Prominent judicial figure Geoffrey Nettle has been appointed to the High Court.
He replaces retiring judge Susan Crennan who leaves the court in early February.
Attorney-General George Brandis, in announcing the appointment on Thursday, said Justice Nettle had enjoyed a brilliant career in law.
He is a judge of the Court of Appeal in Victoria, having previously been a Queen's Counsel and a solicitor.
In consulting widely, Justice Nettle's name came up "time and time again as a particularly eminent candidate", Senator Brandis said.
"He is regarded, by bench and bar alike, as one of Australia's finest jurists."
His judgments have been marked by analytical clarity and deep legal scholarship, the attorney-general said.
