Sarah Huggett

Sarah Huggett is an Australian lawyer and judge who is the first female Chief Judge of the District Court of New South Wales.

Early life and education Sarah Huggett was born in Moree, one of eight children and the daughter of a police officer. She has a BA from Macquarie University and graduated from the University of Sydney with first class honours in law in 1991. She was appointed a Crown prosecutor in 2001. She has said that lengthy sentences for sexual offences are "designed to punish the offender, denounce their conduct, protect the community and recognise the harm done to the victims".

Huggett was appointed to the New South Wales Supreme Court in November 2023. She was appointed Chief Judge of the District Court of NSW by Attorney General Michael Daley in April 2024, the first woman to hold the position.

Notable cases Huggett was instructing solicitor to the DPP in the prosecution of Ivan Milat. She imposed a maximum sentence of 32 years imprisonment on former MasterChef Australia contestant Paul Frost for child sexual offences. In 2023, she acquitted Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka of rape through the act of stealthing in another judge alone trial.

Personal life Huggett has two children.