Special Magistrates are appointed under the Magistrates Court Act 1930 and unlike permanent magistrates they need not be barristers or solicitors.
However, to be considered for appointment as a Special Magistrate the applicant must display an appropriate knowledge of the relevant law and its underlying principles. They must also possess a high level of expertise in their chosen area or profession and display certain personal qualities such as sound judgment and objectivity.
In the ACT, Special Magistrates are able to hear the same matters as dealt with by Magistrates.
The list below provides the names and date of appointment for those who have served as Special Magistrates in the ACT from 1930.
Chronological index of Special Magistrates of the Magistrates Court of the Australian Capital Territory
| Special Magistrate | Appointed | |
| GOODWIN, Colonel John Thomas Hill | 25.11.1930 - 6.9.1936 | |
| GARRAN, Sir Robert Randolph | 27.3.1942 | |
| PERCIVAL, Arthur | 28.11.1946 | |
| MCKILLOP, Robert Alexander | 14.5.1947 | |
| KEANE, Francis Charles Patrick | 18.5.1947 - 29.11.1949 | |
| 28.10.1966 | ||
| RHODES, Sidney Richard | 9.7.1947 - 6.10.1953 | |
| GREEN, Frank Clifton | 9.7.1947 | |
| THORPE, Frank Gordon | 9.7.1947 - 23.12.1953 | |
| DENTON, Charles Francis | 21.3.1957 | |
| DAVIES, John Llanover | 16.4.1957 | |
| SAWER, Gepffrey | 16.4.1957 | |
| DEBENHAM, Edmond Monaghan | 9.8.1962 | |
| HARVEY, Everard Roy | 20.9.1962 | |
| EDMONDS, Keith Stacey | 5.4.1963 | |
| MEAGHER, Martin Sylvester | 23.4.1963 | |
| PATON, Alexander John | 24.8.1967 | |
| CROMMELIN, Brian Frederick Lake | 23.11.1967 | |
| HUMBY, Rexton James | 17.4.1968 | |
| FLYNN, William Stilwell | 30.4.1968 | |
| SCARLETT, John Roderick | 27.3.1969 | |
| WARD, Charles Kingsley | 27.3.1969 | |
| FISCHER, Clement Lewis | 29.6.1970 | |
| PRICE, Thomas Francis | 26.8.1976 | |
| PEARSON, Eric Sterndale | 26.8.1976 | |
| HOGAN, Alan Eugene | 22.9.1977 - 5.6.1989 | |
| O'CONNOR, Desmond | 16.2.1978 | |
| NICHOLS, David Bruce | 19.10.1978 | |
| KILDUFF, Charles Francis | 27.3.1980 - 4.11.1981 | |
| WYNNE, Anthony William | 9.7.1982 | |
| O'NEILL, James Joseph | 27.1.1983 | |
| DOBSON, Kevin Townley | 20.8.1986 | |
| MURPHY, John Martin | 19.5.1988 | |
| BANNISTER, Marcus Kessell | 14.10.1988 | |
| HARDIMAN, Alan Anthony | 24.11.1988 | |
| SMITH, Douglas William | 14.12.1989 - 1.7.1994 | |
| DAINER, John Joseph | 3.3.1994 | |
| HARVEY, Christine Susan | 30.9.1994 | |
| SYMONS, Elizabeth Marjorie | 30.9.1994 - 30.9.2004 | |
| DELLAR, Garry George | 30.9.1994 | |
| NICHOLL, Warren Keith | 20.2.1996 | |
| WARD, Michael | 20.7.1998 - 30.8.1998 | |
| 22.9.1998 - 30.10.1998 | ||
| PEEDOM, Michael Henry | 11.11.1998 - 10.11.2005 | |
| THOMPSON, Phillip Raymond | 12.9.2000 - 28.2.2006 | |
| PIKE, Ian Henry | 29.8.2001 - 28.8.2002 | |
| LALOR, Grant Chrysostom | 25.6.2002 - 13.12.2002 | |
| CUSH, Kenneth Michael | 13.10.2008 - 30.06.2010 | |
| 03.06.2013 - 13.12.2018 | ||
| STEFANIAK, Bill | 17.11.2008 - 2.2.2009 | |
| LUNNEY, Graeme | 16.05.2011 - 15.05.2014 | |
| CHENOWETH, Christopher | 16.05.2011 - 15.05.2014 | |
| DOOGAN, Maria | 03.06.2013 - 06.05.2017 | |
| HUNTER, Margaret | 21.05.2014 - Current | |
| MULLIGAN, Dominic | 21.05.2014 - 06.05.2017 | |
| Jervis Bay Special Magistrates: Commander of HMAS Creswell | 21.3.1953 - Current | |