to the court's listing procedures in order to address backlogs.

She also played a role in the development of the new courthouse, and chaired the National Judicial College of Australia for four years.

Justice Burns, meanwhile, has been a judicial officer since being appointed to the ACT Magistrates Court in 1990 at the age of 33.

He ascended to the roles of chief magistrate and chief coroner in 2009, before becoming an ACT Supreme Court judge in 2011.

Justice Burns has chaired court committees in recent times, including one that developed a model for what is now the ACT's drug and alcohol sentencing list.

He is also an additional judge of the Northern Territory Supreme Court, where he last year presided over the high-profile rape trial of a former assistant police commissioner who was ultimately acquitted.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the ACT Supreme Court paid tribute to the retiring pair, saying they had led the way in improving court efficiency.

"Both have supported therapeutic jurisprudence, which prioritises rehabilitation and the giving of voice to victims," the statement also said.