{{Short description|Australian judge}} {{For|the Canadian blogger|Small Dead Animals}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=December 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable Justice | name = Kate McMillan | honorific_suffix = | nickname = | image = | caption = | order = | office = Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria | term_start = 14 March 2012 | term_end = | office2 = | term_start2 = | term_end2 = | occupation = Judge, lawyer | education = Ruyton Girls' School<br>University of Melbourne | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = | spouse = Will Summons | children = }} '''Kate McMillan''' was a judge in the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria. She formerly worked as a solicitor before becoming a barrister where she was appointed a Senior Counsel.<ref name="LIV welcome">{{cite web |url=http://www.liv.asn.au/Practice-Resources/News-Centre/Speeches/Speeches-2012/Welcome-the-Honourable-Justice-Kate-Mcmillan.aspx?rep=1&glist=0&sdiag=0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718192532/http://www.liv.asn.au/Practice-Resources/News-Centre/Speeches/Speeches-2012/Welcome-the-Honourable-Justice-Kate-Mcmillan.aspx?rep=1&glist=0&sdiag=0 |archive-date=18 July 2014 |title=Welcome the Honourable Justice Kate Mcmillan |accessdate=4 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Clark|first1=R|title=New appointment to the Supreme Court|url=http://www.robertclark.com.au/news/attorney-general/courts/new-appointment-to-the-supreme-court/|date=6 March 2012|accessdate=22 December 2017}}</ref>
==Early life and education== McMillan attended Ruyton Girls' School in Kew, Victoria where she was Vice Captain, Athletics Captain and a Boarding House Prefect.<ref name="Ruyton">{{cite web|title=The Hon Justice Kate McMillan|url=https://www.ruyton.vic.edu.au/community/women-of-significance/miss-kate-mcmillan|publisher=Ruyton Girls' School|accessdate=21 December 2017}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> McMillan studied at the Melbourne Law School where she graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|title=Appointments|url=http://law.unimelb.edu.au/alumni/alumni-profiles-and-accomplishments/appointments|publisher=Melbourne Law School|accessdate=22 December 2017}}</ref>
==Career== McMillan did her articles with John Ball and was admitted as a solicitor in April 1976. Six months later she went to work at law firm Phillips, Fox & Masel. McMillan became a barrister in 1981 where she spent the majority of her legal career, being appointed Senior Counsel in 2000, practising primarily in commercial litigation.<ref>"Personalia: Justice Kate McMillan" (2015) 89 Australian Law Journal 631.</ref> She was on the Bar Ethics Committee for 10 years and was the Chair of the Victorian Bar in 2005–6.<ref name="LIV welcome"/> McMillan represented, the former wife of Bob Jane in various proceedings following their separation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tyre king 'punished' high-living wife|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/tyre-king-punished-high-living-wife/news-story/7e9a169d86fd55d62fd5e39f317a74e6|accessdate=22 December 2017|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=21 May 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite AustLII|VSC|341|2008|litigants=Jane v Jane|courtname=Supreme Court (Vic) |date=5 September 2008}}.</ref><ref>{{cite AustLII|litigants=Taree Pty Ltd v Bob Jane Corporation Pty Ltd|VSC|228|2008|courtname=Supreme Court (Vic) |date=26 June 2008}}.</ref>
===Supreme Court=== McMillan was appointed to the Supreme Court of Victoria on 14 March 2012, where she primarily hears matters in the Common Law Division and is the Judge in Charge of the Trusts, Equity and Probate List. On reaching the statutory age, McMillan J. retired 31 January 2023<ref>{{cite web|title=Practice Note No. 6 of 2016 Trusts, Equity and Probate List|url=https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/embridge_cache/emshare/original/public/2017/09/5e/ca848a2e7/practice%2Bnote%2Bno.%2B6%2Bof%2B2016%2Btrust%252c%2Bequity%2Band%2Bprobate%2Blist.pdf|publisher=Supreme Court of Victoria|accessdate=21 December 2017|archive-date=22 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222052441/https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/embridge_cache/emshare/original/public/2017/09/5e/ca848a2e7/practice%2Bnote%2Bno.%2B6%2Bof%2B2016%2Btrust%252c%2Bequity%2Band%2Bprobate%2Blist.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2013 McMillan was accused of doing her nails and reading a legal textbook while witnesses were giving evidence in a lengthy trial. Mc Millan refused an application that she recuse herself due to a reasonable apprehension of bias.<ref>{{cite news|title=Supreme Court Justice Kate McMillan rejects call to stand down in civil trial over manicure claim|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/supreme-court-justice-kate-mcmillan-rejects-call-to-stand-down-in-civil-trial-over-manicure-claim/news-story/a5d251fe9767a45f692db1eb50f820f0|work=Herald Sun|date=28 September 2013|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite AustLII|litigants=AZ v The Age (No 2)|VSC|436|2013|courtname=Supreme Court (Vic) |date=12 September 2013}}.</ref>
==Personal life== McMillan is the co-owner with her husband of an Angus beef farm at Kerrie, near Romsey.<ref name="LIV welcome"/>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McMillan, Kate}} Category:Judges of the Supreme Court of Victoria Category:Australian women judges Category:Melbourne Law School alumni Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Australian Senior Counsel Category:People educated at Ruyton Girls' School Category:Judges from Melbourne