Laura Stein

Laura Grace Stein[1] is an Australian lawyer and judge. She has been Chief Justice of South Australia in the Supreme Court of South Australia since 19 February 2026.[2][3] She is the first woman to be appointed to the role.[4]

Early life and education

Laura Stein grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa.[5] She moved with her family to Adelaide in 1978.[5] She graduated from Unley High School.[6][7]

Stein completed a degree in law and economics at the University of Adelaide,[8] with a 1988 honours thesis on tax deductibility laws.[9] She was a judge's associate to High Court justice Michael McHugh in 1990.[6][10]

Career

Stein began practising as a lawyer in 1991 at Fisher Jeffries, where she stayed for ten years, eventually becoming an equity partner.[5]

In 2001, Stein was appointed to the Crown Solicitor's Office as an Executive Solicitor. She was promoted to Special counsel in 2017 and Assistant Crown Solicitor in 2018 and headed the Civil Litigation division.[5][7][11] She was appointed Crown Solicitor in 2020, the third woman to hold the role.[4][6][12] She oversaw the government's disputes in the building of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital as well as the development of emergency laws during the Covid 19 pandemic.[13]

Stein is a member of the Legal Practitioners Education and Admission Council and the Audit and Risk Management Committee of the Courts Administration Authority.[3]

Judicial career

In September 2021, Stein was appointed to the Supreme Court of South Australia.[3][4] She chairs the court's special classification trial management committee and the respectful behaviours committee's steering committee, and belongs to the workplace conduct committee.[5]

Stein was sworn is as Chief Justice by Governor Frances Adamson on 19 February 2026,[14] succeeding Chris Kourakis.[15] Stein was sworn in on a Bible that belonged to Australia's first female judge and governor, South Australian Dame Roma Mitchell.[14] Attorney General Kyam Maher said of her appointment, "Justice Stein’s leadership role in building cultural change in the legal profession, following the Equal Opportunity Commissioner’s report on bullying and harassment, makes her uniquely well-placed to lift standards across the profession as Chief Justice."[3]

References

  1. ^ "The South Australian Government Gazette" (PDF). Government of South Australia. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Respected Judge set to take on leadership role". Premier of South Australia. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d Gilchrist, Charlie (16 January 2026). "History made with top judge appointment". InDaily. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  4. ^ a b c Schriever, Jordanna (15 January 2026). "Laura Stein appointed as South Australia's new Chief Justice, replacing Chris Kourakis". ABC News. Archived from the original on 16 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d e Carolino, Bernise (20 January 2026). "Laura Stein to serve as South Australia's first female chief justice". Australasian Lawyer. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b c Fewster, Sean (15 January 2026). "Supreme Court Justice Laura Stein named new Chief Justice of SA, will succeed Chris Kourakis as of February 2026". The Advertiser. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  7. ^ a b Tracy, Jackie (28 February 2022). "Meet all the finalists in our inspirational 2022 Woman of the Year Awards". The Advertiser. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  8. ^ Neilson, Naomi (19 January 2026). "'Hardworking, innovative': New SA Chief Justice named". Lawyers Weekly. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  9. ^ Stein, Laura (1988). "Towards a satisfactory test for the deductibility of expenditure under section 51(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act, 1936 : the overriding importance of purpose". Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Law Society congratulates Justice Stein on appointment as Chief Justice of South Australia". The Law Society of South Australia. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  11. ^ Kelsall, Thomas (6 September 2021). "Corporate Ladder: your weekly guide to executive appointments". In Daily. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  12. ^ Noble, Kelly (6 July 2020). "Laura Stein Appointed As SA's New Crown Solicitor". Glam Adelaide. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  13. ^ Hough, Andrew; Fewster, Sean (9 December 2024). "Power 20 list: The top influential players in the South Australian legal system ranked". The Advertiser. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  14. ^ a b "Her Excellency, the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, swears in the state's first Supreme Court Justice Laura Stein". The Australian. 19 February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  15. ^ Gilchrist, Charlie (16 December 2025). "SA's top judge announces retirement". InDaily. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
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