Margaret Jean Nyland (1942) is an Australian lawyer, who was a judge of the District Court of South Australia from 1987 until 1993 when she was appointed to the Supreme Court of South Australia. Nyland retired in 2012.

Early life and education

Nyland was born in 1942, Adelaide, South Australia. Her mother was an egg wiper, later becoming a tent, sail and flag maker. Her father, John Johnson (Jack) Nyland was a boilermaker then taxi driver, later becoming the State Secretary of the Transport Workers Union (SA). Nyland went to Gilles Street Primary School and the Adelaide Girls High School. Nyland had determined her choice of career at a young age, writing "lawyer" on each occasion the school asked to list her intended occupation. Nyland received a Commonwealth Scholarship which enabled her to study law at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

, where one of her lecturers was

Roma Mitchell Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell, (2 October 1913 – 5 March 2000) was an Australian lawyer, judge and state governor. She was the first woman to hold a number of positions in Australia – the country's first woman judge, the first woman to be a ...

. Nyland graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1965 and was one of three women admitted as legal practitioners in 1965.

Career

To be admitted as a solicitor, Nyland required both a law degree and a period as an

articled clerk Articled clerk is a title used in Commonwealth countries for one who is studying to be an accountant or a lawyer. In doing so, they are put under the supervision of someone already in the profession, now usually for two years, but previously three ...

and she had difficulty finding someone to take her, eventually being taken on by Pam Cleland. Nyland later entered into a law partnership with Cleland, before going into partnership with David Haines in the firm Nyland, Haines & Co which specialised in family law. Nyland was the Chair of the Commonwealth Social Security Appeals Tribunal from 1975 until 1987, Chair of the South Australian Sex Discrimination Board from 1985 until 1987 and then Deputy Chair of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal (SA). In 1987 Nyland became only the second woman to be appointed to the District Court. After her retirement from the Supreme Court, Nyland was appointed in August 2014 to conduct the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission, to investigate the adequacy of the child protection system in South Australia.

Supreme Court of South Australia

In 1993 Nyland was elevated to the Supreme Court. South Australia was the first commonwealth jurisdiction to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court when Roma Mitchell was appointed in 1965. Mitchell retired as Dame Roma in 1983, and it took a further ten years before the second woman, Nyland, was appointed to the Supreme Court. Nyland was the judge in a number of high profile criminal trials, including that of Michelle Burgess and Kevin Matthews for the murder of Carolyn Matthews, Mark Errin Rust for the murders of Maya Jakic and Megumi Suzuki, and sentencing a teenager for the murder of Pirjo Kemppainen. By 2005, two more women had been appointed to the Supreme Court, Ann Vanstone and Robyn Layton. Together they formed the first all female Court of Criminal Appeal in South Australia. Nyland retired from the Supreme Court in November 2012 as a result of reaching the statutory retirement age of 70.

Honours

Nyland was made a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Order (distinction), honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of Australia, Queen of Aus ...

"For service to the judiciary, to human rights and the equal status of women, and to the community through a range of cultural organisations" on 26 January 2005.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nyland, Margaret Living people Judges of the Supreme Court of South Australia Australian women judges Adelaide Law School alumni 1942 births Judges of the District Court of South Australia Members of the Order of Australia 20th-century Australian women People educated at Adelaide High School Lawyers from Adelaide