The Honourable Justice Harper was admitted to the Roll of Barristers on 20 December 1985 and commenced practice in February 1986. His Honour was appointed Senior Counsel for the State of New South Wales on 29 September 2004. His Honour is an Accredited Mediator (NMAS) and has nearly 20 years experience in alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration.

As a barrister, His Honour appeared mainly in the Supreme Court of NSW, the Federal Court of Australia, and on occasion the High Court of Australia. His Honour conducted a broad practice but focussed on building and construction litigation, including arbitration and mediation, design and construction contracts, negligence of builders and construction professionals, and liability of developers, property law disputes, including commercial property rights and leases.

His Honour also has extensive experience in family law, banking, trade practices and competition law, restraint of trade, international transport, insurance, including marine insurance, individual and corporate insolvency, equity, administrative law, and probate.

As a barrister, His Honour appeared as an expert witness on NSW law in the Supreme Court of Singapore, and served on the Equity Division Liaison Committee of the Supreme Court of NSW.

From 1986 to 1993 His Honour was reporter for the New South Wales Law Reports. In 2000 His Honour was appointed Adjunct-Lecturer in UniNSW Law School, teaching “Trial Process”. His Honour lectured for NSW Bar Readers Course and contributed to various publications on easements, and procedural topics for litigation, as well as numerous seminar and conference papers on diverse subjects such as evidence, leases, practice and procedure, evidence, trading cartels, and trade practices for practitioners.

His Honour was appointed a Judge of the Federal Circuit Court commencing in the Sydney Registry on 18 January 2018 and a Judge of the Family Court of Australia on 11 March 2019. 

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.