Jane Mathews

Jane Hamilton Mathews (19 December 1940 – 31 August 2019) was a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, a judge of the Federal Court of Australia and President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Federal Court of Australia In 1994 the Attorney-General Michael Lavarch offered Mathews the role of President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal which involved being appointed to the Federal Court. Mathews was also appointed, at her request, to the Native Title Tribunal. Mathews was not the first woman appointed to the Federal Court, that being Deirdre O'Connor who was appointed in 1990.

In 1996 Mathews was appointed to prepare a report on Aboriginal Heritage issues in relation to the Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy. The High Court held that her appointment, even though conferred on Mathews personally (referred to as persona designata), was incompatible with her role as a federal judge. Mathews resigned from the Federal Court in 2001 to return as an acting judge of the Supreme Court of NSW. but they later divorced.

Death Mathews died on 31 August 2019. A State Memorial Service was held at the Playhouse, Sydney Opera House, on 18 October 2019.