Rana Daher was sworn in as a magistrate of the NSW (New South Wales) Local Court at the Downing Centre becoming the first Muslim woman to hold judicial office in Australia (until we are advised otherwise).
Daher wore a hijab for the ceremony, as she has done in her previous roles as a Legal Aid lawyer in NSW Children’s Legal Services and then a registrar at the Children’s Court.
NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman said Magistrate Daher had to “regularly face people’s fears and prejudice”, especially at the start of her legal career. “There were no other women in hijabs practising law at that time. You were frequently mistaken for the translator, and you’ve lost count of the number of times you’ve had to explain to defence or court staff that you were, in fact, a lawyer.”
Magistrate Daher recalled the first time she went down to the cells to see a client; they wouldn’t let her through because they didn’t believe she was a lawyer. But for the most part, she thanked her big family and implored others from diverse backgrounds to become lawyers.
The Muslim Legal Network NSW said it was an important day. “It is crucial for the community to see the bench as a representation of the Australian community, as this fosters trust in the legal profession and facilitates a more equitable administration of justice.
