The Federal Court of Australia has ruled that sexual harassment allegations against a former Northern Territory Supreme Court judge, identified in court documents as RST, can proceed. This decision rejects RST's argument that the complaint was filed too late, more than ten years after the alleged conduct.

A former court associate alleges that over a decade ago, the judge made inappropriate comments about her appearance, asked if she "liked having massages," and suggested sharing a bed to save money. The complainant initially raised her concerns internally with the Supreme Court but was led to believe there were "no options" to take the matter further.

The NT Anti-Discrimination Commission (ADC) had agreed to hear the complaint, but RST appealed, contending the commission was not sufficiently strict regarding a 12-month time limit on complaints. Last week, Federal Court Justice Mark Moshinsky sided with the commission, comprehensively rejecting the ex-judge's arguments and concluding the allegations should proceed. He also expressed a "provisional view" that RST should pay the complainant's legal costs.

The ADC delegate noted the timing of the complaint was significant but pointed out that because the complaint had been lodged through internal channels years earlier, there were opportunities to collect and preserve evidence, potentially reducing issues related to the delay.

This ruling underscores the seriousness of the allegations and the importance of ensuring judges are not perceived as immune from accountability.

Sources

ABC Australia News by James Elton, August 5, 2026.