The Law Society of Tasmania and acting Attorney-General Matthew Groom have thanked Justice Shan Tennent for her service as a Supreme Court judge.
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Justice Tennent was the first woman to be appointed to the bench in Tasmania, following decades of experience in the state's justice system.
She announced her resignation this week.
“Justice Tennent has had an illustrious career, and is a trailblazer and a role model for all practitioners, but particularly for female practitioners,” Law Society of Tasmania president Rohan Foon said.
Before she became a Supreme Court judge, Justice Tennent headed an inquest as a Hobart magistrate in 2001 into deaths in custody at Risdon Prison. Her recommendations led to the prison being rebuilt.
She studied law at the University of Queensland and specialised in family law in Tasmania for much of her 40-year career.
She was appointed a magistrate in 1998, and a Supreme Court Justice in 2005.
Mr Groom also thanked Justice Tennent for her service.
“She has 40 years of experience within the Tasmanian justice system and is a well-respected member of the state’s legal fraternity,” he said.
“I would like to thank Justice Tennent for her extraordinary service over many years and for her career-long dedication to ensuring all Tasmanians have equitable access to justice.
“I wish her all the very best for her future endeavours.”
Justice Tennent’s resignation comes at a time when the Supreme Court is experiencing a significant backlog of cases.
Last month, the state government appointed four acting judges on two-year terms in an attempt to clear the backlog.
It came after the most recent Report on Government Services found backlogs in both the Supreme and Magistrates courts in Tasmania.
As at June 30, 2016, more than a quarter of Supreme Court criminal cases were more than one year old. And about 7 per cent of those 381 cases were more than two years old.
The previous year, 27.6 per cent of criminal cases in the Supreme Court were more than 12 months old.
However, because Justice Tennent's resignation won't take effect until November 3 this year, Mr Foon said it shouldn't add to the backlog of cases.
"There is ample time to replace her,” he said.
