New South Wales has appointed judges for its revived industrial court. 

In a move hailed by union advocates but eyed warily by others, the NSW government has confirmed the re-establishment of the Industrial Court of NSW, with Ingmar Taylor, SC, appointed as its first president. 

The announcement was made by Attorney General Michael Daley, following an election promise aimed at providing a fair and independent judiciary for public sector employees.

Ingmar Taylor, a leading figure in employment law, is joined by Vice President David Chin, SC, and Deputy President Jane Paingakulam in the new judiciary lineup. 

The trio of legal experts will guide the court's operations, set to commence by July 1. 

Their appointments mark a significant shift in NSW's approach to industrial disputes, especially given Taylor's extensive background with unions and major employers, including BlueScope and Westpac.

The establishment of the court comes as a response to criticisms of the existing legal processes handled by the Supreme Court, which have been described by NSW Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis as “legalistic, slow, and costly”. 

The Industrial Court aims to provide quicker, cheaper, and more practical resolutions, acting in both conciliation and arbitration capacities.

Despite the optimistic outlook from government officials, the new court has not been without its detractors. 

Questions about the necessity of three full-time judges and the potential for restrictive legislation limiting appeals to the Supreme Court have sparked debates among legal professionals.

Arthur Moses, SC, has pointed out the potential for constitutional challenges similar to those the High Court addressed in 2010, related to laws restricting the appeal process. 

Meanwhile, the reformatting of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission, which will see the abolition of the chief commissioner role, yet retain its current commissioners, remains a contentious point.

The court is seen by many as a strategic return to a previous system favoured by Unions NSW but dismantled in 2016 by the Coalition government. 

Its reintroduction reflects a broader labour advocacy effort and has stirred a mild cynicism towards developers, who may see this move as a pendulum swing back towards more union-friendly policies.