Australia's first female High Court Chief Justice sworn in

Australia's first female Chief Justice of the High Court has officially been sworn into the position at a ceremony in Canberra on Monday.

Susan Kiefel, who replaces outgoing Chief Justice Robert French, is just the first women to hold the position in the High Court's 113-year history.

In a speech following the ceremony, Kiefel described her appointment as a watershed moment for women in law.

"The appointment of more women to this court recognizes that there are now women who have the necessary legal ability and experience as well as the personal qualities to be a justice of this court," Kiefel said.

"There seems no reason to think that that situation will not be maintained in the future. It may well improve."

Kiefel was sworn in by the nation's Attorney-General George Brandis, who said her story was an inspiration.

"As I said as I announced your appointment, yours is truly a great Australian story," Brandis said of Kiefel at the ceremony. "A story to inspire women and men alike."

Kiefel's appointment garnered mainstream attention last year, not only because was she the first women to be appointed to the role, but she was also a high school dropout at 15 years of age.

Studying law part-time, she eventually gained admittance to the Queensland Bar in 1975, and served as a High Court Justice from 2007 until her appointment as Chief Justice in November, 2016.

Justice James Edelman, 42, will take over Kiefel's position as High Court Justice once he is sworn in at a separate ceremony.

source: Xinhua