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Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that the 62-year-old former Federal Court judge, who dropped out of high school at 15, would take over as chief justice of the seven-member High Court in January.

"The governor general is appointing Susan Mary Kiefel as the next chief justice, the 13th chief justice of Australia, the first woman to hold that role," Turnbull said.

"She took silk in 1987, the first woman in Queensland to do so. In 1993 she became the first woman to be appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland.

"She has been one of Australia's most outstanding judicial officers."

Attorney-general George Brandis joined in praising Kiefel, making special mention of the fact she was appointed to the role "on merit".

He said: "One thing that can be said about Justice Kiefel is that every step in her career is a step that was one that she took on merit."