Australian judge apologises after claiming that colleagues are appointed regardless of merit

Justice Joshua Wilson claimed appointments were often on the basis of ‘gender and diversity’ rather than merit, before being forced to withdraw his claims. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

A federal and family court justice who planned to deliver a speech at an international conference claiming that progressive governments appointed diverse judges regardless of merit has been forced to apologise to his colleagues and told he can no longer attend the conference.

The speech by Justice Joshua Wilson had been uploaded on the court’s website before Justice William Alstergren, the chief justice of the family court and chief judge of the federal circuit court, was alerted to its contents and ordered that it be removed this week.