Magistrate Beth Campbell 'distressed' by Canberra's prison problems as she retires

Magistrate Beth Campbell highlighted the Alexander Maconochie Centre's clear failure to "live up to its lofty ambitions" when she retired on Friday after nearly 25 years on the bench.

A month after she dealt with the assault case of tennis star Nick Kyrgios in a packed courtroom, an even larger crowd attended a ceremonial sitting to hear her retirement speech.

As ACT Supreme Court judges watched on from unlikely seats in the dock, Ms Campbell described how the world was when she was appointed as a magistrate and coroner in August 1998.

Only the second woman given those jobs in the territory, she revealed she had recently used Google, which did not even exist when she began her role, to reacquaint herself with a year in which former US president Bill Clinton was impeached and the Spice Girls dominated the pop music scene.

While Ms Campbell joked about many things that did not exist in those days, including smartphones, she reflected seriously on the fact the ACT's jail had also come later.

Before Canberra's own prison opened in 2009, "with all its explicit promise of being human rights compliant", detainees were housed at the Belconnen Remand Centre or in NSW facilities.

Ms Campbell said a recent review conducted by the ACT Inspector of Correctional Services made it "all too clear that the AMC is yet to live up to its lofty ambitions of rehabilitating rather than punishing prisoners".

She was concerned about the apparent lack of a structured day for inmates at the jail, saying all parents knew boredom created trouble.

"Distressingly, the report says the situation is getting worse," Ms Campbell said, questioning how there could be "so few real education opportunities available", and why authorities seemed unable to stop drugs and contraband entering the facility.

"And how can it be that in the past month, I have had two defendants speak to me directly of recently having been sexually abused while in custody?" she asked.

"More importantly, how can these problems finally be addressed? Is it really beyond our capacities?"

The remarkable legal career of Ms Campbell, who expressed hope the ACT government would implement all 29 recommendations listed in the review, was also detailed at the ceremony.

ACT Law Society president Farzana Choudhury described the magistrate's departure as "a sad day for the legal profession", lauding Ms Campbell as "a pioneer for women in law".

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ACT Bar Association president Marcus Hassall spoke of Ms Campbell's reputation as the Magistrates Court's "maintainer of standards", and "a great keeper of chocolate biscuits".

Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury, one of Ms Campbell's legal workshop students during her time lecturing at the Australian National University, said Canberra was "stronger and richer" for her contribution to the community.

He said he would miss picking up The Canberra Times and reading about the latest piece of advice she had given to a defendant appearing before her.

"You are an especially quotable magistrate," Mr Rattenbury told Ms Campbell.

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