Mazal tov Lisa Hespe
"I am humbled and honoured by this opportunity to serve this wonderful country in this way."
Leibler Yavneh College graduate Lisa Hespe SC has been appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Australia.
Hespe, who was dux of her year in 1988, joins fellow Jewish Justices Mordecai Bromberg and Mark Moshinsky on the bench of the Federal Court, all three being located in Melbourne.
Hespe told The AJN, “I am humbled and honoured by this opportunity to serve this wonderful country in this way. As members of a minority community, we have a deep appreciation for the protection given by the rule of law.”
Yavneh principal Shula Lazar congratulated Hespe on behalf of the college.
“Part of our school mission is to nurture ‘life-long, independent learners who pursue excellence and strive to achieve their potential’. It is no doubt that Lisa epitomises this notion and we are so very proud,” she said.
David Lissek, who taught at Yavneh for 29 years, remembers Hespe well.
“Lisa was a very memorable student, always courteous, hard working and striving for excellence,” he said.
“Lisa’s appointment is a marvellous achievement and well deserved.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim also shared his congratulations.
“We have no doubt that she will be a distinguished judge,” he said.
“Ms Hespe proudly identifies as Jewish. Her appointment can serve as an inspiration to younger members of our community by demonstrating that there are no barriers to what they can achieve in Australia if they do not compromise on their identity or integrity.”
Jewish Community Council of Victoria president Daniel Aghion, a personal friend of Hespe and a Victorian senior counsel, said, “Lisa is a very capable lawyer, recently appointed as Senior Counsel for Victoria. She is fair minded and will be a great judge.
“Lisa, Marc Felman and I were three proud Jews appointed as senior counsel on the same day. We carried on the tradition of letting our families shep naches from our professional achievements.”
Hespe was admitted as a solicitor and barrister in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1995 and was appointed as senior counsel in 2021.
She has been appointed to the Victorian Registry to replace Justice Paul Anastassiou, whose resignation takes effect on April 29.
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