The Governor of California Jerry Brown has made Californian judicial history by appointing the first openly gay justice to serve on the California Court of Appeals.

Mr Brown also appointed a lesbian to sit as a judge in the San Diego County Court.

Jim Humes, the openly gay new Court of Appeals judge was an associate justice of the First District Court of Appeal and had served as the governor’s executive secretary for legal affairs, administration and policy since 2011.

It is understood to be the first time that a governor has disclosed that judicial appointees are members of the LGBT community.

Governor Brown also appointed Paula S Rosenstein to the San Diego County Superior Court. She is a former co-president of the Tom Homann LGBT Law Association in San Diego.