High Court’s work rate … Productivity drops in recent years … Annual report … Hefty expenditures on “workplace issues” … Interesting items of expenditure … From our High Court watcher Misty Malone 

The most recent delivered judgment came down on June 15. So far this year the Saloon has handed down 22 judgments, which is on par with 45 judgments delivered in 2021. 

However, it’s well below the stellar years of 2001 when the court pumped out 77 judgments, or 2005 with 81 judgments. 

We drew the numbers from the court’s search/browse function. 

It’s rare to find the chief justice writing a single judgment as she is most often partnered with Justice Keane – which makes a burden shared a burden halved. 

The 2020-2021 annual report for the court also throws up some interesting expenditures, including (see financial statements): 

$85,052 to Bill Campbell AO, PSM, QC for “management of certain employment related issues”. 

Campbell is an authority on international law and law of the sea, so we’re wondering about the “certain employment related issues” with which he had to grapple.

We’ve asked the court’s communications man – but, sadly, nothing came back. 

Vivienne Thom did the big report on the experience of associates at the hands of Dicey Heydon. That cost the court $78,933 in 2019-20 and there was another $12,041 in the most recent year for a “workplace report”. 

Seems like a bundle of money on working out how people should behave while at the Saloon. 

The most recent annual bill for wages and salaries stood at $6.9 million and there were a hefty $822,786 spent on information, technology and communications. 

$25,344 was spent on a survey and advice about establishing a guest wi-fi service – which suggests it will cost even more to instal it.  

There was also some helpful advice on governance and public communications from the capable Gabrielle Trainer ($42,488).

Fortunately for 2020-2021 there was no further expenditure on the “architectural, electrical, mechanical and hydraulics for the upgrade of High Court toilets, which cost $23,800 the previous year.  

All up the 2021 report shows the Saloon collected about $2.5 million in fees and charges; it spent $640,000 on travel; and had a Commonwealth appropriation of $20 million.