Acting Associate Justice Craig Smyth

Craig Anthony Smyth was appointed as Acting Associate Justice in February 2025.  At time of his appointment he was the Executive Director of Legal Services, at the Solicitor for the Northern Territory.

He grew up in Geelong, Victoria and graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Science (Geology) in 1991 and with honours in Science (Geology) from La Trobe University, in 1992.

After working in the oil industry for a number of years in Melbourne, Perth and Indonesian Borneo, he returned to study law in Darwin, graduating from the Northern Territory University with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons 1) and the University Medal in 2002.

He was an Associate to the Honourable Justice David Angel of the Northern Territory Supreme Court and following admission in 2003 was employed at the Solicitor for the Northern Territory for over two decades. He commenced as a litigation lawyer, then as a senior litigation lawyer and team leader of the Administrative and Employment Law team, as Director Litigation from 2013 and then as Executive Director, Legal Services from 2019.

Additionally he acted as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Attorney-General’s Department in 2018-2019 and 2020-2021, and at various times acting Chief Executive Officer.

He has been Secretary of the Northern Territory Council of Law Reporting (since 2003), a member of the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Tribunal (2022-2025), Assistant Executive Editor of the Northern Territory Law Journal (2007-2025) and a Director of Basketball Northern Territory (2015-2025).