Patricia Anne Bergin is a former judge of the

Supreme Court of New South Wales The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. Whilst the Supreme Court i ...

Early life and education

Bergin was born in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, NSW, the daughter of Olga and Denis Bergin, and went to school at Sacré Cœur, Kincoppal. Bergin attended

Sydney Teachers College The Sydney Teachers' College was a tertiary education institution that trained school teachers in Sydney, Australia, Sydney, Australia. It existed from 1906 until the end of 1981, when it became the Sydney Institute of Education, a part of the ne ...

, and was appointed as a teacher on probation on 4 February 1969, working as a teacher for five years before studying law at

Macquarie University Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...

, graduating in 1981. While studying law Bergin was Associate to District Court Judge Peter Ayton Leslie and then Judge Desmond Ward QC and at Pritchards Law Firm.

Career

Bergin worked as a solicitor at Stephen Jaques & Stephen (now

King & Wood Mallesons King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) is the largest global law firm in Asia. It has 30 offices and more than 3,500 legal professionals in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. Its predecessor firms include '' SJ Berwin'' of the United Kingdom's ...

) from 1981 until she became a barrister in 1984, with

Tom Bathurst Thomas Frederick Bathurst (born 17 March 1948), is an English Australian jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales from 1 June 2011 to 5 March 2022. He has served as Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales since ...

as her tutor. Bergin represented the

National Crime Authority The National Crime Authority (NCA) was an Australian law enforcement agency established in 1984 and wound up on 31 December 2002. History The NCA was set up in 1984 in the wake of the Costigan Commission, which investigated tax evasion and orga ...

during the coronial inquiry into the murder of

Colin Winchester Colin Stanley Winchester (18 October 1933 – 10 January 1989) was an assistant commissioner in the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Winchester commanded ACT Police, the community policing component of the AFP responsible for the Australian ...

. Bergin was also appointed counsel assisting the

Wood Royal Commission The Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service, also known as the Wood Royal Commission, was a royal commission held in the State of New South Wales, Australia between 1995 and 1997. The Royal Commissioner was Justice James Ro ...

. Bergin was made a

Senior Counsel The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel (post-nominal letters: SC) is given to a senior lawyer in some countries that were formerly part of the British Empire. "Senior Counsel" is used in current or former Commonwealth countries or jurisdicti ...

in 1998. In 2015 Bergin was appointed an International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court. After retiring from the Supreme Court was appointed to conduct an inquiry into NSW branch of the

Returned and Services League of Australia The Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) is a support organisation for people who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force. Mission The RSL's mission is to ensure that programs are in place for the well-being, care ...

. From 2019 to 2021 Bergin conducted a high-profile inquiry for the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority of NSW into the suitability of Crown Resorts to hold the license for a casino at Barangaroo in Sydney, ultimately finding that Crown was not suitable to do so. Her 800-page report sparked Royal Commissions into Crown in Victoria and Western Australia.

Supreme Court of NSW

Bergin was appointed a judge of the NSW Supreme Court on 1 March 1999. From 2004 Bergin was the list judge for the Commercial List and the Technology and Construction List. Bergin replaced

Peter Young Peter or Pete Young may refer to: Sports * Peter Dalton Young (1927–2002), English rugby union player * Peter Young (cricketer, born 1961), Australian cricketer * Pete Young (born 1968), American baseball player * Peter Young (rugby league) (fl. ...

as Chief Judge in Equity on 6 March 2009. In 2009 Bergin described

Hooters Hooters is the registered trademark used by two American restaurant chains: Hooters, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida, and Hooters of America, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia, and owned by the private investment firm Nord Bay Capital (with ...

as being "casual beach-theme restaurants", with ''Justinian'' questioning whether her Honour had "accurately captured the theme of this charming chain of wholesome eateries".

Honours

In 2013

awarded Bergin an honorary Doctor of Laws for her work as an outstanding legal practitioner and her contribution to the legal fraternity. She was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for "distinguished service to the law, and to the judiciary, to legal administration, and as a mentor and advisor" in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergin, Patricia 1949 births Living people Judges of the Supreme Court of New South Wales 20th-century Australian judges 21st-century Australian judges 20th-century Australian women judges 21st-century Australian women judges Officers of the Order of Australia 21st-century Australian women 20th-century Australian women