Judge Geoffrey Muecke appointed Chief Judge of the District Court of South Australia New Chief Judge of the District Court, Geoffrey Muecke. JUDGE Geoffrey Muecke, one of the state's most senior and respected jurists, has been named head of the District Court. Attorney-General John Rau this morning officially appointed him Chief Judge of the District Court, through an announcement in the Government Gazette. Judge Muecke has served as acting head of the court since the retirement of Chief Judge Terry Worthington in April. Mr Rau told The Advertiser he was confident Judge Muecke would bring "vast experience" to the role. Judge Muecke has acted in the role of Chief Judge since the retirement of Chief Judge Worthington and has served in this role very well,' he said. I have no doubt that Chief Judge Muecke will continue to provide great service to the South Australian justice system in his new role. It is understood Judge Muecke is due to take leave in August. In the interim, Judge David Lovell will serve as acting Chief Judge. Judge Muecke joined the bench in 1999, aged 52, to replace Judge Andrew Wilson. He graduated from the University of Adelaide and was admitted to practice in 1970, becoming a barrister in 1982. He acted in the Royal Commissions investigating the State Bank collapse and South Australia's prison system, and assisted the Tasmanian solicitor-general during an inquiry into that state's Constitutional Act. Since joining the bench, Judge Muecke has served as a judge of the Environment, Resources and Development Court, was appointed as the Presiding Member of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee. He has also served as a Deputy Presiding Member/Officer of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal. One of Judge Muecke's most prominent cases was the matter of the South Australian National Football League and Norwood Football Club versus the Port Adelaide Football Club, arising from Port's initial abortive attempt to join the AFL. Most recently, Judge Muecke presided over the $2.2 million unfair dismissal lawsuit filed by soccer coach Rini Coolen against Adelaide United. Judge Muecke is married with three adult children. He played half-back for the University of Adelaide's football team - and counted the late Paul Rofe, QC, among his team mates - and for the St Peters Old Collegians team. Speakers at his judicial appointment, in 1999, likened Judge Muecke to John Wayne's character in the 1950s film The Quiet Man, calling him "big, burly and quietly spoken." Upon his retirement in April, outgoing Chief Judge Terry Worthington warned that the District Court was at risk of sliding back into endless delays. He said a significant, ongoing State Government investment in its future was required to ensure trial lists did not become logjammed. Chief Judge Worthington spent much of his 18 years on the bench working to ease the pressures on the trial system which, at their peak, caused persons to spend 13 months in jail waiting to go before a jury. Last month, Supreme Court Justice Chris Kourakis revealed that no new jurists would be appointed to replace retiring Supreme and District Court judges. Chief Justice Kourakis said the government had refused to provide funds for new judges, while Mr Rau said the Courts Administration Authority had suggested the measure to help achieve a $7.3 million savings target.