Justice Belinda Baker sworn in as ACT Supreme Court judge, creating female majority

Belinda Baker started thinking about life as a judge while watching the swearing-in of Chief Justice Lucy McCallum, for which she was assigned a spot in the dock, in March.

She enjoyed a change of scenery on Friday, when she took a new and no doubt more comfortable seat on the bench.

The appointment of the former champion surfer, now known as Justice Baker, gives the court a female majority of resident judges for the first time.

Her introduction to a packed courtroom had been a long time in the making, coming nearly nine months after she was named as the retiring Justice Michael Elkaim's replacement.

Following her period of "purgatory", or "gestation" as she described it, the former NSW deputy senior Crown prosecutor's diverse interests and accomplishments were revealed.

Many of those at the ceremonial sitting were already familiar with her reputation as a formidable lawyer, who had appeared in more than 200 criminal appeals since 2016.

Justice Baker was held in such high regard in NSW, ACT Law Society president Farzana Choudhury could find only one former colleague happy to see her leave.

The reason? That person would no longer be everyone's second choice for legal advice.

"I tried Belinda Baker, but she was unavailable," they reported callers frequently saying.

Justice Baker was described by another former colleague as "an irreplaceable font of legal knowledge", and ACT Bar Association president Rebecca Curran told the ceremony she was "a modest woman with nothing to be modest about".

The new judge, who started life as a self-confessed "tomboy" in Sydney, revealed she nearly became a physiotherapist before deciding to study law and winning a university medal.

She went on to complete a master's at Harvard University, under the tutelage of future United States Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan.

But the mother of two's professional achievements make up only some of her accolades, which include having represented Australia at surfing world championships in Hawaii.

Mr Curran said Justice Baker was rumoured to have taught, or at least tried to teach, a NSW judge to surf, while there were also whispers she had been an extra in a Hollywood series.

Despite the new judge being asked by Chief Justice McCallum to confirm or deny whether that show was Baywatch, those at the ceremony were left guessing as to the answer.

Also described as a guide dog trainer, "keen noodle soup lunch companion" and "occasional fancy cocktail appreciator", Justice Baker told the gathering she was looking forward to life in Canberra.

She detailed her desire to help address the over-representation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system, including by perhaps expanding the Galambany Circle Sentencing Court, which operates only within the ACT Magistrates Court, to the Supreme Court.

The new judge said she would aim, above all else, to never lose sight of the fact justice was about people whose lives were irrevocably affected by every decision courts made.

"It's not simply translating Latin phrases," Justice Baker said.

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She added that she was honoured to serve under the "energetic" Chief Justice McCallum, who was "an inspiring jurist" and "the chief justice most likely to win Australian Ninja Warrior".

While Justice Baker indicated she would say she had "big shoes to fill" when Justice Elkaim retired in two weeks' time, "he hasn't got out of his shoes yet".

When he does, three of the ACT's five resident judges will be women, creating the court's first female majority. There is also another woman in the form of Associate Justice Verity McWilliam.

Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury lauded this in his speech, saying the ACT government had made it clear the days of male-dominated power were done.

He described the appointment of Justice Baker, the third new judge to be sworn in this year, as completing the "evolution of the court".

"The face of the Supreme Court is very different now," the Attorney-General said.

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